Excavation

Date 1957

Event ID 569558

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/569558

NS 7091 7615, NS 7093 7616 and NS 7095 7616 Old excavations were re-opened and new sections cut across the Rampart in 1957 on behalf of the Ministry of Public Buildings and Works in advance of afforestation.

Five of the Antonine Wall Committee's trenches were re-opened at this stage, and a further nine trenches cut, as a result of which the kerb of the Wall was located at ten points.

The new trenches were cut from the now ruined Bar Cottage to the NW side of Castle Hill. Gravel and stones were found in the first three, then the kerb was located in the next three trenches, in the last of which the foundation was found intact, and again the kerb was discovered in the last two trenches. Pegging the points where the kerb stones were found it was discovered that the line of the Wall tallied quite closely with that indicated by Sir George Macdonald's map (1934, Pl XXIV A). It pursues a straight course heading W from the Antonine Wall Committee's No. 1 section 'over the first ridge of Bar Hill' and descending then into the hollow. Gullies cut across the line at this point and these have probably obscured the foundations. Continuing W, the Wall turns slightly to the left until reaching the shoulder of Castle Hill, at which location it describes a curve in order to take advantage of the high ground. The three full sections cut on Bar Hill by the Antonine Wall Committee revealed a foundation of 4.3m in width.

(Keppie and Breeze 1982).