Corieltauvi facts for kids

The Corieltauvi were an ancient Celtic tribe. They lived in Britain long before the Romans arrived. Their home was in what is now the East Midlands of England. After the Romans took over Britain, the Corieltauvi became a Roman civitas (a type of Roman district). They shared borders with other tribes like the Brigantes and the Iceni. Their main town was called Ratae Corieltauvorum, which we know today as Leicester.

Life in the Iron Age

The Corieltauvi were mostly farmers. They didn't have many strong forts or a single, powerful ruler. It seems they were a group of smaller tribes working together.

Their Special Coins

Around the start of the 1st century AD, the Corieltauvi began making their own coins. These coins often had two names on them, and sometimes even three. This suggests they had several leaders.

Pale gold stater of the Corieltauvi
Front: Horse symbol and letters	Back: Sheaf of wheat symbol
A stater found near Walkington now in the Yorkshire Museum

Some later coins show the name of Volisios, who might have been their most important leader. Other names like Dumnocoveros, Dumnovellaunus, and Cartivelios also appear. These coins were made around 45 AD. The Corieltauvi had an important place for making coins, possibly a main tribal center, in a town called Sleaford.

Amazing Coin Discoveries

In 2000, a huge collection of coins was found. It was called the Hallaton Treasure. This discovery more than doubled the number of Corieltauvian coins ever found! Later, in 2014, 26 gold and silver coins were found in a cave in Derbyshire. Even more recently, between 2021 and 2022, fifteen gold coins called staters were found in Llangoed, Wales.

The Corieltauvi and the Romans

There isn't much proof that the Corieltauvi fought against the Romans. Their main town, Ratae (Leicester), was taken by the Romans around 44 AD. It might have even had a Roman army camp there. The Fosse Way, an important Roman road, also passed through their land.

What Does Their Name Mean?

The name Corieltauvi has appeared in different ways in old writings. In a 2nd-century book called Geography by Ptolemy, they are called Coritani or Coritavi. However, a Roman map called the Ravenna Cosmography and a special tile found in Churchover suggest the real name was Corieltauvi.

Today, an athletics club in Leicester, the Leicester Coritanian A.C., uses a version of their name.

The Barnetby Bull Rider

In 2016, a metal detectorist found a small, unique figure in a field in Barnetby le Wold, Lincolnshire. It was a tiny statue of a woman riding a bull! Experts at the British Museum said it was very important.

Adam Staples, an auction expert, said it was probably made in the early 1st century AD. He also mentioned it might be the only figure ever found of someone riding a bull from that time. "It is such a unique piece," he said, "and [raises] the question just who was she? Was she a slave, a priestess, a Queen?" Staples thought the bull rider might have been attached to the top of a bowl. This bowl could have been used in special ceremonies. The figure was sold at an auction for £7,800 in November 2022.