Archaeology Notes

Event ID 710537

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/710537

NT08SW 115 from NT 0000 8107 to NT 0136 8150

RRX 505 013 815

Excavation was carried out by Falkirk Museum on behalf of the HB and M along the OS line of the Antonine Wall in the vicinity of Bridgeness Tower, prior to the redevelopment of the area. Three trenches were cut. The most southerly of these hit bedrock immediately underlying the tennis courts, demonstrating the 'recent' terracing of the promontory. The second trench, to the N of the tennis courts, reached bedrock at a depth of 2.1m. Most of the over-burden was derived from the recent industrial use of the area but a distinct and continuous cultivation soil, some 40cm thick, lay immediately above bedrock. This contained no Roman material or structures and the bedrock had not been cut into. The third trench lay some 5m to the S of the find spot of the Legionary tablet. The area had been heavily disturbed in modern times, and no other stratigraphy was encountered.

A hand-dug trench was excavated immediately behind the monument commemmorating the discovery of the Bridgeness tablet, and adjacent to the find spot indicated on the OS maps. At a depth of 1.5m to 1.8m a layer of sandstone cobbling was bordered by a kerb of large squared stones and a length of drystone wall. Under the tumble from the wall 14th to 15th Century pottery was recovered. This would seem to indicate that the Legionary tablet had been brought to the site at a later date.

G B Bailey 1985.

NT 0000 8107 to NT 0136 8150 Ditch located pre-1925 (Macdonald 1925).

Published course (OS 25 inch 1972) accepted, although line slightly amended at Grange School to agree with NT 0123 8136.

No ground evidence was found to doubt this course or alignment angles.

NT 0136 8150 to NT 0137 8151 Published course (OS 25 inch 1972) amended to agree with findings of NT 0123 8136. New course, on slightly higher ground, still respects the approximate position of NT 0108 8131.

NT 0108 8131 Ditch located pre-1925 (approximate area) (Macdonald 1925).

NT 0123 8136 Excavation in November 1980 failed to locate the Wall or Ditch on the OS line. Course slightly to south suggested (Keppie and Breeze 1981).

NT 0214 8069 No evidence was found for a continuation of the Wall or Military Way from Bo'ness to Carriden fort. Should this have been so, the likeliest route of the Military Way is on or just S of the existing track, avoiding the steep sides of the Carriden Burn.

Information from OS 1980

L J F Keppie and D J Breeze 1981; G Macdonald 1925