Fort in Wales discovered due to coins and drought

[Flavivs Aetivs]

There is an American lady archaeologist who has done similar work using satellite imagery to 'discover' ancient remains in the Nile Delta as well as the site of the harbour that Claudius caused to be constructed outside Rome.

Mike Thomas
(Caratacus)

I saw the program about that last night. She found the Lighthouse, another canal, and an Amphitheater at Portus (Ostia), a Garrison fort on the African Frontier, among other things.

I need to get to work before she finds the Battle of Chalons. I've found a handful of interesting lines scattered about the plains, but nothing that could evidence a camp for one of the armies. One might evidence a road, but I can't prove it. other than that all I can see is runoff lines.

[Caratacus]

I was discussing this campsite and its proposed date with a curatorial friend today. He thought that the 'new' camp was roughly a day's march from Usk, which latter was established sometime in the late 50s AD. This makes much better sense and would tend to support the date of around AD 50 that was suggested. My impression was that Usk was established rather later (occupied from roughly AD60-66) - but this is still near enough to the proposed date, give or take 5 years or so. The base at Usk was, however, a failure. It was quickly abandoned because (a) it was in the wrong strategic position - being too far up the valley to be able to block egress and access by raiding parties of the Silures, and (b) because the whole area is subject to flash flooding (it sill is, today; if you get a period of torrential rain coinciding with a high tide - the river is tidal - it can get over 5 feet of water overnight.

Mike Thomas
(Caratacus)

[Vindex]

Thanks Mike.

This has sparked a memory from a reference in the Usk reports by Manning. It was just a passing comment (a foot note I think). Off to look at it again.