Hobnails as battle indicators

[jkaler48]

Hobnails appear often in Roman Archaeological contexts. While normal loss from worn caliga on the march or work detail would result in their deposit the intense activity of battle
would likely see larger numbers within the battle area. While larger debris from battle would have been recovered small items and broken armor fittings associated with the hobnails
seem to me to be a clear indicator of a battle area. Larger deposits of hobnails may indicate unrecovered Roman bodies as a result of a retreat or defeat. While one could expect these hobnails to be found close together in groups in number reflecting one of two caligie farming activities could result in their dispersion over a larger area. I believe this has been
found to be the case in the findings of some coin hoards.

[Iagoba]

AFAIK the only case in Spain that a battle and "caligae hobnails trails" have been associated is in Andagoste:

link from old RAT

The inverted "T" marks in the map are individual hobnails. A further "retreat" corridor 400x40 meters was found. There are two things that must be taken in account: The map only reflects the initial findings, and the "camp" perimeter is aproximation of the first moment of the digs. I must recall that the stone strata appears just about 10-20 cm or less under the surface, so agricultural use of the soil must have been close to null.

A photo of them on display:

[Paullus Scipio]

Iagoba wrote:

AFAIK the only case in Spain that a battle and "caligae hobnails trails" have been associated is in Andagoste:

....IIRC,I think that hobnails also turned up on the Baecula battlefield too....

[Tiberius Clodius Corvinus]

In Kalkriese, Germany there's also trails of hobnails. I thought always it was quite usual already, not to say the standard, to find hobnails ...and to make conclusions based on their dispersion.

[D B Campbell]

AFAIK the only case in Spain that a battle and "caligae hobnails trails" have been associated is in Andagoste:
link from old RAT

And also Baecula, courtesy of Fernando Qesada.

[Matt Lukes]

Sure, it's like the cartridge case distributions that showed how the battles of the Little Bighorn or Rourke's Drift were actually fought...

[D B Campbell]

Sure, it's like the cartridge case distributions that showed how the battles of the Little Bighorn or Rourke's Drift were actually fought...

The Little Bighorn evidence is now legendary, thanks to the National Geographic treatment. My Glasgow colleague Tony Pollard certainly found a concentration of brass cartridge cases at Isandlwana (PDF article here) -- nothing as elaborate as the Little Bighorn material --, but I wasn't aware that anything similar had been discovered at Rorke's Drift. Do you have a reference?

[jkaler48]

Iagoba wrote:

AFAIK the only case in Spain that a battle and "caligae hobnails trails" have been associated is in Andagoste:

....IIRC,I think that hobnails also turned up on the Baecula battlefield too....

It is interesting that the same types of hobnails were used for hundreds of years.

[Arminius Primus]

Ave Fratres,

But not all concentrations of hobnails would indicate either battle sites or camp sites. My local friends in the archaeological community tell me that concentrated finds of hobnails and sometimes remnants of leather are found along the Via Ignatia. They presumed them to be a en route caligae repair / replacement activity as little else was found at these sites. These sites were found and recorded from reports by the local metal detecting club,...before that activity was made illegal. So you could have sort of a " Marius those caligae are worn out , discard them and draw new ones, Gaius get in the other line to have your 's repaired" scenario.
This scenario might not apply everywhere but if it occurred in this back water of the empire , it may have occurred in other areas as well.

Just my two denarii from the Balkans.

Regards from a cold and wet Balkans, Significant snow in the mountains,

Arminius Primus aka Al

[D B Campbell]

My local friends in the archaeological community tell me that concentrated finds of hobnails and sometimes remnants of leather are found along the Via Ignatia.

That's absolutely fascinating. Is there any formal publication of this? Or is it just word-of-mouth / rumour?

[jkaler48]

My local friends in the archaeological community tell me that concentrated finds of hobnails and sometimes remnants of leather are found along the Via Ignatia.

That's absolutely fascinating. Is there any formal publication of this? Or is it just word-of-mouth / rumour?

And are there any written records about units or individual soldiers carrying spare caligie? Shoe repair and replacement have been very important considerations for more recent
conflicts with some modern Armies requiring soldiers to carry a spare pair of boots in their combat packs.

[Arminius Primus]

Ave Fratres,

Checked with my friend Vlado, He said that all of the hob nail sites found by the former metal detecting club were passed on to the Ministry of Culture, archaeology section. He knows of no additional work at these sites. Personally , I doubt if any effort was made by the government agencies to do anything other than record the sites. Very little in this part of the Balkans is published and what is published usually has a political agenda.

For example, Our beautiful Scupi Venus is still in a warehouse under going "conservation" and not on display. Again my opinion , but I suspect that the reason she is stored away is that she does not match what the politicians want to have found. Sorry for the rant, but things get very frustrating here at times.

Cold and wet today, Regards from the Balkans, Arminius Primus aka Al

[Matt Lukes]

Sure, it's like the cartridge case distributions that showed how the battles of the Little Bighorn or Rourke's Drift were actually fought...

The Little Bighorn evidence is now legendary, thanks to the National Geographic treatment. My Glasgow colleague Tony Pollard certainly found a concentration of brass cartridge cases at Isandlwana (PDF article here) -- nothing as elaborate as the Little Bighorn material --, but I wasn't aware that anything similar had been discovered at Rorke's Drift. Do you have a reference?

My apologies- it was the major battle at Isandlwana I meant- I started to spell it and couldn't recall just how and for some reason wrote Rourke's Drift...

[Matt Lukes]

It is interesting that the same types of hobnails were used for hundreds of years.

I dunno- things changed rather slowly back then and really if the thing works, why change it?

And are there any written records about units or individual soldiers carrying spare caligie? Shoe repair and replacement have been very important considerations for more recent
conflicts with some modern Armies requiring soldiers to carry a spare pair of boots in their combat packs.

I'll have to check, but I think it was the Vindolanda Tablets that mention a soldier buying two pairs of caligae- or some other such account that suggested they lasted about 6 months, which could mean a spare pair was carried...

[Martin Moser]

It is interesting that the same types of hobnails were used for hundreds of years.

Basically you are right of course. Yet, when taking a closer look there are differences even within Roman times, at least between Republican/early Imperial and later hobnails. And of course the nailing patterns allow dating a sole/shoe within certain time frames.