09-04-2013, 03:29 PM
I'm currently reading through the Vindolanda 2001-2002 site report and came across a line of discussion I don't think has been much considered, here at least. In trying to explain why female shoes might be present inside barracks in a Pre-Hadrianic fort, the author (Andrew Birley) suggests that while parts of the garrison were absent (as we know several hundred were during one stage in Period II at Vindolanda), civilian dependants could move into accommodation left vacant.
So I guess this leaves two questions: firstly, if large parts of a fort or fortress were under occupied, would it follow that the families or dependants of absent or present soldiers could then move in? And, whether that is or isn't the case, may we also expect the soldiers left behind to spread out across the fort, so as to be less cramped?
I can think of logical reasons why disciplinarian centurions would keep their men exactly where they are, and as discussed in the other thread, on cold nights you'd want as many contubernales huddled up with you as possible. However, keeping rooms occupied would also mean keeping them maintained, so might it be in the interests of the garrison to ensure that areas of the fort did not go neglected? Also, is there any reasonable explanation for the presence of female footwear in Pre-Hadrianic barracks other than suggesting that some lived inside the fort as well?
So I guess this leaves two questions: firstly, if large parts of a fort or fortress were under occupied, would it follow that the families or dependants of absent or present soldiers could then move in? And, whether that is or isn't the case, may we also expect the soldiers left behind to spread out across the fort, so as to be less cramped?
I can think of logical reasons why disciplinarian centurions would keep their men exactly where they are, and as discussed in the other thread, on cold nights you'd want as many contubernales huddled up with you as possible. However, keeping rooms occupied would also mean keeping them maintained, so might it be in the interests of the garrison to ensure that areas of the fort did not go neglected? Also, is there any reasonable explanation for the presence of female footwear in Pre-Hadrianic barracks other than suggesting that some lived inside the fort as well?
