04-30-2008, 11:14 AM
That's correct what Byron says David, the walls of these camps were created from the spoil of the ditch. However when the ditch reached both sides of the gates it stopped, this way it gave a solid entrance to the camp. With the Clavicula type gate one has to look at it from the inside to understand it, you have the gate infront of you then the left wall comes inwards and swings into an arc. This way should an enemy try to enter the gate he has to turn to his left to get in, this of course gives you the advantage where you have him on his right flank. Then there is the Tutulus gate where there is a short wall placed across the entrance on the outside of the gate just beyond the outer ditch line, here again the enemy has to present his left or right flank to you if he want's to get in. There have been studies made where larger camps have one or the other type of gate, where I mention both together is with smaller camps that guard a vunerable place. I have given a grid ref'. earlier that shows the two which up to now may be the only ones recorded.
Brian Stobbs
