Colchester Archaeological Report 2: The Roman small finds

CATEGORY 13: MILITARY EQUIPMENT
The military equipment has been divided into four
main groups. They are a) equipment from contexts
dated c 43 to 60/1, b) 1st-century equipment from
contexts dated later than 60/1, c) equipment of the
2nd or 3rd century, and d) late Roman belt-fittings
probably from the cingulum militare. Seven pieces
from the first group and one from the second have
previously been illustrated (Crummy 1977, fig 2).
They are fully catalogued here with their illustrations.
Most of the last group has already been published
with specialist reports and comments in CAR 1, and
consequently for those pieces only brief descriptions
and references will be given here. Also included in
this category are phallic amulets usually associated
with the Roman army.
The total number of pieces of 1st-century military
equipment recovered between 1971 and 1979 is far
too small to be able to postulate anything about
proportions of legionaries to auxiliaries, or of infantry
to cavalry, during the military occupation. Such an
attempt would in any case probably be of little value,
as the body armour issued to auxiliary infantry is far
from certain, and that worn by auxiliary cavalry also
probably varied (Frere and St Joseph 1974, 39-40).
Moreover, any effort to clarify the fortress map in
terms of the disposition of troops would have to be
based on what at present is a very limited number of
objects found specifically in fortress contexts since
equipment from contexts dated after c 49 could as
likely derive from the retired veterans of the colony or
visiting troops as be residual finds from the
occupation of the fortress. Only thirteen pieces of
equipment usually dated to the 2nd and/or 3rd
centuries have been recovered. At least one piece
(the fragment of scale armour, Fig 161, 4246) may
possibly belong with the 1st-century equipment.
EQUIPMENT FROM CONTEXTS DATED
43 TO 60/1
ARMOUR
Belt and apron fittings of copper alloy (except for
4176, which is bone) (Fig 144; 4173-4181). Many
of these fittings, in particular the apron mounts,
would have been tinned or silvered, and would have
had niello or enamel set in the recessed areas. Traces
of this decoration are often no longer detectable, but
in many cases where a flower or leaf pattern is
mentioned (eg 4174) it may be assumed that the
piece was so embellished.
4173 Fig 144 SF LWC 3715(C), A379 F101. Rampart. Period 1. A
D-shaped buckle. Both the hinge end of the tongue and the
ends of the loop are decorated with transverse mouldings
The triangular section tongue is 2.0mm thick. Maximum
129
Fig 144 Military belt and apron fittings from contexts dated 43 to
60/1 (1:1)