Where Are the Claudian Forts? A Review of the Evidence in South-eastern Britain, and an Alternative View of the Invasion Period

Abstract

After more than 30 years of developer-led archaeology, the concept of ‘pacification’, the standard model of the invasion period in south-eastern Britain since the mid-twentieth century, can be reconsidered. The following is not about forts as such; it is about quality of evidence. It reviews proposed early forts south-east of the Fosse Way and concludes that few are genuine; some alternative functions are put forward. A broader explanation for the absence of early forts is offered in the context of friendly kingdoms: prior to the Claudian invasion, treaties may have been put in place between Rome and the polities of Verlamion and Silchester, which created a buffer zone to ensure the invasion’s success.