I'm going to try to go but no guarantees, I'll feel more secure without you chaps there.
It seems that literally the single unifying thing we have on this thread is a shared skepticism of Mancetter as a site, between us can we devise a series of questions that can effectively knock it out?
1, What is the River Anker doing there?
2, Where is the valley?
3, Where is the archaeology after 50 years as a front runner?
4, Why so far north?
5, Isn't the idea of the Flying column a bit silly?
6, Why would the Iceni be parading along the road?
7, What does Mancetter have if Boudicca ends up somewhere else?
8, What is the significance of Geologists in this hunt (Webster, Kaye, Cook)?
please add more as you see fit, I may even pluck up the courage to ask a few on the day, obviously I couldn't be as eloquent as you guys but I'll try and stutter something out.....seeth, mumble , seeth :wink:
Quote:I'll feel more secure without you chaps there.
What, no moral support? :evil:
My questions (mostly expansions of yours, John) would be:
1. Is Webster's idea that Paulinus left his troops marching down Watling street and 'dashed' down to London, then came back north again, supported anywhere in the evidence? Is it supported by any comparable incident in Roman history?
2. Does this idea of the 'cavalry dash' not contradict Tacitus' own description of Paulinus' character and reputation as an extremely cautious strategist (a reputation surely won in Britain), as given in Histories?
3. If we discount the idea of the 'cavalry dash', is there any other reason why Paulinus would chose his battle site so far away from the area of known rebel activity?
4. If he did choose his position in the Mancetter area, why would Boudica trek all the way north-west to fight him? What incentive could she offer her disparate and slow-moving force to hold them together for the time necessary to reach Paulinus? How could Paulinus know that the Britons would follow him rather than rampaging all over southern Britain and then heading home with their loot, leaving him looking like an idiot?
5. If, on the other hand, we allow (following Nick Fuentes, Steve Kaye and most of us here!) that Paulinus remained with his troops and marched with them all the way to London, is there any reason other than the residual lustre of Webster's influential book to continue looking for sites in the west Midlands? Would we not be better off giving 'further careful consideration' to some sites closer to London and the south east generally?
(apologies to Moi for getting back into this one... I know you tried to nail the lid down, but it just keeps springing back open... )
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Merlot in one hand, Cigar in the other; body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, what a ride!
I had assumed it was your nom de plume, but obviously not, seems like you have to be there to defend your copyright Nathan, and the live action event really wouldn't be credible without you,
Questions and answers:
1, What is the River Anker doing there?
Flowing downstream to the sea.
2, Where is the valley?
Between two hills, as always
3, Where is the archaeology after 50 years as a front runner?
Under a thin film of dust.
4, Why so far north?
It was too hot in the south.
5, Isn't the idea of the Flying column a bit silly?
Yes. A stone column would need wings at least 300 feet long, and/or some additional thrust mechanism to be able to fly.
6, Why would the Iceni be parading along the road?
Because they didn't want to march in the mud in their newly polished boots?
7, What does Mancetter have if Boudicca ends up somewhere else?
A nice pub, a couple of first rate B&B, and a unique town name
8, What is the significance of Geologists in this hunt (Webster, Kaye, Cook)?
There was a rock concert at the end of geocaching?
:lol:
OK, back to the serious side of this topic. I just couldn't resist. Don't kill me.
Good luck with your defence, John - Church Stowe would be my choice from the main options presented there.
Barry Horne, incidentally, is associated with Manshead Archaeological Society, who have had their own Dunstable theory (slightly different to mine!) for some time now. I'd be interested to discover what he proposes.
Anyway, please do give us a report on what happens in Warwick - I suppose if Prof Aldhouse-Green convincingly demonstrates that Boudica was a 'Roman invention' before 10.45, everyone can go home early... mile: