french skeleton impaled with pilum

[mcbishop]

Unfortunately, it isn't a catapult bolt in the Maiden Castle skeleton's spine, but just an ordinary javelin head. All part of Mortimer Wheeler's storytelling approach to archaeology, alas.<br>
<br>
As for the Legermuseum at Delft, they had an exhibition of Roman military equipment a few years back and the catalogue they published made no mention of a skelly with a pilum in it, so I think this is a red herring in our quest for the spitted Gaul.<br>
<br>
Mike Bishop <p></p><i></i>

[mcbishop]

This story resurfaced today when somebody asked me about it, saying they had heard the impaled skeleton was in Valencia. According to my sources, there was apparently a paper (in Spanish, which I have not seen) by Ribera Lacomba in *Journal of Roman Archaeology* 8 (1995) pp 19-45 on the subject. It was thought to be the Sertorian-period storming of the city. Finds included light and heavy pila, and shield bosses amongst other things.<br>
<br>
Mike Bishop <p></p><i></i>

[richsc]

8] 19...A. Ribera i Lacomba con M. Calvo Galvez<br>
La primera evidencia arqueológica de la destrucción de Valentia por Pompeyo (with colour plates)<br>
<br>
Odd that at work this would not come up. <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showLocalUserPublicProfile?login=richsc>RichSC</A> at: 5/11/02 3:13:48 am<br></i>

[Daniel S Peterson]

I agree with Mike that this is probably a misinterpretation of the Maiden castle skelly, but if the guy who thought he saw it was based in Holland, maybe it could be Krefeld-Gellep in Germany, which is very close to the Dutch Border. Skeletons of men and horses attributed to the Civilis Revolt were found there, and although nothing of this was mentioned originally, maybe some more graves were found. Just grasping for straws here...... hope this is a real thing, but have my doubts.<br>
Dan. <p></p><i></i>

[richsc]

This is going to haunt me until I find it. I even had my Spanish-English dictionary out trying phrases to find this thing. Back to Germany... <p>Richard Campbell, Legio XX.
http://www.geocities.com/richsc53/studies/
ICQ 940236
</p><i></i>

[derek forrest]

When Mike says the maiden castle shows a javelin head not a ballista bolt he gives the lie to countless books and lectures over the years . I had a look again at the picture and I have to say it looks more like a bolt than a pilum head . Has Mike looked closely at it? <p></p><i></i>