So far, for September, we are continuing our trip to the Ancient World. This time we are looking at the fortifications that would protect the Roman Empire against barbarian invasion. This is a German-produced documentary. The run time for this episode is 43:01.
Two thousand years ago, there was a heavily fortified border along stretches of Europe. They were known as the Limes and these were palisades, walls, and trenches. These were on lands that stretched across Germany. These were an attempt by the Roman Empire to keep the barbarians out. However, along these walls, villages would form, protected by the boundary and the Roman Legions. Using modern technology, archeologists, historians, and scientists are going to learn more about these posts. The forests of Germany were the focus of the Roman Empire. However, due to the defeat of Varus, the Romans abandoned the province. The Romans eventually came back, as a previously unknown encampment was discovered. Rome secured the border at the Rhine. It was at the limits of empire expansion and so Rome focused on securing the border. Britannia was Rome’s northernmost outpost and Hadrian’s wall secured the area. A team is going to send up an airship to look over Hadrian’s Wall. However, the team is battling the elements. Wind and rain are preventing the airship from taking place. The team members would not be able to travel safely. The team wants to use an airship because it can move slowly and does not kick up dust. Hadrian’s Wall stretched from the North Sea to the Irish Sea. It is in the middle of nowhere in North Britain. The next day the weather is better. The morning is calm because later in the day there will be wind gusts that can blow the airship off course. Once the ship is filled, the airship is sent off. The airship will provide a unique view of Hadrian’s Wall. There were fifteen forts and 12,000 men stationed along Hadrian’s Wall. Why did Emperor Hadrian order such an effort? Were the highland warriors that scary and dangerous? While the airship is in the sky, other historians are walking along the wall and noticing holes in the wall. These holes are fortified gates and they allowed people to go through the wall. These gates were found each mile and allowed for the movement of Roman troops to defend themselves against the Picts. The Picts were the tattooed people and were from the Scottish Highlands. There were various Pictish tribes and had a free and independent life. However, order and discipline prevailed in the Roman military camps. Then the historians meet up with the Birley Family, who have been digging a Roman military settlement for generations because it is on their land. Many finds have been discovered over the years. Wooden tablets were discovered and these wooden tablets had inscriptions on them. There were a variety of messages found on these tablets and these tablets revealed daily life. The tablets reveal the boredom of the soldiers. What was the point of Hadrian’s Wall? Why did Emperor Hadrian build it? Perhaps he was trying to legitimize his place as Emperor. A successive emperor did the same thing and built a wall farther north. It was a huge effort on behalf of this effort. This wall had mysterious holes in the front of the wall, this would have caused the enemy to fall into them and perhaps stopped the attack. Unfortunately, a few years later, the Romans retreated to Hadrian’s Wall. What were the Roman soldiers really afraid of? Were the Highlanders all that scary? How did the ordinary soldiers live in Britain? What will the results from the airship show the historians? Tune into the rest of this episode to find out more about walls and forts. Wow, this is a fast-paced documentary. The information kept coming and had a good flow to it. It is cool to see what discoveries have been made and then compare what information was available in the past. It goes to show you that history changes with discoveries. The information was enjoyably presented, the artifacts were cool to see, and the documentary kept moving. This would be an excellent documentary to show in a history classroom.
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