BattlefieldsRoman Assault on Maiden Castle 44 AD
Roman Period

Roman Assault on Maiden Castle 44 AD

44
Dorset, England
Also known as: Vespasian storms Maiden Castle · Durotrigian last stand at Maiden Castle
Era
Roman Period
Battle Type
Siege
Location
Dorset, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Durotriges
Forces
estimated several thousand Durotriges defenders
VS
Victor
Rome (Vespasian / Legio II Augusta)
Forces
Legio II Augusta with auxiliary cohorts
Outcome
Hillfort stormed; defenders massacred or enslaved; war cemetery excavated by Mortimer Wheeler
The Battle

History & Significance

Sir Mortimer Wheeler excavated the famous war cemetery at the east gate of Maiden Castle in 1937, revealing some 38 skeletons with ballista bolts embedded in spines and skull sword cuts showing the brutal Roman assault technique: artillery bombardment of the gates followed by infantry assault. This is the most archaeologically documented hillfort assault of the conquest period.

Casualties & Losses

38 confirmed burials in war cemetery; many more unrecovered

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

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