Possible Roman Camp in Jersey?

[Robert Vermaat]

Although most historians and archaeologists have insisted that there is no evidence of Roman military occupation in Jersey, Channel Islands, I recently came across the following, and I would appreciate the views of the learned members of this forum.

OK, here´s the plan from that link you provided for a somewhat easier discussion±

Of course if this really did happen, one would expect Caesar to have mentioned it in one of his books.

Why concentrate on Caesar= The Channel islands could have had detachments fortifying them against attack by Late Roman seaborne raiders.

Chastel does, of course, mean a fortification. Certainly Les Catieux (another word meaning camp of fort) has been known as Caesar's Camp since time immemorial, an quantities of Roman material - pottery and coins - were found during excavations.

Well, legend aside, chastel or castel need not mean fort, it also means fotified settlement. Silchester was at one time known as Castel de Salwa, although it can be argued if the ´caste´ referred to the ancient walls or the Norman motte! I see a similar structure here, which could be the origin of the ´chastel´-name

Ignore what it says about the site probably being medieval for the moment - that is disputed.

Any finds? At all?

Incidentally, also in Jersey is Caesar's Fort, actually a medieval outwork of Mont Orgueil Castle, but Steven's suggests it may have been built on a late Roman fortification. Certainly it would be logical that if the Romans were going to fortify the site it would be that one, since it also had an Iron Age Hill Fort.

Yes, continuity is a good argument, but it needs hard finds to support it.

I´d say ´why not´? But I guess theorizing is nice, evidence is better, for I´ve learned that although rectangular fortifications are often ascribed to Roman times, they most often turn out to be Medieval. I mean, judging from the pictures the earthworks are extremely very well preserved if they date back to Caesar!