A TRANSVESTITE priest, who castrated himself to honour his goddess, is shedding new light on the region's colourful past.

The 4th Century skeleton, found adorned with women's jewellery, is thought to be "a gallus" - a priest who castrated himself in honour of the eastern goddess, Cybele.

Archaeologists made the unusual find in a Roman cemetery at Catterick in North Yorkshire - a town whose history as a military base dates back as far as 80AD, with a thriving town growing up around the original fort over the next 400 years.

Today, there is almost nothing left; the construction of the A1 in the 1950s saw the new dual carriageway punch through the remains of the Roman community in the days when archaeologists were only given three months to investigate historic sites before the bulldozers moved in.

However, a new book by English Heritage's Dr Pete Wilson elaborates on the finds which shed more light on the fascinating history of Cataractonium which, as well as a military garrison, once boasted baths, a staging post for important emissaries and was home to a host of trades, including blacksmiths and leather workers.

The Romans took their deities with them as they conquered Europe and among the finds from Catterick is a statuette of the blacksmiths' god, Vulcan.

But they also adopted others from cultures they encountered and the 4th century remains of a young man found on a farm near Catterick suggest a link with the goddess Cybele.

He was wearing distinctive jet jewellery, associated with more mystic eastern religions, as well as a shale armlet and a bronze anklet.

"He is the only man wearing this array of jewellery who has ever been found from a late Roman cemetery in Britain," said Dr Wilson.

In life, he would probably have been regarded as a transvestite and was probably a gallus (correct) - a follower of Cybele who castrated themselves in her honour. The find demonstrates just how cosmopolitan the north of England was.

Cybele was accepted as a Roman state deity around the 3rd century BC and was worshipped at noisy public festivals.

Her priests castrated themselves on a Day of Blood in April, using ornamental clamps, one of which is on show in the British Museum.

Afterwards, they wore distinctive jewellery, brightly coloured robes, turbans or tiaras and had their hair styled like a woman's.

An altar dedicated to Cybele has also been found at Corbridge on Hadrian's Wall while a mask found at Catterick would have been used during celebrations in the goddesses honour.

Most of the finds from Catterick are on show in the Yorkshire Museum in York although others can be found at the Richmondshire Museum in Richmond and the Old Fulling Museum in Durham.

Copies of Dr Wilson's work can be had from York Publishing Services at 64 Hallfield Road, Layerthorpe, York, YO31 7ZQ, by telephoning (01904) 431213 or via email at enq@yps.ymn.co.uk