Archaeology Notes

Event ID 731006

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/731006

NY27NW 4.00 21900 75180

(NY 2190 7519) Blatobvlgivm Roman Fort (R) (Remains of)

(NY 2180 7513) Roman Fort (R) (Site of)

OS 6" map (1957)

NY27NW 4.01 NY c. 219 751 Birrens Tower-house

NY27NW 4.02 NY c. 219 751 Celtic Stone Heads

NY27NW 4.03 NY 218 753 Field Survey Area

Not to be confused with Birrens Roman temporary camp (NY 2245 7502), for which see NY27NW 5.

For inscribed stone (presumably from Birrens) found in a house at Middlebie (NY c. 21 76), see NY27NW 19. For stone head from 'Middleby' (presumably Birrens), see NY27NW 38.

A Roman complex of which the only extant feature is a fort, 'Blatobulgium' (from the Antonine Itinerary) (OS Roman Britain map 1956), or 'Birrens' (from the local place name). It is best known by the latter name, and is scheduled under it.

The fort was excavated in 1895 and again in 1936-7 and 1962-7, and has been examined from the air. Miss Robertson's findings on the investigations up to 1967 establish the following elements and phases:

1. A probably Agricolan enclosure to the W of the fort, with its E side overlain by the W side of the fort. An air discovery.

2. A late 1st. or early 2nd century (? Flavian) fort, coincidental with the extant fort, except that its N rampart is some distance short of that of the latter.

3. The extant fort. An Antonine work of two phases, the second a rebuilding in AD 158. No occupation beyond the 2nd century has so far been established. (But see NY27NW 10, where it is said that a coin of Maxentius (306- 312 AD) was found here in 1934).

4. A triple ditched enclosure on the W side of the fort and probably an annexe to it, mapped by Roy, noted in the Soc Antiq Scot report (D Christison 1896) and re-identified from the air.

5. Crop-marks to the NW of the fort, discovered from the air and identified by St. Joseph as (1) a courtyard building, probably a mansio, and (2) the ditches of either a temporary camp or fort annexe, also many adjacent marks of ditches, pits, and hollows whose significance is not immediately apparent.

Finds here include a sculpture of a horned head, depicting a Celtic deity, now in the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland [NMAS}, and another female head, possibly depicting a local deity probably comes from here (A Ross 1967). Also, there is a stone slab, inscribed CISTVMVCI LO(CO) MABOMI (Gift) of Cistumucus from the Place of Maponus, though it is not clear whether this mention of Maponus merely gives the origin of the dedicator, or implicitly includes the deity as recipient.

A S Robertson 1964; A S Robertson 1965; A S Robertson 1966; A S Robertson 1967; R P Wright 1968

Only Antonine pottery found in excavated well.

A S Robertson 1969

Birrens annexe (NY 217 752). The following items were recovered during field walking over a period: coarse wares (various) 5143 frags; Samian 1539 frags; grey ware 539 frags; amphorae 517 frags; white ware 121 frags; mortarium 107 frags; lead 55 frags; coins (including 1 silver) 3; bronze 3 pieces; glass beads 3; also, iron (including nails).

S M Mason 1987.

Cast bronze cheekpiece, toggle or 'slider' (Macgregor no. 42) measuring 9 by 1.6cm; in poor condition.

Cast bronze platform terret with enamelled decoration (Macgregor no. 65), measuring about 6.4 by 4.8cm and in poor condition.

Cast bronze platform terret (Macgregor no. 66); a pair to Macgregor no. 65, and in similarly poor condition.

These objects were found (with a martingale of apparently Roman type) in 1936 during the excavation of a burnt deposit (site VII, level II) which probably represents a native uprising prior to 155AD. They are held in Dumfries Museum.

M Macgregor 1976.

A length of wall and doorway was discovered eroding from the bank down towards the Mein Water in the SW part of the annexe. The wall is c 3m W-E and stands for the most part 0.75m high, of long, thin, roughly dressed blocks of local sandstone, showing some signs of having been mortared. The doorway has a large (c 0.7m) stone slab as a threshold with two other stone slabs forming the other surviving two sides.

It is possible that this wall can be connected with one of the two sub-rectangular buildings shown on Roy's plan of the fort and annexe area (Military Antiquities of the Romans in Britain, plate XXIV); if this is the case then the remains discovered should be the N face of one of these two structures, the other three sides having been eroded by the Mein Water.

Sponsor: Manchester University Art History & Archaeology Department.

N Lockett 1996.

NY 2198 7530 In July 1999, the Dumfries Team of the Environment Task Force, under the supervision of the Solway Heritage archaeologist, installed a stile and waymarker to improve public access to Birrens Roman fort. The work necessitated the excavation of five post-holes, 30cm square and 40cm deep, located close to the field gate at the NE edge of the field in which the fort is situated. No archaeological deposits or artefacts were noted.

A report has been lodged with the NMRS.

Sponsors: Dumfries and Galloway Council, Dumfries and Galloway European Partnership, Landfill Tax.

R Toolis 1999.