University of Newcastle

We had ambitions to check out a few things in Newcastle.  However, the drive time from Alnmouth, the pouring rain, and our waning energy levels conspired to limit our activity in Newcastle to just a couple of hours at a museum near the University of Newcastle to learn about Hadrian’s Wall.

Patrick and Alex used the information in the museum to conduct a little Road School exercise.  They learned about the different gods the people on the wall worshiped, the armor and weapons they used, and other “life on the wall” facts.

These two alters were dedicated by the 6th Roman Legion. One with a trident is for the river god Neptune. The one with an anchor is for the ocean god Oceanus.

The wall was constructed by the Roman Emperor Hadrian around 122 AD to provide a border for the Northernmost edge of the Roman Empire in Britain.  It was 80 miles long, had a fort each mile along its extent, and manned by up to 10,000 troops.  The wall created a base of activity and industry in places that otherwise would have just been wilderness.  Apparently the northern Celtic tribes were enough of a menace with their occasional cattle stealing to make this huge effort worth the investment – but I doubt it.  Once the Romans deserted the wall, most of the area reverted to wilderness for hundreds of years.