Inchtuthil Roman Fort Geophysical Survey

Date 17 March 2011 - 5 April 2011

Event ID 964768

Category Project

Type Project

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/964768

NO 1152 3930 As an adjunct to geophysical work being carried out by the Roman Gask project at Inchtuthil magnetic and resistivity surveys were conducted, 17 March–5 April 2011, in the Iron Age fort at the extreme SW corner of the Inchtuthil plateau. The earthworks here, partly excavated in 1901, are of two different periods. The earlier set appears to have been somewhat oval in form consisting of an outer ditch and a palisade trench within which a roughly paved area (?hearth) was located. It seems probable that significant portions of these structures have been lost by erosion of the plateau margin. At a later date a series of five huge banks and ditches was thrown up cutting off the end of the plateau and in places overlying the earlier works. The later earthworks seem almost too massive for normal defensive purposes. Did this site, which commanded a spectacular view up the Tay valley, have some more ritual function?

The geophysical surveys covered most of the flat inner portion of the fort, which contains the earlier pair of ditches. Resistivity showed little of archaeological interest except a possible line of low anomaly following the track of the main ditch. The magnetic survey also picked up this ditch and hints at the palisade trench in places. There is also an anomaly near, but not coincident with the ‘hearth’. More interesting, however, is some evidence for another, previously unrecognised, linear feature some 5m outside and parallel to the main ditch along which there is a series of point high anomalies (?pits) Other anomalies included a strange oval feature (?modern), plus a strong anomaly that possibly corresponds to the position of a former tumulus shown on the 1st Edition OS 6” map.

Archive: RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: Blairgowrie Geoscience

Blairgowrie Geoscience, 2011