Archaeology Magazine — March-April 2018

CAESAR’S ENGLISH BEACHHEAD

A

lmost one hundred years before the Roman Empire

conquered Britain, Julius Caesar invaded the island in

55 b.c. and again the following year. The exact loca-

tions of his landings have been debated, but recent evidence

suggests that one occurred at Ebbsfleet, at the Isle of Thanet in

eastern Kent. During construction of a modern road, workers

discovered a large ancient ditch measuring around

15 feet wide and six feet deep. Objects found

nearby, including Roman weapons, indicated that

it was constructed around the middle of the first

century b.c., and its size and shape are consistent

with Roman defensive networks of that era.

Archaeologists believe that Caesar’s army built a

temporary fort at the site to protect his fleet of

800 ships. “The wider significance of the discov-

eries at Ebbsfleet is to refocus attention on the

aftermath of Caesar’s invasions,” says University

of Leicester archaeologist Andrew Fitzpatrick.

“Caesar never intended to stay in Britain,” he

adds, “but we theorize that the peace treaty he

concluded then paved the way for the eventual

invasion and permanent occupation of the

Romans in A.d. 43 .”

—Jason UrbanUs

slam.org/SunkenCities #SunkenCities

March 25ÐSeptember 9, 2018

The bust of the colossal statue of the god Hapy has been strapped with webbings before

being cautiously raised out of the water of Aboukir Bay, Egypt; IEASM Excavations;

Photo: Christoph Gerigk © Franck Goddio / Hilti Foundation

Twenty years ago, world-renowned underwater

archaeologist Franck Goddio and his team excavated the

waters of the Mediterranean, uncovering stunning ancient

religious, ceremonial, and commercial artifacts from the

lost Egyptian cities of Thonis-Heracleion and Canopus.

Experience their discoveries in this epic exhibition, unveiled

first in North America at the Saint Louis Art Museum.

Ebbsfleet, England

Javelin tip