Archaeology Notes

Event ID 708210

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/708210

NS94SW 7.02 922 447.

(Formerly NS94SW 6)

(Name: NS 9234 4472) ROMAN CAMPS (R) (sites of)

OS 25" map (1970)

A Roman temporary camp, visible on air photographs, is situated on comparatively level ground 200m NW of Corbiehall farmhouse. It originally measured approximately 550m from E to W by 445m transversely, thus enclosing an area of about 24.5 ha (60.5 acres). Gates are visible, protected by an external clavicula and oblique traverse. This type of defence is characteristic of Flavian camps built by one of the legions employed in the Agricolan campaigns of about AD 78-84. At some later date in the same period, probably being required to accommodate a smaller force, the lines of the E and W sides were moved inward about 120m and 55m respectively, thus reducing the internal area to 16 ha (39.5 acres).

(This camp is part of the complex at Castledykes - see also NS94SW 7.00- 7.01 and 7.03- 7.06 and 16. NS94SW 7.00 (general field) and 7.01 (fort) give air photograph reference numbers and a plan (made before all of this camp had been revealed). NS94SW 7.04 describes another camp, which falls within that described here, hence the OS publication).

RCAHMS 1978, visited 1975; A S Robertson 1964

There is nothing visible on the ground.

Sited on 1:2500 from CUCAP air photographs and ground inspection.

Visited by OS (WDJ) 9 January 1969

An access road to a new British Coal Depot will cut through the defences of the Camp at its N gateway, already identified from aerial reconnaissance and seen to be of the Stracathro type. The butt end of the clavicula lay in its path, but the 'oblique traverse' lay clear of the development. Across the gate passage was an independent length of ditch 1.5m wide and 0.25m deep. It was 15.5m long, and served to mask the broad gap in the camp defences. Other shallow channels which had been dug out while the camp defences were still visible, seemed likely to belong to a Roman field system. Two stakeholes set into the butt end of the clavicula may be evidence of fencing at that time. There were no finds of Roman date to confirm the likely dating of the camp.

L J F Keppie and J J Walker 1987