ABSTRACT
Though the military garrison is a major presence in the frontier and dominates its archaeology, other important communities co-existed with the limitanei. These people are most easily examined by distinguishing between different settlement communities: rural agrarian and elite; nucleated and urban; and barbarian elite (Figure 5.1). The quality and quantity of data varies, but any comprehensive understanding of the late Roman frontier must at least attempt to compare the military and non-military settlement. The relationships between farmsteads, small towns, large towns, and the military are ambiguous. Archaeologically speaking, farmsteads and towns are both quite distinct from Roman military settlements, but it must be remembered that non-military and military settlements cannot be considered as unrelated to each other. Indeed, three of the four primary towns in the frontier, York, Corbridge, and Carlisle, each had resident military populations in the local fort, though both urban and military populations were considerably out-numbered by those in the countryside working the land.
