Location of Caesar's decisive battle against Cassivellaunus

[tikeshe]

Hi,

I'm wondering if anyone knows of any new archaeological development in the potential location of the battle between Caesar and Cassivellaunus, during Caesar's second invasion of Britain.

I have found the following information, but I can't find any reasoning as to why Wheathampstead is a potential location. I'm wondering if anyone knows why this is a potential, and/or if there has been more work on deciding the location.

Ancient Britain and the invasions of Julius Caesar by Holmes

Many have identified the stronghold with Verulam, or Verulamium, which was situated immediately west of St Albans[...] is likely, but the question is not proven.

Caesar, Intelligence, and Ancient Britain

By the end of July or early August, the Roman troops had cut their way through the forest and marshlands, and now stood in sight of the formidable Celtic hill fort at Wheathampstead.

Folly and Fortune 

From these Britons Caesar learnt the whereabouts of Cassivellaunus’s headquarters, very probably at Wheathampstead, and headed there directly.

Thanks,

Tikeshe.

[Nathan Ross]

I can't find any reasoning as to why Wheathampstead is a potential location.

Back in 1907, when Holmes was writing, it was assumed that St Albans (Verulamium) was the ancient capital of the Catavellauni, in turn assumed to the tribe led by Cassivellaunus. Mortimer Wheeler discovered the nearby oppidum of Wheathamstead in the 1930s, and proposed that this site was the tribal capital, and the Catavellauni only moved to the new town at St Albans in the 20s BC.

So Wheathamstead would seem to fit the description in Caesar, but it's still guesswork. John Wacher, in The Coming of Rome, suggests one alternative.

But it's good to be sceptical of all these geographical claims, as the evidence is so very hazy (as we've found often enough on this board!). Birgitta Hoffmann's The Roman Invasion of Britain: Archaeology Versus History might provide some useful correctives.

[tikeshe]

I can't find any reasoning as to why Wheathampstead is a potential location.

Back in 1907, when Holmes was writing, it was assumed that St Albans (Verulamium) was the ancient capital of the Catavellauni, in turn assumed to the tribe led by Cassivellaunus. Mortimer Wheeler discovered the nearby oppidum of Wheathamstead in the 1930s, and proposed that this site was the tribal capital, and the Catavellauni only moved to the new town at St Albans in the 20s BC.

So Wheathamstead would seem to fit the description in Caesar, but it's still guesswork. John Wacher, in The Coming of Rome, suggests one alternative.

But it's good to be sceptical of all these geographical claims, as the evidence is so very hazy (as we've found often enough on this board!). Birgitta Hoffmann's The Roman Invasion of Britain: Archaeology Versus History might provide some useful correctives.

Interesting. I did see that Holmes used the movement of Catavellauni to St Albans in 30 BC to give credit to his choice of St Albans.

Thank you. I will check out of those books.

That's definitely what I'm finding! A lot of guess work from limited information, some of which have a political agenda.

If you're curious, I'm planning on trying to predict the paths that Caesar took from his landing near Sandwich/Deal/Walmer, to Cassivellaunus.

Thanks again