Patrick Ottaway has been an archaeologist for over 40 years, first in Winchester and subsequently in York where he was manager of the fieldwork team at York Archaeological Trust. Latterly he has been a consultant for commercial clients and public bodies on archaeological and cultural heritage matters. He has a doctorate in archaeology at York University, has been a tutor in archaeology for Hull, Leeds and York universities and is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. He is the author of Roman York (History Press, 2004) and Roman Yorkshire (Blackthorn Press, 2013) as well as numerous academic reports and journal articles.