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Artefact Recovery

Date 16 April 1868

Event ID 572778

Category Recording

Type Artefact Recovery

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/572778

NT 0126 8150 Legionary Tablet found here

A Roman 'distance slab' broken in three places was found in April 1868 in front of the rocky promontory on which Bridgeness Tower stands. Mr Cadell, who was present when the find was made, records that it was discovered lying face down, under a few inches of soil, at a point 19ft above the level of the ordinary spring tides. It had evidently been carefully laid there, over a hollow in the soil, and covered over. He donated the slab to the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS Accession no: FV 27) on condition that a plaque recording the discovery by erected near the find-spot.

The slab is 9ft 2ins long by 2ft 11ins high and commemorates the completion of some four miles of the Antonine Wall by the 2nd Legion. Close to the find-spot, an old dry-stone dyke of squared freestone such as the Romans used in constructing their permanent camps was found, extending for a few feet like a rough retaining wall round the face of the promontory, about 5 or 6ft below the flat ground under the table (H M Cadwell 1913).

16th April 1868 (NAT)

H M Cadwell 1871; 1913; G Macdonald 1925; RCAHMS 1929; R W Feachem 1967.

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