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The Secrets of Caerleon
Past Horizons ^ | Wednesday, August 10, 2011 | unattributed

Posted on 08/14/2011 3:20:18 PM PDT by SunkenCiv

For more than 2000 years a suburb of monumental Roman buildings lay undiscovered beneath a modern South Wales town, but now archaeologists from Cardiff University hope to reveal the secrets of this fascinating ancient site.

In spring 2010, staff and students from the School of History, Archaeology and Religion located a complex of buildings outside the Roman fortress at Caerleon. The 'Lost City of the Legion' -- as it has been called -- was completely unknown and is a major addition to our knowledge of Roman Britain.

Geophysical surveys taken by the Cardiff team at the time of the discovery showed buildings that could have included markets, bath houses and temples. Small test trenches also revealed what is thought to have been a quayside wall where ships would have docked and unloaded their cargoes for the military garrison at Caerleon and other forts in Wales...

Dr Peter Guest, School of History, Archaeology and Religion said: "The great thing about an archaeological discovery like this is there are lots of new questions that we just don't have definite answers to at the moment. The presence of this suburban complex implies that the fortress was intended to become a major administrative centre in western Roman Britain, but for some reason this never happened. When was it built? What were the buildings for? Who were the people using them and what happened to them after the legion left Caerleon? That's what we're hoping our excavation of this important site will tell us."

(Excerpt) Read more at pasthorizonspr.com ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: antoninewall; britain; caerleon; gaskridge; germanlimes; godsgravesglyphs; hadrianswall; romanempire; scotland; scotlandyet; wales
Reconstruction of Caerleon in the Roman period, showing the newly discovered monumental suburb (© 7reasons)

The Secrets of Caerleon

1 posted on 08/14/2011 3:20:20 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
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from the FRchives:
The Roman town of Isca was much larger than previously thought [Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.]

Major buildings find at Roman fortress of Caerleon

2 posted on 08/14/2011 3:22:45 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Yes, as a matter of fact, it is that time again -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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From the hard drive, article dated Friday, 11 July 2008:
The staff was found by a team working at the Roman fortress in Caerleon

Rare artefact found at Roman site

3 posted on 08/14/2011 3:24:50 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Yes, as a matter of fact, it is that time again -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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also from the FRchives:
4 posted on 08/14/2011 3:29:14 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Yes, as a matter of fact, it is that time again -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1010RD; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; 31R1O; ...

 GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach
To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.


5 posted on 08/14/2011 3:30:03 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Yes, as a matter of fact, it is that time again -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: SunkenCiv

The only military to have done more building than fighting.


6 posted on 08/14/2011 3:40:25 PM PDT by decimon
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To: decimon
The only military to have done more building than fighting.

I think that I must disagree - both the British and American military have built much and over a much larger geographic area and done so in both war and peace.

Now if you made it built in stone, I would surely agree. [grin]

7 posted on 08/14/2011 5:11:53 PM PDT by SES1066 (1776 to 2011, 235 years and counting in the GRAND EXPERIMENT!)
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To: decimon

They probably all do that. :’) Most armies spend most of their time not fighting; the Roman army spent most of their time constructing roads, bridges, forts, and (from time to time) walls (besides Hadrian’s and the Antonine walls in Britain, they also built the Limes in Germany). And of course, Drusus (brother of Tiberius, perhaps the best generals who were also brothers ever produced by Rome) dug that canal to reroute part of the Rhine in order to move troops and supplies by water instead of overland.


8 posted on 08/14/2011 6:42:53 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Yes, as a matter of fact, it is that time again -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: SES1066
Now if you made it built in stone, I would surely agree. [grin]

Yes. Considering what it took to construct things in those times, it's hard for me to imagine what they did. Rome had some purpose beyond conquest.

9 posted on 08/14/2011 6:44:36 PM PDT by decimon
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10 posted on 08/14/2011 6:52:27 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Yes, as a matter of fact, it is that time again -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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11 posted on 08/14/2011 7:46:11 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Yes, as a matter of fact, it is that time again -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: decimon; SES1066
Lost Fort

12 posted on 08/14/2011 8:00:55 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Yes, as a matter of fact, it is that time again -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: SunkenCiv

Thanks.

Seems I’m in sync with the fraulein.


13 posted on 08/14/2011 8:35:56 PM PDT by decimon
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To: SunkenCiv

FWIW, I think I’ve noticed a surprising, to me, interest in Roman history among Germans. I imagine they see that as either part of their history or as precursor to their modern history.


14 posted on 08/14/2011 8:48:59 PM PDT by decimon
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To: decimon

In the 19th c someone who found out about the Varian disaster raised money for a monument to Arminius. And eventually it got built. In the wrong place. :’)


15 posted on 08/14/2011 11:23:48 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Yes, as a matter of fact, it is that time again -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: decimon

There’s a range of views, so I’m glad your in sink.


16 posted on 08/14/2011 11:25:18 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Yes, as a matter of fact, it is that time again -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: SunkenCiv

I got a broken link for your image here. I don’t think that this is a linkable image although I can go to see it (2 Roman Soldiers complaining about building rather than fighting.)


17 posted on 08/15/2011 6:20:59 AM PDT by SES1066 (1776 to 2011, 235 years and counting in the GRAND EXPERIMENT!)
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To: SES1066

I couldn’t figure out the problem either, and you’re right, going to the image directly seems to work. But even after that, it won’t load into the message. Ah well.


18 posted on 08/15/2011 10:27:32 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Yes, as a matter of fact, it is that time again -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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