Watling street

[otto312944]

Too All

Sorry to open an old wound for some of you. But I am doing research for my thesis on "spatial narratives in historical text" one of my case studies may include "Boudica's last stand". I know many of you dont think the battle occured along Watling street; However let us pretend it did. Is there any archaelogical evidence supporting the "sacking" of towns/forts (e.g. Towcester) along Watling or along the Roman road running SW to Silchester? I read somewhere (probably from the internet, you know, the source of all truth) that archaeleogist found no evidence the fort was burned or "sacked", which to me indicates the possibility the battle occured before Towcester. I am also researching Mons Graupius if anyone has any ensight on that location.

Thanks
r/
Steven
[email protected]

[D B Campbell]

I am also researching Mons Graupius if anyone has any ensight on that location.

http://www.ospreypublishing.com/store/Mo...1846039263 :wink:

[Nathan Ross]

Is there any archaelogical evidence supporting the "sacking" of towns/forts (e.g. Towcester) along Watling or along the Roman road running SW to Silchester?

The only destruction deposits plausibly linked to AD61 at present are:

Colchester (definite)

London (definite)

St Albans (probable but minor - a row of tabernae along the main street burned, and possibly a bathhouse.)

Staines, Putney and Brentford (possible but very minor - carbonised post-holes, I think, and some burnt material in a ditch. Nick Fuentes calls it 'pre-Flavian' but can't be more exact... he cited this as evidence for his Virginia Water hypothesis.)

Silchester (definite but undecided as to date - we await new findings with interest...)

Trouble is, as I've said before, in a society of wooden houses fires will have been common, so evidence of fire is not evidence for burning and looting!

But either way - there's nothing north of St Albans that I've heard of.

[John1]

I'm still not sure what we really know of Towcester (Lactodurum) in 61AD. The wall is dated around 170AD, Was there a settlement there in 61AD? Did the Iceni actually approach along Watling Street?

The excavations I've read about suggest the first phase of occupation may have been Antonine;
http://archlib.britarch.net/tfiles/1347665519/714.pdf
http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=341226

It may be worth contacting the local museums to find out what data there is for excavations in the town. Northamptonshire Archaeology are pretty good and a lot of their old papers are on line now;
http://www.jwaller.co.uk/nas/index.asp
http://archlib.britarch.net/cgi-bin/open...ome/index2

Your source for Towcester existing and not being burned may have been the Marix Evans case for Paulerspury, article here;
http://www.ospreypublishing.com/articles...ast_stand/

good luck

[otto312944]

DB
In case you havnt seen this
http://www.romanscotland.org.uk/pages/ca...ntents.asp

Thanks
r/
Otto

[otto312944]

correction

http://www.romanscotland.org.uk/pages/ca...ntents.asp

[otto312944]

not sure why the whole url isnt pasting, you should be able to find it anyway

[Vincula]

In case you havnt seen this http://www.romanscotland.org.uk/pages/ca...ntents.asp

My favorite blog snuck a peep at this site: http://antoninuspius.blogspot.co.uk/ .... not impressed!!!! :woot:

[otto312944]

Ouch

Dang, just when I thought all things on the internet are true. Thanks for the heads up

[otto312944]

Vincula

I am setting off to look for the 9th's Eagle! Lindsay says he knows where it is. Are you coming?