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Site of Caesar's battlefield of 55BC discovered in the Netherlands
#1
According to archaeoligists of Amsterdam Free University, they have discovered the site of Caesar's battlefield / massacre of the Tencteri and Usipetes in the southern Netherlands. More info.
Greets!

Jasper Oorthuys
Webmaster & Editor, Ancient Warfare magazine
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#2
(12-10-2015, 12:47 PM)Praefectusclassis Wrote: According to archaeoligists of Amsterdam Free University, they have discovered the site of Caesar's battlefield / massacre of the Tencteri and Usipetes in the southern Netherlands. More info.

Nice article, but two questions arise:
1 - the map (which only wants to open in a separate page for some reason) shows the march of the Germanic tribes across the then far wider Rhine (now the narrow Old Rhine) to the Dordrecht area. then the tribes turn sharp east, straight into Caesar's forces, but apparently crossing the point where the Maas meet the river that is today called the Waal. But (here comes the question) why would the tribes cross that point and later be trapped in the same spot? It would seem far more logical that they did not march as far West as shown here, but crossed the Rhine but once and far more to the East, probably even in modern Germany.
I've added a crude adjustment to the Original map to show my hypothesis.

2- The claim that Caesar mentioned the destruction of the tribe 'to keep survivors out of the books' seems to me to be over the top. Why would Caesar need to keep something like that a secret when all his men would have known anyway? Ceasar could do as he wished in Gaul. Whether for his own hunger for power [sic] or the glory of Rome.


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Robert Vermaat
MODERATOR
FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
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#3
The map's a reworked version of the Amsterdam map (with English text, for our audience) and the claim comes from Roymans as well. In this case we're just spreading the news. That said, it'd be interesting to ask him.
Greets!

Jasper Oorthuys
Webmaster & Editor, Ancient Warfare magazine
Reply
#4
(12-10-2015, 02:31 PM)Praefectusclassis Wrote: The map's a reworked version of the Amsterdam map (with English text, for our audience) and the claim comes from Roymans as well. In this case we're just spreading the news. That said, it'd be interesting to ask him.

Of course the location of this battlefield was known for a long time! Smile


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Robert Vermaat
MODERATOR
FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
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#5
Robert,

There's a recent penchant to re-introduce old findings as Headline News. I've been seeing it in every quarter. The latest, and most bizarre (albeit Off-Subject), was last week's claim of finding a female teenaged warrior grave in the Altai. From a reconstruction, she was the ugliest young woman ever born. Two days later, a retraction appeared, claiming an error. The grave belonged to a young male. Perhaps "more better;" but even as a young man, he was one ugly dude.
Rolleyes Big Grin
Alan J. Campbell

member of Legio III Cyrenaica and the Uncouth Barbarians

Author of:
The Demon's Door Bolt (2011)
Forging the Blade (2012)

"It's good to be king. Even when you're dead!"
             Old Yuezhi/Pazyrk proverb
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#6
The swords shown are the swords usually asociated with Batavi? Any comments on that?
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