Leather Contubernium Tents

[Lucius Duccius Rufinus]

I have been thinking quite a bit about this recently... The tents used by a contubernium of soldiers, how would this be transported? My guess is the poles and pegs used to put up the tent would be distributed between the 8 men? but what about the leather??? As replica leather tents seem to come in one piece? would the tents of the day been in one piece also?? if so, seems a bit unwieldy to carry, my obvious thought here was the baggage trains? Just wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this and any articles?

[M. Demetrius]

Each contubernium had a mule for carrying things like that, or so we're led to believe. Properly rigged, a tent could ride on the pack frame of a mule, along with poles, etc.

[jvrjenivs]

First, the evidence for tents is scarce. We didn't find enough pieces to tell if they were constructed in one piece or not. If you would read more about what we know about tents, you should go with the article on the subject by Carol van Driel-Murray.

Indeed it seems every contubernium had his own mule. But a mule doesn't mean every 'transport' issues are solved. I mean, a mule can't carry a tent, poles, tools, grindingstone, etc. Okay, a cart would solve some of that. But anyway, it would be hard to even transport the tent alone on a mule. (and what with water supplies, for instance...)

Now, that is all based on facts (and what a MODERN mule can carry).

Now, here comes one of my own theories. I would suggest in the past a lot of people have misidentified the furca. For some more interesting stuff about that item, you can also go to the excellent article on the Leg II AVG (UK) site. Anyway, furca means fork. So, when we take a it in the form of a longer pole with a Y-shape end, that would make both an excellent carrying pole, as well a support for the tent (as I don't have access to a leather tent, yet, I didn't practice this, so I don't know if this is possible at all, without having a much to heavy (thick) furca. When you set 3 upright, and bind 2 together to make the main horizontal support, a frame is made.

You also mentioned the tent being transported in one piece or several. This got me thinking, also. We know, from the dessert tribes/ Bedouin folks, who live in the dessert that they would be used to a total different system of tent use as we see today. Okay, their tents seems to be made most out of pieces of woolen fabric from camel hair. They used to take the tents apart (that is, unstitching the main panels, so you get only a couple of easier to transport straight pieces). The poles were not transported at all. They stayed where they are, so at every place where you would life a set of tent poles was already installed, and you only needed to cover the frame with panels. Now, this last feature was certainly not the case when the Roman army was marching into enemy territory. But at least in forrested areas, getting poles made on site doesn't require that much work.

[Crispvs]

I have often wondered whether modern reconstructions might have too many poles. Both of our tents have six short poles on each side which support the horizontal 'strainer' poles and match up with the attachments for the guy ropes. However, I have often found that only three poles are needed on each side - one for each corner and one in the middle to support the middle of the horizontal pole. It is also not necessary to have a pole backing every single guy rope. Thus, each of our tents have a ridge pole, two side strainer poles, two main upright poles and twelve corner/side poles, but I am sure that we could ditch six of the side poles in each case with no real loss of stability to the tents. That would cut the number of pole to be carried for each tent from seventeen (or twenty if the ridge and strainer poles are each in two pieces) to eleven (or fourteen). Of course, I remain to be convinced that the high sided tent normally reconstructed was a contabernium tent rather than a centurio's tent. If a tent had the eight inch walls Richmond proposed, then it would hardly need strainer, side or corner poles at all, meaning that the necessary number of poles would be cut to three (or four if the ridge pole was in two pieces). It would not be hard for a mule to carry a rolled up tent and just four poles, in addition to the quern stone and grid iron. Any tools could be spread out between the men, with each carrying one tool, meaning the mule would not need to carry these. Josephus' list of tools which were carried is unlikely to be for just one man and is more likely to be the contabernium's compliment of tools.

Crispvs

[Lucius Duccius Rufinus]

I have often wondered whether modern reconstructions might have too many poles. Both of our tents have six short poles on each side which support the horizontal 'strainer' poles and match up with the attachments for the guy ropes. However, I have often found that only three poles are needed on each side - one for each corner and one in the middle to support the middle of the horizontal pole. It is also not necessary to have a pole backing every single guy rope. Thus, each of our tents have a ridge pole, two side strainer poles, two main upright poles and twelve corner/side poles, but I am sure that we could ditch six of the side poles in each case with no real loss of stability to the tents. That would cut the number of pole to be carried for each tent from seventeen (or twenty if the ridge and strainer poles are each in two pieces) to eleven (or fourteen). Of course, I remain to be convinced that the high sided tent normally reconstructed was a contabernium tent rather than a centurio's tent. If a tent had the eight inch walls Richmond proposed, then it would hardly need strainer, side or corner poles at all, meaning that the necessary number of poles would be cut to three (or four if the ridge pole was in two pieces). It would not be hard for a mule to carry a rolled up tent and just four poles, in addition to the quern stone and grid iron. Any tools could be spread out between the men, with each carrying one tool, meaning the mule would not need to carry these. Josephus' list of tools which were carried is unlikely to be for just one man and is more likely to be the contabernium's compliment of tools.

Crispvs

Interesting point about the tools, but I have also been thinking along the lines of a "shared" load, what happens however if (as morbid as it is) half your contabernium is dead after a long campaign? or down to 1 or 2 men, would these guys have to "pick up the slack" of their fallen commerades? suppose the simplest solution would probably be pack it all on the mule train, or ditch non-essential gear... or i suppose there was the "merging of contabernium's... so much i dont know! times like these a time machine is required!

[Lucius Duccius Rufinus]

Out of curiosity, where have other groups bought their Leather tents?

[jvrjenivs]

As far as I know the ESG and Leg II AVG (both UK) made their leather tents themselves, as did the German Romercohorte Opladen. Deepeeka is making them, but haven't seen those up close. Since last year, Daniyal Steelcrafts is also making leather tents, which I have seen in use by both Gemina Project (NL) and Leg XI CPF (BE). Those are availiable by SOTW in the US, but as you're in the UK, I would suggest contacting Adrian (Armamentaria) about the DSC one, which is, in my opinion, currently the best buy (although there are some points I would like to see improved).

[jvrjenivs]

Interesting point about the tools, but I have also been thinking along the lines of a "shared" load, what happens however if (as morbid as it is) half your contabernium is dead after a long campaign? or down to 1 or 2 men, would these guys have to "pick up the slack" of their fallen commerades? suppose the simplest solution would probably be pack it all on the mule train, or ditch non-essential gear... or i suppose there was the "merging of contabernium's... so much i dont know! times like these a time machine is required!

I don't know. If we look to all kind of accounts I get the impression that a legion is hardly ever at full strength. Always people seem to be ill, detached, etc. So, would the stuff worn by the soldiers in the legion be such a load that it need all of them helping carrying stuff? Maybe a contubernium would suffice with 6 tools instead of 8. So 2 of them doesn't have to carry such a piece. Okay, this is purely what is coming up in my mind now, but I think it would make sence. Although I can't support you with a source, it seems logical to me, also, to merge contubernia, as you need them to operate this way, or your system is going to fail.

[Tim Edwards]

The marching pack article Jurjen referred to here:
http://www.legiiavg.org.uk/index_files/Page32663.htm
I wrote it as an update for those who have already read Fuentes' Mule of a soldier.

I agree that we still have a lot to discover about tent variants. The Duerne leather tent section (assuming that is what it is) suggest lighter, more manoueverable types, suited to an extended section strength patrol.

I hazily remember a reference to soldiers having to contribute pay for allocated portions of the tent, (though not necessarily meaning the tent was in sections...!) Can anyone find this?

I can't help feeling that there are a lot of finds from Vindonissa which might help us with many of the questions we have on Roman military leatherwork, that desparately need fresh analysis and republishing.

Here's a low walled pattern from a hunting scene on a mosaic from Tunisia:

[attachment=0:3pz8r01q]<!-- ia0 62109741_7SUGa0xF_TunisiaMay062650 - Copy.jpg<!-- ia0 [/attachment:3pz8r01q]

[Crispvs]

Tim,

I think the reference you are after can be found in B&C2, page 42, where it states:

"Another text from Egypt and dating to the reign of Antoninus Pius, records a mother receiving the property of her deceased son, a soldier of cohors II Thracum, including sums 'in armis' of 21 denarii 27 1/2 obols (presumably payment for handing in his weapons), along with 'papilio' 20 denarii (possibly his share of a tent)."

I would also like to see a new publication of the Vindonissa leather material. I can't help feeling for myself however that one of the most fertile sites in the future for leather might be Carlisle. Judging by what was found during the Millennium digs, which opened up only a minute part of the fort, Carlisle might prove to be as rich as Vindolanda. What I think is really needed in the short term however is a really comprehensive work on preserved Roman leather products, taking in Vindonissa, Roomberg, Valkenburg, Vindolanda, Carlisle and everywhere else which has produced significant finds of leatherwork. I would also like to see some items published which researchers and museums have been sitting on for years. For example, there is a good amount of evidence on shield covers as well as complete saddle leathers from Carlisle, which to the best of my knowledge still has yet to be published. I only know about this because I attended the conference and had a good talk with the relevant person. Who knows what else has already been found but has yet to be brought to light.

Crispvs