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Alesia 23 forts, dimensions?
#1
Does archaeology reveal the dimensions of the 23 forts Caesar initially built to keep Vercingetorix's forces within Alesia? were they large enough to require a oohort sized garrison?

Were these forts sited to support the siege works his troops constructed later or were they incorporated into these defenses (like bastions to provide flanking fires against attackers)?
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#2
Quote:Does archaeology reveal the dimensions of the 23 forts Caesar initially built to keep Vercingetorix's forces within Alesia?
Sadly, not. Napoleon III's collaborators drew up a sequence of 23 forts dotted around the siegeworks, but only five were based on traces on the ground; eighteen were entirely imaginary. Worse still, two of the five were later established as non-Roman, leaving only Napoleon's #11, 15 and 18 as probably Roman.

I should say that there were camps, too. Napoleon drew up a sequence of 8. Only A, B, and C (with an outside possibility of G) are now thought to exist, giving us a series of six camps/forts around the south and east of Alesia.

More interesting is the "new" feature (discovered in the 1990s) on the western sector of the siegeworks, where there appears to be a fort marked out between the inner and outer siegelines. It was designated "4 bis" because it lies near Napoleon's imaginary fort #4.

This is the most promising candidate for one of Caesar's castella. If you're interested, it's roughly 120m square. Nothing was found inside.

For light reading, you could try Ancient Warfare magazine, Vol. 2, Issue 4 (2008).
For heavy reading, there's M. Reddé, S. von Schnurbein, et al., "Fouilles et recherches nouvelles sur les travaux de César devant Alésia (1991-1994)", in Bericht der Römisch-Germanischen Kommission 76 (1995), pp. 73-157.
posted by Duncan B Campbell
https://ninth-legion.blogspot.com/
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#3
Would you happen to know the dimensions of #11, 15, or 18?

I get the impression from my Loeb version of Caesar's Gallic Wars (p479), that the inner line of his siege works was traced out, the camps built, then the 23 forts were built on "the line," presumably meaning that same inner siege line, to keep the Gauls in until the siege lines were built. This implies to me that these 23 forts could all or mostly have been temporary and might have been dismantled as the inner siege line was completed and all around defense no longer necessary at these 23 sites. The wood and turf of these forts were likely recycled into the main works which might explain the lack of evidence for them. It seems to me that most maps of the Roman siege works at Alesia are based on Napoleon III's incorrect research, showing the 23 forts dispersed between the two siege lines.

Thanks for your response, I enjoy your books very much.
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#4
Quote:Would you happen to know the dimensions of #11, 15, or 18?
Not off-hand, I'm afraid.

Quote:It seems to me that most maps of the Roman siege works at Alesia are based on Napoleon III's incorrect research, showing the 23 forts dispersed between the two siege lines.
Agreed. Here's a sketch-plan that I drew -- hopefully, you can see the detail: Napoleon's Camps A and B and fort #11 are on the Montagne de Flavigny (south) and his Camp C and forts #15 and 18 are on the Montagne de Bussy (east). The "new" 4bis is on the Plaine des Laumes (west).
[attachment=1895]AlesiaPlan.jpg[/attachment]

Quote:Thanks for your response, I enjoy your books very much.
Thanks! Smile


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posted by Duncan B Campbell
https://ninth-legion.blogspot.com/
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