Dr. Francis McIntosh

We'll never really know.

It's probably a combination of defence, propaganda, controlling trade and taxes.

Running an empire costs a lot of money.

And if you can control access...

into and out of your empire of people and gods it's going to save you or give you a lot of money and then it also you know there is a there will have been some defensive definitely you know both physically it stopped people moving but also that sort of you know metaphoric oh there is a barrier now we have to think twice about trying to cross that so it's it's got multiple layers

Yeah.

And it doesn't matter that you had some fields that are now south of the wall and some that are north of the wall.

Yeah, absolutely.

So most of the bits of wall that have been excavated haven't uncovered, you know, the foundations of the house that was there beforehand.

But we know there's occupation in the area or along most of the line.

In a couple of places, particularly Carrow Brough Fort, where there's excellent mithraeum, there was evidence of plough marks directly underneath the foundation of the wall.

So that's a ploughed field that someone's gone through.

But...

It could well be that your land is split in half, you know, your family live on the north and you live on the south and now you can only go and see them through the gate, you know.

Presumably, or, you know, not being allowed to take your weapon or, you know, sheep or cattle, not being able to move without paying a tax.

And it's not like now when HS2 is going through and you get compensated.

I imagine none of that happened.

Yeah.

Yes, absolutely.

So it's small nucleated settlements.