05-18-2015, 06:39 PM
Mules would have been ever present in the Roman army, used by the rankers, all officers, the supply train, etc., and are capable of walking at a faster pace than most people, so chances are there would be some with the vanguard.
But how do you imagine the plough was used for ditch digging? From my understanding, the ancient Roman plough was actually a rather crude tool that basically only scratched a line in the dirt, leaving a shallow furrow. It did not turn up much dirt as compared to modern ploughs, only creating a furrow to put seeds in. Not only was the plough itself not designed to go deep, but the draft animals themselves lacked the yokes and harnesses that would allow them to pull without being choked. Here's some more info:LacucCurtius: Greek and Roman Plough
I read an article a while back that explained it in detail and even provided images of how shallow the furrow was, I'll try to find it.
But how do you imagine the plough was used for ditch digging? From my understanding, the ancient Roman plough was actually a rather crude tool that basically only scratched a line in the dirt, leaving a shallow furrow. It did not turn up much dirt as compared to modern ploughs, only creating a furrow to put seeds in. Not only was the plough itself not designed to go deep, but the draft animals themselves lacked the yokes and harnesses that would allow them to pull without being choked. Here's some more info:LacucCurtius: Greek and Roman Plough
I read an article a while back that explained it in detail and even provided images of how shallow the furrow was, I'll try to find it.
