Here's the scanned front side of a postcard I meant to send in 1988 but never did (it's even addressed). This is an aerial view of a segment of Hadrian's Wall, the 80-mile long Roman defense system built across what is now northern England by three Roman legions, 122-128 AD. It's one of the coolest things I've ever seen, sort of like the Great Wall of China only in Europe. The Romans next built the Antonine Wall, another fortified line to the north, like a belt across what is now Scotland from the Firth of Forth to the west, nearly forty miles long, 142-154 AD. It's not as intact as Hadrian's, but for anyone who digs a good hike, plenty to see along both lines. The walls were meant to keep "barbarians" out of the Roman occupied territories to the south. Worked for a while, I suppose . . . but everything comes to an end, eventually, or morphs into something else.
Today's Rune: Wholeness. Happy 40th to my brother Jamie!
10 comments:
The BIG version 4.0 may it be better received than the old 3.0 system.
I have been curious but too lazy at the moment to look but how tall was that wall? Or did the man look out towers so close together that height of the wall wasn't the defense?
There are always plenty of barbarians on both sides of the walls.
Erik, you continue to amaze and educate me. I love it that you still have the postcard!
I HAVE BOXES OF POST CARDS, THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN SENT AND THOSE KEPT FOR THE HISTORY OR THE ART OF AN AREA. A ONE CENT STAMP IS A STORY IN ITSELF. MAYBE SOMEDAY I WILL EVEN HAVE ALBUMS TO PUT THEM IN AND THE TIME TO DO IT.
Oh, what a salacious treat!
The Firth of Forth - whatever could that mean ;)
Not to mention, anonymous' comment in Chinese.
Happy New Year.
My Mother-in-Law has some Disney postcards purchased the first year they opened in Florida. I wonder how much they're worth.
I'm afraid we'll be seeing more walls--imagined or real--as we race to the bottom line economically.
Have a Happy New Year!
maybe you should mail the post card with the 1988 date and have the person freak out that it took 22 years for the mail to be delivered
i love old post cards
I totally want to hike along the Wall sometime. I'd also like to go along Offa's Dyke sometime. How many times & ways are people going to try to divide Great Britain into sections?
Was just watching a History Channel thing on Hadrian's wall, and it was also part of the sixth grade curriculum I used to teach. The wall wasn't particularly effective in keeping out the "northern hordes"-- it was mostly to keep bored Roman legion busy and out of trouble.
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