Frontiers of the Roman Empire (English, part 1/2)
The frontiers of the Roman Empire form a vast cultural monument that runs for over 7,000 km from Scotland across Central Europe to the Middle East and Northern Africa. Some sections of this monument are already part of a multinational UNESCO World Heritage Site, entitled Frontiers of the Roman Empire, and others are scheduled to follow. Created 2007 within the framework of the European project Frontiers of the Roman Empire (Culture 2000 program). Author: Boundary Productions.
The Roman Empire in Britain: Ancient Discoveries and 'Last Frontiers'
A lot of ruins do exist in Europe and beyond regarding the occupation by the #RomanEmpire, especially in #Britain where the Romans fought their #LastFrontier
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Housesteads Roman Fort - Full Tour. Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland
Housesteads is the most complete Roman fort in Britain today. Perched high on a wild escarpment, this isolated location really gives visitors a true sense of what it was like for the legionaries living at the edge of the Roman Empire. My film takes you on an entire tour around the fort.
Reasons to visit –
• This is the most complete Roman fort in Britain.
• Impressive views and location on Hadrian’s Wall.
• Best preserved Roman toilet in Britain.
• The only Hospital found in Roman Britain.
• A museum crammed with sculptures and artifacts.
• Great place to start a walk along the wall.
This is a great place to start a walk along Hadrians Wall. To the west of the fort in a wooded area is a section of the wall, which has been integrated into the walking trail. This is the only part of the wall that you can officially walk on.
You can get to Housesteads by car, bus (AD122) or by walking along Hadrian's Wall. From the main car park there is a short uphill walk. There is disabled access to the museum but the site itself has limited access as it is on a steep slope and has steps. There is disabled parking at the museum to avoid the uphill walk to the fort but must be arranged with the visitor centre. The AD122 only runs from the end of March until the end of September.
The site is run by English Heritage and is also free to National Trust members. The site is open most of the year but opening times vary, check the website for details.
The visitor centre,, next to the fort, has limited facilities and portable toilets. The main centre by the car park has better facilities but is a 10 minute walk from the fort.
Location: Haydon Bridge, Hexham, Northumberland, NE47 6NN.
The History bit -
Hadrian’s Wall started to be built in AD122, for 300 years it remained the north-west frontier of the Roman Empire and is the most important Roman monument built in Britain. The Wall was built to protect the Empire from the northern barbarians and to control the population and trade.
The fort was built after work on the wall had already started. The decision to build a fort on the wall may have been in response to barbarian attacks. The fort was defended by 800 legionaries.
In AD 139 the Romans advanced into Scotland and created the Antonine Wall. Whilst some of Hadrian’s Wall was abandoned Housesteads appears to have continued to be occupied. The Antonine Wall was abandoned in AD 158 and once again Hadrian’s Wall became the Roman's main defensive line.
The auxiliary troops at Housesteads would have been under continued threat of attack. In the AD 150s, 180s and again in AD 367 there was serious unrest in Britain. During the AD 180s the wall was over-run and a general and his troops were killed. There was extensive building work during the reign of Septimus Severus indicating Housesteads played a role during the invasion of Scotland AD 208 - 211.
During its lifetime Housesteads was garrisoned by auxiliary infantry troops, cavalry and even archers. The auxiliary infantry unit of Tungrians, originated from Belgium. At one time soldiers from a regiment of Syrian bowmen were stationed at Housesteads, the range of their arrows providing an excellent addition to the fort’s defences. In the third century a small cavalry unit of Frisians ( from Holland) were stationed at the fort.
Interesting facts –
The Romans called the fort Vercovicium which means “hilly place” or “settlement on the slope”.
The fort had no natural supply of water and the Romans relied on collecting rain water for drinking and bathing water.
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Roman map graphic courtesy of Tom Benford
Roman re-enactors featured: Ermine Street Guard & Vicus.
Roman military road behind Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland, UK
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The Roman military road to the south of Hadrian's Wall is still in use today - although it has of course been resurfaced!!
Hadrian's Wall was 117.5 km long, it varied in height depending on what construction materials were available nearby. In this area the wall was around 2.4m high and we can still see where the ditches were located.
Roman Emperor Hadrian came to Britain in 122CE and the wall was no doubt planned before then, maybe even started before then. The wall was a clear indication of Roman power but also an indication that enough was enough and that the Empire was not going to continue growing. Hadrian's father Trajan had extended the Empire with the acquisition of Dacia in modern Romania and Mesopotamia in modern Iraq but Hadrian retreated from these areas. Hadrian followed the principle of Augustus a century earlier that consolidation, not enlargement was the name of the game.
Would it not have been easier for Hadrian simply to have conquered the remainer of Britain rather than build a wall? After all, he knew it was an island. This is a good question, the north had a low population and indeed the Empire did make north briefly later. I am unable to give an answer.
The Wall served more of a statement than a military value. It showed outsiders how strong Rome was and was useful in collecting taxation revenues. Certainly in other parts of the Empire, the 'barbarians' outside were beginning to live like Romans at this time and organise towns, roads etc.
The wall took only six years to finish although no doubt extra work was continually being done. At each of the 80 Roman miles there was a milecastle holding a handful of troops who could be called out if necessary. These milecastles were located within signalling or physical view of each other and so they are not equidistant.
The garrison was made up of auxiliaries, sometimes from far away places. The fortress of Arbeia (not strictly speaking a border fortress) at South Shields was garrisoned by people from Iraq!
Although there were attacks on the wall, on the whole it was peaceful. In 410CE, Rome itself was under attack and Roman troops were pulled out of Britain. The locals, who were Romanised, were told that they needed to take care of their own defence.
The wall lasted long after the Romans went. Most damage was done in the eighteenth century as stone was removed for road and agricultural use. Fortunately the wall was protected from the nineteenth century onwards. Hadrian's Wall was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987, and in 2005 it became part of the transnational Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site which also includes sites in Germany.
Housesteads Roman Fort, Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland England.
Housesteads Roman Fort is set high on a dramatic escarpment on Hadrian's Wall World Heritage Site. Wander the barrack blocks and the hospital. Peer into the oldest toilets you'll ever see, (the communal Latrine) and admire the stunning panoramic views from this ancient fortress. The fort's original name was Vercovicium, meaning 'the place of the effective fighters'.
See what life was really like 2000 years ago!
Photographs and History can be found here :-
I hope you enjoy watching :)
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Hadrians Wall
It was Agricola, Britain's first Roman Governor who decreed to tame the wild barbarians in the North. When Hadrian arrived in AD122, the barbarians were still at large thus to defend his empire's boundaries, he ordered the building of a mighty barrier stretching from the Solway Firth in the West to the North Sea in the East - now one of the most important designated World Heritage Sites in existence.
Cawfields Quarry and Roman Wall Near Haltwhistle
Life at the frontier of the Roman Empire
SHOTLIST
Housesteads Roman Site, Hadrian's wall, Northumberland, 10 July 2008
1. Wide of actor in traditional Roman dress at Hadrian's wall
2. Mid of section of Hadrian's wall
3. Wide of wall
Vindolanda excavations site, Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland, 10 July 2008
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Andrew Birley, Director of Excavations, Vindolanda Site:
Well Hadrian's wall was built on a sight of a monumental barrier for two reasons, the first is the one that says to the Roman Empire enough is enough, this is as far as we go. On the other side of the coin it let's everyone know that the sheer power and the almighty of Rome and its huge physical barrier that's just very, very impressive and says don't mess with us! It's a fantastic monument to the power of Rome.
Housesteads Roman Site, Hadrian's wall, Northumberland, 10 July 2008
5. Wide of actor in traditional Roman dress walking away from camera
6. Wide of wall
7. Wide of Housesteads Roman site
8. Wide of Georgina Plowright, Roman expert and Hadrian's Wall Curator
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Georgina Plowright, Roman expert and Hadrian's Wall Curator:
Well this is Housesteads, which is one of sixteen forts on Hadrian's wall. The Emperor Hadrian built Hadrian's wall. Construction started about 122 AD and probably went on being built until at least 138 (AD)
10. Wide pan of Housesteads site
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Georgina Plowright, Roman expert and Hadrian's Wall Curator:
Well life would have probably been quite good. This area which seems very remote and wild would in fact have been on a corridor along Hadrian's wall. It would have been very busy. There would have been lots of different languages and nationalities. The wall was built by the legionaries but the wall would have been manned by the slightly less well paid auxiliaries, but they would still have security of a job. Life would have probably been a mixture of fatigues and exercises. I am sure they would not have been idle. Then time off perhaps in the civilian settlement that surrounds the fort.
12. Close of Hospital Sign
13. Mid of Hospital site remains
14. Close of Latrines sign, reading 'The Latrines'
15. Artists depiction of latrines
16. Wide pan of Latrines
17. Wide of Housesteads site
18. Wide of walkers and ramblers
19. Various of tourists
20. SOUNDBITE (English) Hans Vanderpourar, Tourist/ Historian from Holland, VOX POP:
Well I am a historian myself, second world war, millennium more or less, means nothing to us, so roman history interests me as well.
21. SOUNDBITE (English) Jim Browne, Tourist from Canada, VOX POP:
It was very pretty and challenging. I have been to the Great Wall of China and its different, but its also in its own way a unique, special and one thing you won't find any place else in the world.
23. Various of tourists
24. Close up of Hadrian's wall guide book
Housesteads Roman Site, Hadrian's wall, Northumberland, 10 July 2008
25. SOUNDBITE (English) Thomas Feeley, Roman actor:
We are a Roman group representing roughly middle of the first century time of the invasion emperor Claudius. Our equipment is extremely well researched. Everything you see that I have on me is historically correct and researched as far as we know to the present information
27. Pan up of Thomas in Roman costume
28. Close up of belt
30. Close up of armour
31. Close of roman standard issue boots
32. SOUNDBITE (English) Thomas Feeley, Roman actor:
After using the equipment it does, because you then experience the hardship that they experienced (the Roman soldiers) the uncomfortable bit that sticks in now and again, that must have happened to them, the solders and you begin to sympathise with them, you have an empathy with the soldiers
33. Close of Thomas holding sword
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Vindolanda
An absolutely amazing archaeological site in northern England is Vindolanda, where the famous Vindolanda tablets were unearthed. The remains of a magnificent fort can be visited there, along with a fabulous museum. Watch as David Miano and Mariza Lockhart explore the ruins and provide some insight into the world of the people who lived in and around it. After that, they go to the site of Vercovicium (now known as Housesteads Roman Fort), built right on Hadrian’s Wall, to learn more about life on the wall.
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Vindolanda
Vercovicium (Housesteads Roman Fort)
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Arbeia -South Shields Roman Fort - Full Tour. Tyne and Wear. Free entry.
Arbeia – South Shields Roman Fort is FREE to visit, boasts: an impressive full-scale reconstructed Roman gatehouse; outstanding collection of Roman artefacts and foundations of a Roman fort, used by Emporer Severus as his headquarters during the invasion of Scotland and later as a supply depot for Hadrian’s Wall. My film takes you on an entire tour around the fort.
Reasons to visit –
• It’s free!
• The fort has an impressive full-scale reconstruction of a
Roman gatehouse.
• Extensive remains of the fort’s foundations.
• A significant collection of finds and artefacts, including a rare
Roman soldier’s chain mail armour.
• Reconstructions of a Roman soldiers’ barrack block and
Commanding Officer’s house.
• View regular ongoing excavation work.
• Great place for children to learn about the Romans.
• Fascinating insight into the diversity of the Romans.
The History bit -
The fort was built during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian, guarding the sea route to the river Tyne and later used to supply the troops on Hadrian’s Wall.
The fort has been adapted a number of times, originally housing a mix of Roman infantry and cavalry, supplied by two granaries, which was standard for a Roman fort. The visible fort was built under the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (161-180).
It was the headquarters of Emperor Severus during his invasion of Scotland (AD208-10), during which at least thirteen granaries were added to supply the invasion force.
In AD 222 – 235 Arbeia supplied the troops on Hadrian’s Wall and the number of granaries was increased to 24.
Hadrian’s Wall started to be built in AD122 on the instructions of the Emperor Hadrian. For 300 years it remained the north-west frontier of the Roman Empire and is the most important Roman monument build in Britain. The Wall was built to protect the Empire from the northern barbarians and to control the population and trade.
Interesting facts –
Arbeia means “place of the arabs” and may have got it’s name from a unit of bargemen stationed at the fort, who originated from the River Tigris, in modern-day Iraq.
In Roman times the gatehouse would have been plastered with white plaster and painted with red paint to emulate stone blocks.
Location:
Arbeia Roman Fort, Baring Street, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE33 2BB.
Check the official website for details and opening times:
If you live or are staying in Newcastle or Sunderland it is close and really easy to get to and just a short walk from the metro.
Personal Recommendation-
If you are staying in Newcastle or nearby then Arbeia is well worth a visit especially as it is free to enter and a short walk from the metro. The gatehouse is very impressive, the two small museum buildings hold a really interesting collection of artefacts. The chain mail suit is very rare. The fort foundations have been extensively robbed out in places and are sometimes only indicated by markers, other sites along the wall have more complete foundations. Arbeia is surrounded by housing and suffers in comparison with sites such as Vindolanda, Housesteads and Chesters, which are located in the countryside and their rural location make it easier for the visitor to imagine the forts as they once were.
Thank you for watching my film, I hope you enjoyed it and found it useful, please feel free to like it and leave a comment. Why don’t you have a look at some of the other films on my channel.
The rights for all trademarks and copyrighted material remains with the owners, no infringement of copyright is intended. Any content used here is with the intention of fair use.
Music credits:
Lock & Load by Jens Kiilstofte
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
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Epic Roman Music MarK Anthony by Derek & Brandon Feichter
Spartan Warriors by Derek & Brandon Feichter
Ancient Egyptian music - Pharoah Ramses 2 by Derek & Brandon Feichter
All tracks used under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
Many thanks to Derek & Brandon.
Derek & Brandon’s Youtube channel
You can buy their music here:
iTunes : Bandcamp : Amazon mp3 :
Roman Map Graphic courtesy of Tom Benford
Romans - Hadrian's Wall
From the documentary Rome: Engineering an Empire
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Vindolanda 2000 years old Roman town at the most northerly edge of the Empire
Vindolanda was a Roman auxiliary fort (castrum) just south of Hadrian's Wall, which it predates, in northern England. Located near the modern village of Bardon Mill, it guarded the Stanegate, the Roman road from the River Tyne to the Solway Firth. It is noted for the Vindolanda tablets, among the most important finds of military and private correspondence (written on wooden tablets) found anywhere in the Roman Empire.
Life at the edge of the Roman empire
SHOTLIST
Northumberland, 10 July 2008
1. Various views of Hadrian's Wall
2 Close up of sign reading To the Roman remains
3. Wide of Vindolanda excavation site
4. Set up of director of Excavations Vindolanda, Andrew Birley
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Andrew Birley, Director of Excavations Vindolanda:
Well Vindolanda has always been known about as a site all the way through the ages but modern excavations really started in the 1970. When the Vindolanda trust was started and there have been excavations on going on the sight every year, that was the mandate of the trust, which is to continue to excavate the site until we have almost completely explored it. We estimate this may take up to 200 years so it's a long job. But every year 500-600 volunteers come along to help us out on the excavations. They are the people who are really commit lives and there experience to exploring Hadrian's Wall and working out what's happened in the past.
6. Wide of volunteers
7. Close of excavations
8. Wide of Volunteer with wheel barrow
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Marcus, Volunteer :
Well I am currently digging through a drain as you can see and tunnelling under some giant flagstones here. I have been mainly finding lots of bits of bone and pottery and the odd bit of bronze and a coin.
10. Close up of Roman coin in palm of hand
11. Mid of volunteer excavating site
12. Various of volunteers excavating
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Polly, Volunteer :
Well I have found some coins. We have also found some pottery and some very coarse cook wear.
14. Various of volunteers
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Andrew Birley, Director of Excavations Vindolanda Site:
We have the largest collection of Roman footwear from the Roman Empire at just over 8000 examples of Roman footwear, everything from sandals, bath clogs, baby boots, marching boots, shoes, slippers, designer footwear you name it. But the most exciting finds to come from the site are the Vindolanda writing tablets - little postcards made of wood covered in ink hand writing, joined up Latin handwriting. They are just people writing to each other telling each other stories, demanding stuff, ordering things, talking about festivals, but they tell us exactly what's going on in a round about kind of way. They are little windows into the past which you just can't beat on any other site.
16. Various of Roman shoes and boots on display at the Vindolanda onsite museum
17. Zoom in of Roman skull
LEAD IN :
The British Museum's next major exhibition is dedicated to the life and legacy of Roman Emperor Hadrian.
It will run from 24 July - 26 October 2008.
Hadrian's Wall stretched across the north of England and marked the northwest frontier of one of the greatest empires in world history.
Excavations at the nearby Roman settlement of Vindolanda have revealed what life was like for ordinary Roman citizens living at what was then the edge of the 'known world'.
STORYLINE:
Hadrian's Wall, built on the orders of the Emperor Hadrian, runs across the north of England, cutting through picturesque dales and wild mountain heaths.
The 73-mile (117 kilometres) long fortification marked one of the frontiers of Roman rule in Europe.
The Emperor Hadrian ruled the Roman Empire from AD 117-138, and consolidated and strengthened Roman rule across much of Europe, northern Africa and the Middle East.
When Hadrian visited Britain in 122 AD he realised that it would be difficult to gain Roman control over Caledonia (modern Scotland) and the Picts who lived there and thus commissioned the wall.
The soldiers who manned the wall also brought families to what is now Northumberland, and a thriving garrison town called Vindolanda grew up near the wall.
Birley says they are little windows into the past.
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Hadrian's wall / Roman Vindolanda and Roman Army museum
Travel vlog
Roman Vindolanda and Roman Army museum
Roman Wall Walltown Crags Hadrians Wall Northumberland
Roman Army Museum
A brief look at the Roman Army Museum in Hexham, Northumberland.
The Story of Hadrian's Wall
Visual effects piece for University. Part of a group working with live plates and 3D models.
What was Hadrian's Wall?
Sign up now at 'Hadrian's Wall: Life on the Roman Frontier' is a free online course by Newcastle University available on FutureLearn.com.
Explore the archaeology of the most heavily fortified frontier in the Roman Empire, its people and their lives.
Hadrian's Wall stretches over 73 miles (117 km), from coast to coast in what is now Northern England. The Wall, complemented by a sophisticated system of outposts and coastal watch stations, offers a remarkable glimpse of ancient society. In addition to housing one of the largest concentrations of Roman soldiers anywhere in the Empire's provinces, Hadrian's frontier system was home to an incredibly cosmopolitan array of civilians.
As part of the course you can test your understanding with real case studies and participate in a series of archaeological experiments designed to help you appreciate the complexities of daily life on Rome's most famous frontier.
This course will give you the opportunity to purchase a Statement of Participation.
You can use the hashtag #FLHadrian to join and contribute to Twitter conversations about this course.
At FutureLearn, we want to inspire learning for life. We offer a diverse selection of free, high quality online courses from some of the world's leading universities and other outstanding cultural institutions. Browse all courses and sign up here:
Scotland's Greatest Roman Site / Sight
A man films the outline of Trimontium Roman Fort near Melrose during the drought conditions of 2018 with real dramatic results.
A walk along Hadrian's Wall, Housesteads, Northumberland
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This is the best preserved part of Hadrian's Wall. Taking the bus from the car park of the Northumbria National Park in Once Brewed, we travelled to Housesteads fort and then walked back along the wall. The views here are quite magnificent, the Roman empire to the south and the barbarians to the north. The engineering feat of the Romans nearly 1,900 years ago can really be appreciated here.
Hadrian's Wall was 117.5 km long, it varied in height depending on what construction materials were available nearby. In this area the wall was around 2.4m high and we can still see where the ditches were located.
Roman Emperor Hadrian came to Britain in 122CE and the wall was no doubt planned before then, maybe even started before then. The wall was a clear indication of Roman power but also an indication that enough was enough and that the Empire was not going to continue growing. Hadrian's father Trajan had extended the Empire with the acquisition of Dacia in modern Romania and Mesopotamia in modern Iraq but Hadrian retreated from these areas. Hadrian followed the principle of Augustus a century earlier that consolidation, not enlargement was the name of the game.
Would it not have been easier for Hadrian simply to have conquered the remainer of Britain rather than build a wall? After all, he knew it was an island. This is a good question, the north had a low population and indeed the Empire did make north briefly later. I am unable to give an answer.
The Wall served more of a statement than a military value. It showed outsiders how strong Rome was and was useful in collecting taxation revenues. Certainly in other parts of the Empire, the 'barbarians' outside were beginning to live like Romans at this time and organise towns, roads etc.
The wall took only six years to finish although no doubt extra work was continually being done. At each of the 80 Roman miles there was a milecastle holding a handful of troops who could be called out if necessary. These milecastles were located within signalling or physical view of each other and so they are not equidistant.
The garrison was made up of auxiliaries, sometimes from far away places. The fortress of Arbeia (not strictly speaking a border fortress) at South Shields was garrisoned by people from Iraq!
Although there were attacks on the wall, on the whole it was peaceful. In 410CE, Rome itself was under attack and Roman troops were pulled out of Britain. The locals, who were Romanised, were told that they needed to take care of their own defence.
The wall lasted long after the Romans went. Most damage was done in the eighteenth century as stone was removed for road and agricultural use. Fortunately the wall was protected from the nineteenth century onwards. Hadrian's Wall was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987, and in 2005 it became part of the transnational Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site which also includes sites in Germany
Photographs only, no video