The Archaeology of Britain: An introduction from ... - waughfamily.ca

Roman Britain: military dimension
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CURRENT PERCEPTIONS AND OUTSTANDING PROBLEMS
The search for a frontier
Whether it was the original intention to conquer the whole of the island of Britain is uncertain.
The Romans were most familiar with the south-east because of Caesar’s two expeditions in 55
and 54 BC and continued diplomatic and trading contacts thereafter, the latter manifested
archaeologically in the distribution of Roman artefacts, particularly Italian Dressel 1B wine
amphorae (Peacock 1984; and see Chapter 7). Such contacts also ensured that the conquest of
AD 43 was achieved and maintained with relative ease in the south and east, since it was supported
by certain factions within native society. The creation of three client or friendly kingdoms, those
of the Iceni, the Regnenses and the Brigantes, is an important feature of this early period. It
underpinned Roman control of the Province and freed troops to concentrate on areas of greater
resistance.
It has been argued that the initial plan was to occupy only the south and east of England; the
identification of an early frontier along the Fosse Way, the Roman road from Exeter to Lincoln,
is misconceived, however, and not supported by the chronology of the sites involved (Jones and
Mattingly 1991). Moreover, troop deployments, particularly the presence of legionary and
vexillation fortresses along the periphery of the area under direct Roman control, indicate the
intention to continue to advance, rather than simply to police the area already overrun. In the
context of the early consolidation of the Roman conquest, the idea of a frontier would have
been psychologically unacceptable since it would, in effect, have implied that there was a definable
limit to Roman expansion.
Continued conquest was slowed by less favourable terrain and increasing hostility from the
indigenous tribes who had had no previous contact with Rome. It was further delayed by the
Boudican rebellion of AD 60 and its aftermath, and a local uprising amongst the Brigantes in AD
69. Several of the limited number of forts known in south-eastern England seem to have been
established as a direct consequence of the Boudican rebellion, indicating the need to re-establish
Roman control.
When conquest and concomitant expansion was resumed in AD 71 under a new imperial
house, the Flavians, it progressed rapidly over the next 15 years under successive governors.
Roman military occupation was extended north and west across northern England, Wales and
Scotland (Figure 8.3), and the conquest of the whole British mainland became a feasible proposition
for Roman forces. However, the possibility that they might fail to achieve such a goal may already
have begun to be considered. Tacitus indicates (Agricola 23) that a halt was made in the campaigns
of conquest of his father-in-law, Agricola, and the line drawn across the most obvious geographical
point, the Forth-Clyde isthmus. Supporting archaeological evidence remains problematic. It was
once thought, for example, that Agricolan forts lay beneath many of the later fortifications along
the Antonine Wall, but this belief can no longer be substantiated in most cases. Though several
first-century forts are known across the isthmus, such as Mollins (Lanarkshire) and Camelon
(Stirlingshire), both lying away from the later Wall line, not enough have been identified legitimately
to confirm a first-century frontier line.
However, following the road north of the isthmus as far as the River Tay at Bertha (Perthshire),
a series of forts, fortlets and timber watchtowers has been discovered that have all the hallmarks
of such a frontier. When the Romans were imposing close military control over an area, forts and
fortlets tend to occur at regular intervals of 25–32 km, usually referred to as a day’s march apart.
When frontier lines begin to emerge, this spacing is reduced to half or less, often with fortlets
interspersed between the forts, and closer supervision provided by the construction of watchtowers.
The unusual survival of a number of these towers along the Gask Ridge in Perthshire was noted