Trunk for equipment

[Doc]

Is there any mention in the sources that soldiers or officers would at one time or another pack their gear into some kind of trunk. For instance, suppose that you had to carry a bunch of legionary equipment aboard a galley. I do not think that they had it laying or hanging around.

Are there any surviving examples of what may be thought of as trunks? The reason I ask is because as my kit is getting more extensive, I am being invited to give talks about the Roman army in the 1st C AD. However, I really do not want to show up using a plastic suitcase and I do not have a curiass at the moment to wear nor a belt to be used just with a tunic. Thus I drag whatever I have in suitcases.

[jvrjenivs]

I think willow baskets are fine. We know the army used them anyway.

[Doc]

How big are these willow baskets? I was thinking of some sort of containment unit that can hold a legionarie's (officer or not) entire kit. The scutum does not necessarily have to be packed away but everything else does. I wonder if the Romans ever packed away their scuta in some sort of container.

Would you happen to have a picture of a willow basket at all? I do not think that I have seen one.

[P Sertorius Scaevola]

Why not use the Corbridge Hoard chest as a reference and scale it down to suit your needs. Or make one using known roman woodworking techniques? Plenty of ways to attach a set of boards I would think. And some excellent reference books too. You might even add a chest lock or a padlock ( and bar if you like). Anything goes really and no-one will criticise you on your effort.

Good luck!

[Doc]

Would you happen to have a picture of the Corbridge Hoard chest you mentioned?

I agree that it would be worth the effort.

[jvrjenivs]

[jvrjenivs]

Would you happen to have a picture of a willow basket at all? I do not think that I have seen one.

Not exactly from a basket to get your equipment stored in, but I don't believe that was common use, as you've to take the basket with you also, and the bigger that one is, the more uneasy to carry. And as Marius tells us the legionairy had almost all equipment to carry himself, it wouldn't make much sence there is a basket somewhere, too.

For willow baskets to move earth for building ramparts, check trajon column. Do a search for 'basket' and some will turn up:
[url:1039t5vd]http://cheiron.mcmaster.ca/~trajan/search.html[/url]

[Doc]

Jurjen,

Thanks for the picture. I thought I saw that somewhere in one of my books but had not paid attention to the exact details of the drawing. I know Marius mentions that the legionary carried his kit allover. However, when they carried it anywhere other than land like at sea, how did they do it? I would think that it was packed up.

Nonetheless, when I go to talks, I sort of feel goofy showing up with a plastic case. It would be more original to have something like that trunk.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Tom Feeley packs his kit in a small trunk like the Corbridge box. Amazingly, not that large, obviously, scutum and pilum would not go in.

[Doc]

Byron,

That is precisely what I would like to do as well except I may make it larger for the scutum. That I have yet to decide.

[jvrjenivs]

This website could also be of some inter(the link already redirects to the pages with chests):
[url:39qyzjpq]http://www.antike-tischkultur.de/roemtruhes.html[/url]

[Doc]

That is a great site Jurjen,

It appears as if it is all Roman. I have to find a translator thought since its in German.

[jvrjenivs]

The sites name 'Antike tischkultur' can be translated as 'ancient furniture', so yes, it is about furniture from our period.