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Musselburgh, Inveresk

Vicus (Roman)

Site Name Musselburgh, Inveresk

Classification Vicus (Roman)

Canmore ID 347579

Site Number NT37SW 1235

NGR NT 344 719

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/347579

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council East Lothian
  • Parish Inveresk (East Lothian)
  • Former Region Lothian
  • Former District East Lothian
  • Former County Midlothian

Activities

Excavation (1 January 1976 - 31 December 1976)

Excavations outside the Roman fort at Inveresk revealed an extensive and well-established civilian settlement extending along the ridge to the east of the fort and beneath the present village. Four main phases of activity were identified, the middle two corresponding to the two periods of the Antonine occupation of Scotland. An earlier phase of activity was represented by a characteristic V-profiled ditch for which no direct dating evidence existed but which may indicate the presence of a pre-settlement Roman enclosure in the vicinity. A buried turf-line directly overlying the early deposits suggested a period of abandonment over part of the site at least. The foundation trenches of a timber building surrounding a stone-built furnace and a second timber structure, which had been burnt to the ground, comprised the structural elements of 2nd phase of activity with a third phase seeing further rebuilding of the site on a much grander scale

with massive timbered buildings and one stone building, all set in a regular grid separated by cobbled lanes and roads.

Post-Roman deposits were confined to late medieval and modern activity and were characterized by pits, a few stretches of stone walling and general disturbance over the northern part of the site. These deposits were too shallow and disturbed to permit any stratigraphic separation. The majority of the finds suggest the largely domestic nature of the site, although the furnace and various pieces of industrial debris clearly indicate some form of industrial activity. In particular, the analysis of a type of pottery characteristic of the site demonstrated its origin in the area and probably on the site of Inveresk itself. The suggestion is put forward that the excavations have uncovered part of the potter's workshop. Further information was also gathered concerning the subsistence economy and exchange networks

G D Thomas 1989

Excavation (1 January 1977 - 31 December 1977)

Excavations outside the Roman fort at Inveresk revealed an extensive and well-established civilian settlement extending along the ridge to the east of the fort and beneath the present village. Four main phases of activity were identified, the middle two corresponding to the two periods of the Antonine occupation of Scotland. An earlier phase of activity was represented by a characteristic V-profiled ditch for which no direct dating evidence existed but which may indicate the presence of a pre-settlement Roman enclosure in the vicinity. A buried turf-line directly overlying the early deposits suggested a period of abandonment over part of the site at least. The foundation trenches of a timber building surrounding a stone-built furnace and a second timber structure, which had been burnt to the ground, comprised the structural elements of 2nd phase of activity with a third phase seeing further rebuilding of the site on a much grander scale

with massive timbered buildings and one stone building, all set in a regular grid separated by cobbled lanes and roads.

Post-Roman deposits were confined to late medieval and modern activity and were characterized by pits, a few stretches of stone walling and general disturbance over the northern part of the site. These deposits were too shallow and disturbed to permit any stratigraphic separation. The majority of the finds suggest the largely domestic nature of the site, although the furnace and various pieces of industrial debris clearly indicate some form of industrial activity. In particular, the analysis of a type of pottery characteristic of the site demonstrated its origin in the area and probably on the site of Inveresk itself. The suggestion is put forward that the excavations have uncovered part of the potter's workshop. Further information was also gathered concerning the subsistence economy and exchange networks

G D Thomas 1989

Archaeological Evaluation (30 November 1995)

NT37SW 211 346 719

NT 346 719 An evaluation at Inveresk Gate was commissioned by Braemar Homes to establish the extent of the Roman civilian settlement associated with the Antonine Roman fort to the NW. Trial trenching outwith the scheduled area demonstrated the absence of Roman settlement on the slopes and floodplain to the SE of the fort. More limited examination on the plateau, within the scheduled area, revealed limited evidence for archaeological features beneath a ubiquitous deposit of medieval to post-medieval garden soil. Some of Gordon Thomas' 1976-77 excavation trenches were located and trench 77.3 was reopened. The identification of an early road as the first phase of activity can be added to his early ditch and evidence for primary Roman activity on the site.

Sponsor: Braemar Homes.

AOC (Scotland) Ltd 1996

Archaeological Evaluation (October 1999 - November 1999)

NT 344 719 An evaluation and watching brief were undertaken on a house plot and its associated driveway which lie within the Scheduled area of the Roman military and civil settlement at Inveresk.

Plot 16 lies along the W boundary of the development. The evaluation was undertaken on the plot while an archaeological watching brief monitored the ground reduction of the driveway and its graded slope. As a consequence of the findings from the evaluation, an excavation of the house 'footprint' was undertaken immediately.

The excavation was carried out between October and November 1999 and covered an area of approximately 300m2. The terminal of a major Roman military ditch on an approximate E-W alignment was discovered along with the metalled or cobbled surfaces of former tracks or roadways, pit features and a possible sleeper trench. A smaller ditch feature, provisionally interpreted as a drain and orientated SSW-NNE, lay to the N of the military ditch.

The watching brief on the driveway revealed adjacent stone-lined and timber-lined wells of Roman date.

Sponsor: Cala Homes (Scotland) Ltd.

J Gooder 2000.

Watching Brief (1999)

NT 3431 7201 An archaeological watching brief was maintained as a condition of Scheduled Monument Consent during the excavation of foundations for a new garage in the grounds of St Michael's House, Inveresk. Previous archaeological investigations in the grounds of St Michael's House by Richmond in 1946/47 and more recently by CFA (see Hamilton 1998) located the southern rampart and ditch of Inveresk Roman fort where they entered the NW corner of the property at the original coach house. They extended eastwards for roughly 50m into the grounds before being cut away by the terrace on which St Michael's House was built. The SE corner of the fort is thought to have lain immediately to the SW of the house but it will also have been destroyed during terracing. The E side of the fort has not yet been located precisely but it is plotted by OS (based on Richmond) entering the grounds of St Michael's immediately to the NW of the house. This was close to the location for the new garage which was to be set into the steep bank at the back of the terrace for the house. It was therefore possible that excavation would reveal the eastern defences in section at the point where they were cut away by the terrace.

In the event, no features of archaeological interest were noted. The back section of the excavation, up to 2.8m high, comprised 1.3m of recent garden topsoil over 1.5m of undisturbed laminated fluvial sands. This section demonstrates the degree of ground reduction for St Michael's House and indicates that the eastern defences of the fort lie either W or E of the new garage.

Sponsor: Mr R Rae.

S Carter 1999

Watching Brief (2000)

NT 3431 7201 An archaeological watching brief was maintained during the excavation of foundations for a new garage in the grounds of St Michael's House. This was carried out as a condition of Scheduled Monument Consent granted for the construction work. Previous archaeological investigations by Richmond in 1946/47 and more recently (DES 1997, 29; 1998, 33) located the S rampart and ditch of Inveresk Roman fort where they entered the NW corner of the property at the original coachhouse. They extended E for roughly 50m into the grounds before being cut away by the terrace on which St Michael's House was built. The SE corner of the fort is thought to have lain immediately to the SW of the house but it will also have been destroyed during terracing. The E side of the fort has not yet been located precisely but it is plotted by the OS (based on Richmond) entering the grounds of St Michael's immediately to the NW of the house. This was close to the location for the new garage, which was to be set into the steep bank at the back of the terrace for the house. It was therefore possible that excavation would reveal the E defences in section at the point where they were cut away by the terrace.

In the event, no features of archaeological interest were noted. The back section of the excavation, up to 2.8m high, comprised 1.3m of recent garden topsoil over 1.5m of undisturbed laminated fluvial sands. This section demonstrates the degree of ground reduction for St Michael's House and indicates that the E defences of the fort lie either W or E of the new garage.

Sponsor: Mr R Rae.

S Carter 2000

Watching Brief (22 April 2003)

(NT 3442 7194) A watching brief was carried out in March 2003 during work to install a conservatory. The site lies within the Scheduled area of Inveresk Roman fort. Beneath topsoil containing modern finds was a thick layer of fairly clean, coarse yellow sand, from which 11 sherds of Roman coarseware pottery were recovered.

Report lodged with East Lothian SMR and the NMRS.

Sponsor: CR Smith.

I Suddaby 2003

Watching Brief (12 April 2003 - 14 May 2003)

A waching brief was carried out at 1 Inveresk Gate, Inveresk Village between 12 April and 14 May 2003. No archaeological deposits were found.

CFA Archaeology Ltd. 2003

Note (27 May 2015)

An extensive civilian settlement, or Vicus, extended along the ridge to the E of Inveresk Roman fort on a site now largely overlain by the present village of Inveresk. Traces of the Vicus have been revealed through excavations but the exact extent remains undefined. There is an extensive field-system (NT37SE 34) to the S of the Vicus which may be contemorary.

Informatino from RCAHMS (PMcK) 27 May 2015

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