Excavation

Date 1977 - 1978

Event ID 571861

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/571861

NS 812 792. A Roman fortlet attached to the Antonine Wall was discovered in June 1977 on the farm of Dalnair, at the west end of Seabegs Wood, in a field from which numerous fragments of Roman pottery have been recovered in recent years. The Antonine Wall makes a northward detour to include the plateau on which the fortlet is set, and itself forms the north rampart. The excavation, carried out under the auspices of the Hunterian Museum, revealed that the fortlet measured 21.8m N-S by 18m E-W internally and was defended by a rampart set on a stone base 3m wide and by two ditches. Parts of the east and south rampart base had been removed by ploughing. Examination of the NE and NW corners of the fortlet established that it and the Wall were of one build. The ditches on the east side were identified as being 3m (inner) and 1.6m wide, but they merged together and terminated close to the SE corner of the fortlet. The western ditches are assumed to have done the same. The lack of cover for the south rampart may be ascribed to the proximity of the Military Way, whose presumed line was sectioned as it emerged from Seabegs Wood. Only scattered cobbles and a possible drainage ditch were observed. There were gateways in both the north and south walls of the fortlet, each 3m wide and flanked by post holes. A roadway of rammed pebbles and small stones passed through the south gate to join the Military Way, and a similar road passed through the north gate, but examination failed to reveal evidence of its having crossed the Antonine Wall ditch. There was evidence of a second phase of occupation which involved changes which may have included the blocking of the north gate, but there was no evidence of re-cutting of the ditches. The interior of the fortlet was not examined.

L J F Keppie and J J Walker 1977; 1979; R Goodburn 1978.