Legio II beyond the realms of Exeter

[Caratacus]

As I remember, the Exeter site is a bit 'odd'. It isn't the 'normal' playing card shape and it looks as though they built it to fit the ground that they had rather than taking the time and the trouble to landscape the area to the usual shape - almost as though they didn't really expect to stay there for that long a period of time?

I've always been a bit worried/suspicious about the designation of Hod Hill as a legionary base. It's in the middle of nowhere (is this really where you want to leave a cohort of your best troops?), it is too small for a cohors equitata quingenaria (about 2/3rd the number of contubernia required) but there are what have been identified as cavalry stables/barracks there. The sole 'evidence' for the legionary presence seems to be a few bits of lorica seg and there are also a few bits that have been identified as being pilum heads but there were also many more flat-bladed spears. It is, as they say, "a puzzlement". Is this evidence that leg II Augusta was 'dropping off' garrisons to guard the l-of-c, or were they seriously understrength when they built the Exeter fortress? Perhaps not too surprising if they were, given the hard-fought campaign they were involved with, maybe?

Mike Thomas