Event marching camp reconstruction problems and solutions

[jvrjenivs]

Okay, I have some experience on this subject, but still far too less to say anything that good researched. (Planning on doing more marches over the next couple of years, with a higher grade of authenticy).

I've been building a roman Wood-earth wall of permanent campment on the Kops Plateau, Nijmegen (see somewhere else) and did a trainingscamp with ditch and at one occasion on the march I did last summer we made one (it's hard to get permission to dig at farmers land)

We must note that the Roman army was a very well trained proffesional organisation with his own enginering troops and all skilled men with their own tasks. I don't believe that everyone would help to dig the ditch, but most of them did, as it's a big job. First we've to take into account that the smalle the camp we reconstruct, the longer the ditch would be (measured as a ratio between area covered/people living there versus circumference. I don't have calculations around here, but you can find about how many work has to be done by a single soldier. From my own (untrained) experience I can tell, if I remember right, that I was able to make about 1 meter of ditch in an hour. Some were able to make some more, some were only able to make less. But all were untrained for this job. So you could only make a small ditch at the front of your camp, so everyone has to dig a 'normal' amount of earth.

Second on drainage, you've to take into account that first the corpus agrimensorem entered the campside (after it was picked up by some special commanders) and start to set out the main ways of the camp layout. Soldiers start to remove trees etc (which are most probably there, if you are marching into germanic countries) and LEVELING the area. So, everything is flat. From my own experience I can tell that even in very rainy wether, when you tent is set up in hard rain, on levelled ground, simple placing a layer of straw with toplayer of sheepskin will be perfect to sleep one. If not, you could make a drainage canal in front of your tent, but I never needed one.

Then I see stationairy artillery on the picture you posted. I don't know if this is appropriate for a marching camp. As we now used to take the whole thing apart and set it up on the next locations, the Romans weren't using them that way, as far as I know. The only took the iron parts (and torsion bands) and renewwed all the wooden parsts everytime to came on a new locations where the needed one. I only would suggest to use smaller carroballistae (so mounted on a cart) in a marching camp as the big ones are simply not there.

Also, it looks like your vexillum is standing at the entrence. I think it always have to be in the middle of the camp, in a special tent devoted to the banners (and other goddes you want on your side). Always have some soldiers on watching duties outside this holy ground!