Prisoner of War Camps

[Nathan Ross]

the wall looks quite solid to me, made of fitted stone

The architecture on Trajan's Column often looks like painted theatrical flats to me - in this case you can even see the gaps at the corners! Perhaps it was supposed to look like that, for some curious Roman reason...

Ah, but this story dates back to August 2000.

A more recent theory has the huts as accomodation for refugees:

Vindolanda Roundhouses

It seems that everyone studying Vindolanda is obliged to come up with their own slightly different interpretation of the purpose of these huts - I think it was Professor Mann who proposed the 'North African levies' idea, then one of the other Birleys who suggested a prison camp, or a holding area for high-status hostages, and somebody else thought it was for native labourers... Seems we'll never know.

However, since the huts were quite roomy and had fitted hearths, it seems unlikely that they were intended as basic slave pens. I think the hostages/exiles explanation might be most convincing.