A little help here...

[Somebody Else]

Does anyone know anything about forts, fortifications, frontier systems &c. &c. contemporary to the Romans? Early Imperial period would be ideal... Got an essay to write on this, and none of the books I have managed to acquire seem to have anything on it. Plenty about, oh... Sarmation jewelry though.

[TinCow]

I can't tell from your post whether you are looking for information on Roman or non-Roman fortifications. If it's non-Roman, I know absolutely nothing, sorry. If you want Roam, I have one book that has a decent amount of information. It is The Complete Roman Army, by Adrian Goldsworthy and includes detailed layouts of Roman fortifications and descriptions of how they were used, including the late Imperial border system.

[Somebody Else]

Thanks, I think I've come across that one, and if it's the one I think it is, it's very good. Goldsworthy certainly has produced some good work. However, I do need to compare Rome with her neighbours...

[Conradus]

I don't really know what system the German tribes or Caledonians used. NOr the steppe warriors of the Ukraïne and such. I wager it was mostly a range of watch towers, spies, small outposts and messengers to warn of any impending threat. Most of them were far too small to wield a standing army. The Sassanid empire, or Parthians, or whatever ruler of Mesopotamia at that time, did have the manpower to wield such a force and thus I think they might have a system of small forts, but most likely most of them would've been spies and watch towers. I don't think there were any equivalents of the limes or walls (such as Hadrian's) at Rome's neighbours.

[nokhor]

"The Grand Strategy of the Roman Empire" by Edward N. Luttwak goes into some detail about Imperial fortification systems and has some maps and illustrations also. ISBN 0-8018-2158-4