HABITANCUM in Britain. The following inscription is the authority for the name, which occurs in neither the Notitia nor the Itineraries:—
MOGONT CAD
ET N. D. N. AVG
M. G. SECUNDINVS
BF. COS. HABITA
NCI PRIMA STA
PRO SE ET SVIS POS.
（ Monum. Brit. 130.)
This was found near Risinghamin Durham.
Another from the same locality ( Monum. Britann. 102) runs—
DEO INVICTO
HERCVLI SACR
L ÆEMIL. SALVIANVS
TRIB COH I VANGI
V. S. P. M.
A third ( Mon. Brit102a) is—
* * * * * * *
* * ICO MAXI
COS III ET M AVREL ANTONINO PIO
COS II AVG
PORTAM CVM MVRIS VETVSTATE DI-
LAPSIS JVSSV ALFEN SENECINIS VO
COS CVRANTE COL ANITI ADVENTO PRO
AVG NN.C*I VANGON O PF S
CVM AEMI SALVIAN TRIB
SVO A SOLO RESTI.
Many important remains have been found here: e. g., altars, and traces of the walls of the station; so that the identification of Habitancum with Risinghamhas been generally sanctioned. The inscriptions inform us of important restorations, and also of its being the station for a cohort of the Vangiones: The rude but celebrated figure of Rob of Risingham, sculptured upon the face of the natural rock, is to the south of the station. A portion of the rock was rent off by gunpowder some years ago, carrying the upper part of the figure with it. He carries a bow in one hand, and what appears to be a hare or rabbit in the other.(Bruce's Roman Wall, p. 308.)
To the ethnographical philologist the termination -nc-is important. Its presence in such a word as Habitancumshows it to be British, and, as such, Keltic. It is well known, however, that the name by which the river Powas known to the Ligurians was Bodencus;a gloss which, even in the classical times, was translated fundo cares.Seeing this, Prichard suggested the reading Boden-los, and from it the Germanic character of the Ligurians. His doctrine has been taken up by others. It is clear, however, that the more we find other forms in -nc-,the less the reason for refining on the current form Bodencus. The more, too, such forms are Keltic, the less the probability of the inference that the Ligurianswere German, and the greater that of their being Kelts.
[R.G.L]