04-04-2010, 09:45 AM
Hi Aurelius,
,,,the shape of towers bears (almost) no relation to their shape. Horsehoe-type (not round) gate-towers as in Biriciana (which is an auxiliary fort as the Saalburg, BTW) used to be constructed in a later phase of the limes (mostly guarding the main gate--there were also some other types).
Theses are that they took the gates of the legionary fortress of Castra Regina (Regensburg, D) as a "role model" here.
It seems practical ( at least to me) to view the forts for the regular auxilia , -- ala and cohortes as 1:10 [approximate !] copy of a legionary fortress, the latter being usually sited more in the "Hinterland". ( Mogontiacum = Mainz,D/ Argentorate = Strassboug,F -- both on the Rine and Castra Regina= Regensburg,D, that being
the legionry fortress for the part of the limes (Raetia) where Biriciana is sited.
The "deviation" from rectangular inline towers at the auxiliary towards differently shaped ones (and protruding) began after 150 AD.
Late roman fortifications mostly had higher walls and towers besides having much "fatter" walls in general. (Up to 4,50 m wide foundations, but mostly [medianized :mrgreen: ] between 2,00 and 3,00 m , that is)
Yes, and there have been modelling-threads before, like that one: link from old RAT
Some interesting pics (and links) there.
Still chasing the easterbunny ? -- Happy hunting !
Greez
Simplex
Although having become an older publication by now Anne Johnsons book "Roman forts of the 1st and 2nd centuries AD in Britain and the German provinces" (from 1983) -- which I happen to have in a German version (3rd ED., 1990) may be helpful for an more in-depth overview as (as far as I can judge) the British Osprey books on that topic should be, too. (Besides that, a good number of these are written by fellow RAT-members -- rest assured they know their stuff ! )
Edit: --sunday morning, headache, not too wide awake still: the statement on the 1:10 factor is a bit too bland. :oops:
But comparing the size of auxiliary forts that with legionary forttresses is not too far off, but the sizes of some larger auxialiary forts
(those for the mixed "equitata" "500(?)-men"-units and those for "1000 men"-units, of course) ranged up to 5,2 ha, which is roughly a fourth of the size of a 1-legion fortress. Thicker walls like at Aalen [foundations up to 1,70 wide] would have allowed for higher walls and higher towers, although IIRC the Aalen fort seems to be reconstructed with 1-storey towers. (I haven't got the recent editions of their "LImesmuseum Aalen")
,,,the shape of towers bears (almost) no relation to their shape. Horsehoe-type (not round) gate-towers as in Biriciana (which is an auxiliary fort as the Saalburg, BTW) used to be constructed in a later phase of the limes (mostly guarding the main gate--there were also some other types).
Theses are that they took the gates of the legionary fortress of Castra Regina (Regensburg, D) as a "role model" here.
It seems practical ( at least to me) to view the forts for the regular auxilia , -- ala and cohortes as 1:10 [approximate !] copy of a legionary fortress, the latter being usually sited more in the "Hinterland". ( Mogontiacum = Mainz,D/ Argentorate = Strassboug,F -- both on the Rine and Castra Regina= Regensburg,D, that being
the legionry fortress for the part of the limes (Raetia) where Biriciana is sited.
The "deviation" from rectangular inline towers at the auxiliary towards differently shaped ones (and protruding) began after 150 AD.
Late roman fortifications mostly had higher walls and towers besides having much "fatter" walls in general. (Up to 4,50 m wide foundations, but mostly [medianized :mrgreen: ] between 2,00 and 3,00 m , that is)
Yes, and there have been modelling-threads before, like that one: link from old RAT
Some interesting pics (and links) there.
Still chasing the easterbunny ? -- Happy hunting !
Greez
Simplex
Although having become an older publication by now Anne Johnsons book "Roman forts of the 1st and 2nd centuries AD in Britain and the German provinces" (from 1983) -- which I happen to have in a German version (3rd ED., 1990) may be helpful for an more in-depth overview as (as far as I can judge) the British Osprey books on that topic should be, too. (Besides that, a good number of these are written by fellow RAT-members -- rest assured they know their stuff ! )
Edit: --sunday morning, headache, not too wide awake still: the statement on the 1:10 factor is a bit too bland. :oops:
But comparing the size of auxiliary forts that with legionary forttresses is not too far off, but the sizes of some larger auxialiary forts
(those for the mixed "equitata" "500(?)-men"-units and those for "1000 men"-units, of course) ranged up to 5,2 ha, which is roughly a fourth of the size of a 1-legion fortress. Thicker walls like at Aalen [foundations up to 1,70 wide] would have allowed for higher walls and higher towers, although IIRC the Aalen fort seems to be reconstructed with 1-storey towers. (I haven't got the recent editions of their "LImesmuseum Aalen")
Siggi K.