Inverquharity

NO45NW 10 centred 40510 58144

The position of the SE defences of this Roman fort was ascertained by excavation. The fort, which appears to be approximately 60m square over the rampart, lies at the higher, NW end of a plateau at the mouth of Glen Clova and immediately W of the confluence of the Prosen Water and the River South Esk. No artefactual evidence of date was recovered, but see NO45NW 24. There was evidently only one period of Roman occupation, but a shallow construction trench lying immediately within the innermost ditch on the SE side probably represents part of an earlier native settlement, whose presence is also indicated by a ring-ditch cropmark recorded on air photographs within the interior of the fort.

G Maxwell 1983; 1984; S S Frere 1984.

Flavian 'glen-blocking' fort of 0.46ha.

G S Maxwell and D R Wilson 1987.

NO 405 581 A large-scale (3ha) resistivity survey was conducted at the Roman fortlet of Inverquharity (NO45NW 10). The survey revealed the NW corner of both the fortlet and neighbouring camp, showing that the size estimates of both sites made from aerial evidence are substantially accurate. However, the ditch of the supposed fortlet annexe was traced crossing both of the fortlet's own ditches, which must cast doubt over its identity. A number of probable native features, including a souterrain, were already known from the air outside the fortlet. The geophysical work revealed at least four more small ring features, which may be roundhouses. One of these appears to be attached to the southern side of the souterrain in a way that suggests that both are part of a unified structure.

Sponsor: Roman Gask Project.

D J Wooliscroft 2002