Roman Marching/Temporary Camps

[jkaler48]

I am trying to research information on marching camp reconstruction for a Reenactor guide for Camps and Forts (Manual will try to cover both both historically accurate reconstructions
and guidance for setting up "Display" camps on grounds where digging is not allowed.

[jkaler48]

Could the row of dots along the top represent Valli (Sudes) projecting out horizonitaly?

[jkaler48]

In this photo there appear on the wall on the right a second row of circles (possible valli (sudes) half way up the wall
If they are valli (sudes) then the double lines on top and bottom could represent wood poles placed in the narrow part of the valli making it difficult to pull out one valli by itself!

[M. Demetrius]

It's hard to know what those rounded objects represent. If that represents a stone wall, it's not likely they would put wooden stakes into it. Wood burns and rots, and might compromise the wall structure, particularly that one halfway up. That could be nothing more than artistic license, or perhaps a row of smaller stones. Sometimes brickwork has "decorative" rows of bricks installed differently from the others.

Can't give you a better answer, sorry.

[jkaler48]

The walls are thought by some to be representing camp walls due to depiction of one soldier packing a turf with a rope around it and the depiction of tents beyond the walls.
Also I suspect digging the trenches while stone walls were under construction rather than turf walls would be unusual as stone walls generally were later improvements to forts with existing earthworks.

[D B Campbell]

Could the row of dots along the top represent Valli (Sudes) projecting out horizonitaly?

Sir Ian Richmond (who wrote "Trajan's Army on Trajan's Column", Papers of the British School at Rome 13, 1935, pp. 1-40, reprinted in Trajan's Army on Trajan's Column, London 1982) thought that these were the artist's representation of a "log corduroy" wallwalk along the top of a turf rampart. (Apparently, Cichorius had already suggested this: Trajanssäule, ii 61.)

He didn't comment on the scene where the same feature seems to be halfway down the rampart, but I guess he would have explained it as some kind of stabilising measure. Needless to say, there's absolutely no evidence that this ever existed -- we rarely get an upstanding turf rampart, and certainly not the top of it! Although, interestingly, ramparts are found built on a "foundation" of branches laid in this manner.

[jkaler48]

Could the row of dots along the top represent Valli (Sudes) projecting out horizonitaly?

Sir Ian Richmond (who wrote "Trajan's Army on Trajan's Column", Papers of the British School at Rome 13, 1935, pp. 1-40, reprinted in Trajan's Army on Trajan's Column, London 1982) thought that these were the artist's representation of a "log corduroy" wallwalk along the top of a turf rampart. (Apparently, Cichorius had already suggested this: Trajanssäule, ii 61.)

He didn't comment on the scene where the same feature seems to be halfway down the rampart, but I guess he would have explained it as some kind of stabilising measure. Needless to say, there's absolutely no evidence that this ever existed -- we rarely get an upstanding turf rampart, and certainly not the top of it! Although, interestingly, ramparts are found built on a "foundation" of branches laid in this manner.

I can see using "Log Coruroy" for walkways on top of a turf wall that would be in use in a camp to used more than a few days like a "winter camp" or seige works. A marching camp
used a day or two probably wouldn't need walkway reinforcement if good quality turfs were used at the top. Log corduroy would provide less stable footing than good condition turf
esp in wet weather. I think the marching camp details issue cries out for some test wall sections to be build with different options to get some insight into what looks like would work
well. If one allows a 1250 foot square camp for a 5000 strength legion with two vallis (sudis) each works out to two valli (sudis) per liner wall foot which would allow a pretty close
placement as possibly depicted in the Trajan's column.

[Magnus]

Could the row of dots along the top represent Valli (Sudes) projecting out horizonitaly?

Doubtful. At no point are those dots shown as anything but circular dots. Even when the perspective changes a bit where the wall continues past the corner, they're shown as flatish dots, not protruding squared off pointy bits.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Can't help wondering if a well planned campaign such as Trajans would not include the prefabing of bits for the fortifications?