The importance of Roman Reconstruction Archaeology

[Robert Vermaat]

I think we are getting back to your original doubts here. Playing Devils advocate, who says you are camping authentically etc, etc...? ( I do not totally share some of the following views but I have heard them said and mention them here for the purposes of this debate)

I guess there will be those who say that as re-enactors equipment is generally not made with the same materials as the originals, by the same methods or with the same level of skill as the originals then what can we learn from using them?

I think we must strive to become authentic, but at the same time remember we can never actually achieve that goal. Ever. Something like that slave behind the Imperator during his parade, repeating over and over: "Remember thou art unauthentic". "Remember thou art unauthentic". "Remember thou art unauthentic". :wink:

Seriously, there will be people who will doubt the authenticity of what you are wearing and doing and will therefore ask, 'what do your marches prove'? Perhaps nothing more than that modern unfit people can wear 'fancy dress', live outdoors for a few days and that badly made kit will fall apart! I do not know what was in the original email that sparked this debate but perhaps at a guess it was something along these lines?

I agree with Graham on this point. Please continue what you are doing John, but remember that in the eyes of some people it will just never be enough. Personally I'm going for a good impression of a Late Roman soldier, but then I fully realise that I'm only halfway a 'fancy dress' and an imperfect reconstruction. But I also realise there's nothing wrong with that, either. My goal is to educate and have a good time, not primarily to achieve that Holy Grail of re-enactment - authenticity.

The group Quinta used to test the various types of third century weapons but always stressed when they published their findings that any results they achieved would always be the minimum. However it was always interesting to see that even at the first attempt many missiles thrown from the reconstructed wall at South Shields hit the outer edge of the reconstructed inner ditch!

I must say I was a bit disappointed by their plumbatae results though.. Does Quinta still exist or is it part of Comitatus now?