Hadrians Wall
For Erin
My Wonderwall
Archaeological Histories
Series editor: Thomas Harrison
An important series charting the history of sites, buildings and towns from their construction to the present day. Each title examines not only the physical history and uses of the site but also its broader context: its role in political history, in the history of scholarship and in the popular imagination.
Avebury, Joshua Pollard and Mark Gillings
Dura-Europos, Jennifer Baird
Pompeii, Alison E. Cooley
Tarquinia, Robert Leighton
Troy: Myth, City, Icon, Naose Mac Sweeney
Ur, Harriet Crawford
CONTENTS
ILLUSTRATIONS
Maps
The Roman Empire during Hadrians reign
Hadrians Wall in its military landscape
Hadrians Wall as completed
Table
The Wall forts
Figures
Milecastle 42 engraving
Victors tombstone
Turret 44b
Berm obstacles
Auxiliaries and legionaries
Reginas tombstone
Battersea Shield
Insus tombstone
Wheel emblems
Milecastle 35 head and Birdoswald horse
Local farmsteads and Wallsend
Flavian Wales
Flavian Scotland and the Gask Ridge
The Stanegate system, priority milecastles, and Wall anomalies
Haltwhistle Burn and Throp
Mare and Foal
Wall phase plan
Hadrian
The Ilam Pan
Milecastle plans
Milecastle 37
Turret plans
Three turret reconstructions
Reconstructed stretch of Wall
Turf Wall section
Ditch at Limestone Corner
Cumbrian coast posts
Tipalt-Irthing gap
Wall forts
Carrawburgh fort
Vallum at Limestone Corner
Great Whittington
Dagvalda tombstone
Antonine Wall
158 inscription
Outpost forts
Newstead
Turret 41a
South Shields and Vindolanda
Housesteads
Maryport geophysics
Birdoswald geophysics
Chalet barracks
Maryport pits
Birdoswald hall
South Shields
Bewcastle Cross
Thirlwall Castle
Paris map A
William Camden
B6318
John Collingwood Bruce
Vindolanda turret reconstruction
Rudge Cup
Goeree engraving
Scott painting
The Wall in Puck of Pooks Hill
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
It is not unusual to hear someone remark at gatherings dedicated to Roman frontiers that these former instruments of division are now bringing people together. This is true. I am grateful for the friendships that have grown out of an interest in mural matters, and this book owes a great debt to the community of Roman frontier scholars. Although it is impossible to name everyone, I am especially grateful to David J. Breeze for his continued help and encouragement over many years, and for commenting on the draft text, as did Richard Hingley. My anonymous peer reviewers also provided valuable feedback. Lindsay Allason-Jones, Paul Bidwell, Anthony Birley, Mike Bishop, Rob Collins, Alex Croom, Heather Davis, Stephen Greep, Ian Haynes, Peter Hill, Nick Hodgson, John Humphrey, Jacqui Huntley, Tatiana Ivleva, Beccy Jones, Mike Luke, David Mason, Al McCluskey, Jan Parker, Andrew Parkin, Andrew Poulter, John Reid, John Scott, Margaret Snape, Sue Stallibrass, David Taylor, Tony Wilmott, and Roger J.A. Wilson have generously offered information and/or assistance that has materially enriched this volume. Naturally, all of them will have their own views about the ideas presented here.
My family and friends have stoically humoured a frontier fixation that has endured as much to my surprise as theirs for over two decades. In that time, I have repeatedly trespassed on the good natures of Paul Austin, Mark Repath, D. Partlett, and P. Smith, as well as my parents Malcolm and Linda, my brother Andrew, and of course Erin and Tommy. I couldnt have done this without them.
Thanks are also due to Current Publishing, Andrew and Wendy Selkirk, Rob and Libby Selkirk, and Lucia Marchini. At Bloomsbury, I am indebted to Alice Wright, Lily Mac Mahon, and Georgina Leighton for guiding the manuscript through the editorial process. Merv Honeywood oversaw pre-press. The author and publisher gratefully acknowledge the permission granted to reproduce the copyright material in this book. Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and to obtain their permission for the use of copyright material. The publisher apologises for any errors or omissions and would be grateful if notified of any corrections that should be incorporated in future reprints or editions of this book.
Dating
All dates are AD, unless otherwise stated.
The Roman Empire during Hadrians reign (117138). Courtesy of David J. Breeze.
Hadrians Wall in its military landscape and select local settlements in the 130s. Courtesy of David J. Breeze.
Hadrians Wall at the end of Hadrians reign. Courtesy of David J. Breeze.
Introduction
Into Darkness
[Hadrian] was the first to build a wall, 80 miles in length, to separate the barbarians from the Romans.
HISTORIA AUGUSTA, HADRIAN 11, 2
Hadrians Wall hardly fits the profile of a classic archaeological mystery. Even its current name offers answers rather than questions: Hadrian really was the emperor who ordered its construction, while a wall is something we can all relate to. The simplicity of this description is so timeless that its original Roman name seems to have been effectively the same: the vallum Aelium, or Hadrians Wall accounts for a modest 117km, or 80 Roman miles, of that total (Map 3), but distinguishes itself by presenting a more formidable barrier than its peers. When it comes to the Walls purpose, our sole surviving Roman statement on the matter is a throwaway comment in the Historia Augusta. This scurrilous ancient document presents a racy and often unreliable expos of various emperors lives, which was probably compiled over two centuries after Hadrians death. Despite this dubious pedigree, the text emphasises that the Wall served as a means to create division by distilling its essence into just four Latin words: qui barbaros Romanosque divideret, or to separate the barbarians from the Romans. So, even a rapid sketch of our knowledge seemingly rules out any real scope for mystery. We know what Hadrians Wall was, who built it, and why. Case closed.
