The site remained occupied after the decline of the Western Roman Empire and ultimately developed into the present-day city of York, in North Yorkshire, England.

[5][3] Peter Schrijver has instead counter-argued that "eburos did not mean yew tree" and that the derivation from Latin ebur (ivory) instead refers to boar's tusks.

When Brigantian leadership changed, becoming more hostile to Rome, Roman general Quintus Petillius Cerialis led the Ninth Legion north from Lincoln across the Humber.

[8] A legion at full strength at that time numbered some 5,500 men, and provided new trading opportunities for enterprising local people, who doubtless flocked to Eboracum to take advantage of them.

By the later 2nd century, growth was rapid; streets were laid out, public buildings were erected and private houses spread out over terraces on the steep slopes above the river.

[13] These defences, originally consisting of turf ramparts on a green wood foundation, were built by the Ninth Legion between 71 and 74 AD.

Rebuilding in stone began in the early second century AD under Trajan, but may have taken as long as the start of the reign of Septimius Severus to be completed; a period of over 100 years.

[16] Estimates suggest that over 48,000 m3 of stone were required,[16] largely consisting of Magnesian Limestone from the quarries near the Roman settlement of Calcaria (Tadcaster).

[18] A biographer, Cassius Dio, described a scene in which the Emperor utters the final words to his two sons on his death bed: "Agree with each other, make the soldiers rich, and ignore everyone else.

In the later 3rd century, the western Empire experienced political and economic turmoil and Britain was for some time ruled by usurpers independent of Rome.

In the colonia, Constantine's reign was a time of prosperity and a number of extensive stone town houses of the period have been excavated.

[21] This mark of Imperial favour was probably a recognition of Eboracum as the largest town in the north and the capital of Britannia Inferior.

At around the same time Eboracum became self-governing, with a council made up of rich locals, including merchants and veteran soldiers.

[24] A first-century warehouse fire from Coney Street, on the North bank of the Ouse and outside the fortress, showed that spelt wheat was the most common cereal grain used at that time, followed by barley.

A variety of food preparation vessels (mortaria) have been excavated from the city[25] and large millstones used in the processing of cereals have been found in rural sites outside the colonia at Heslington and Stamford Bridge.

[26] Additionally, several inhumation burials from Trentholme Drive contained hen's eggs placed in ceramic urns as grave goods for the deceased.

[27] A range of evidence of Roman religious beliefs among the people of Eboracum have been found including altars to Mars, Hercules, Jupiter and Fortune.

[15] The cemeteries of Roman York follow the major Roman roads out of the settlement; excavations in the Castle Yard (next to Clifford's Tower), beneath the railway station, at Trentholme Drive and the Mount[38] have located significant evidence of human remains using both inhumation and cremation burial rites.

[42] An excavation in advance of building work underneath the Yorkshire Museum in 2010 located a male skeleton with significant pathology to suggest that he may have died as a gladiator in Eboracum.

In these early stages, Eboracum operated as a command economy with workshops growing up outside the fortress to supply the needs of the 5,000 troops garrisoned there.

[47] Examples found in York take the form of rings, bracelets, necklaces, and pendants depicting married couples and the Medusa.

The effect of Constantine's religious policy allowed the greater development of Christianity in Roman Britain—a bishop of York named "Eborius" is attested here and several artifacts decorated with chi-rho symbols are known.

[52] Additionally, a small bone plaque from an inhumation grave bore the phrase SOROR AVE VIVAS IN DEO ("Hail sister may you live in God").

Substantial physical remains have been excavated in York in the last two centuries[57] including the city walls, the legionary bath-house and headquarters building, civilian houses, workshops, storehouses and cemeteries.