7. a Roman Signal-Station on Eildon Hill North

ROMAA . 7 N SIGNAL-STATIO EILDON NO N HILL NORTH, ROXBURGHSHIRE. In 1950 the Royal Commission on Ancient Monuments made a new survey of e greath t hill-for Eildon o t n Hill North preparation i 1 e forthcominth r nfo g Inventory of Roxburghshire. The main features of this fort—notably the triple defences nearl milya circumferencen ei numeroue th d t flooran , hu s s still visible within them—have been described in considerable detail by Christison; 2 but s accounhi t surprisingly make o mention s a circular f o n , ditched enclosure, 35 ft. in internal diameter, which is situated amongst the huts at the W. end of the summit of the hill.3 No definite conclusion regarding the purpose or date of this enclosure could be drawn from the superficial remains. Although the huts of several Early Iron Age forts in SE. Scotland are characterised by similar ring-ditches, thiof s kinhut a d4 woul anomaloudbe Eildothe in sn fort, where all the 300 or so surviving hut sites are of the ditchless, platform type. Nor, 1 O.S. 6-inch map, Roxburghshire, sheet N, vm; Nat. Grid ref. NT(36)/555328. 3 P.S.A.S., xxvin (1893-4), 111-9. 8 The only previous reference to this enclosure appears to be in Milne's Description of the Parish of Melrose, . (1768)ed d wher, 2 , 2n state s i seet e e i Prcetorium, e b d n th y Hil e thaHeae th th ma l f tdn o " O or the General's Quarter, surrounded with many huts." The term "Preetorium" was often fancifully applie 18th-century db y antiquarie enigmatio st c round structure earthworksr so . « P.S.A.S., LXXXIII (1948-9). ,2 NOTES. 203 in view of the complete absence of any trace of an internal mound, did it seem likely tha ditche originalld th t ha y surrounde dcaira r barrowno size f eo Th . the enclosure, and the suspicion of a causeway across the ditch on the NE. arc, suggested however that the work might represent the remains of a Roman signal- station of the type found on the Gask ridge, which exhibits a circular ditch but rampart.o n signal-posA 1 t crowning this natural eyri heigha t ea 132f to . O.D7ft . would not only provide a direct link between the fort at Newstead and the recently discovered for t Oakwooda t valleEttrice e th th f n yi o , k Water, t woulbu 2 d also be visible from as far afield as Berwick, 30 miles to the E.; the Cheviot Hills, 20 e SE.mileth ;o t s Peel FelGreatmood an l r HillS.e mile0 th ;2 , o Whitt s e Coomb, Broad Law and Dollar Law, 25 miles to the W.; the Moorfoot Hills, 17 miles to the NW.; the Lammermuirs, 15 miles to the N.; and Crossland, nea t Abb'rS . sIndeed HeadNE e mile0 th 3 , , o sgrantet d tha greae tth t strategic centre of Newstead would require the services of a long-range signal-post, capable of receiving and transmitting intelligence messages with maximum speed, no more suitable site coul foune b d d tha e summinth f Norto t h e Eildonth r fo ; Hilld Mi , thouge th f o forte h sighf p o th . somhigher f to ft .t o t0 ou e5 s i , pursuancn I thif eo s hypothesis, therefore writerse th , , assiste Messry d. b C . sA . WallaceC McLare . J d , nan spen t thre ehile Aprin dayth i l n o sl a 1952 d an , further three days in June 1953, during which time a section was cut across the enclosure from NNW SSE.o t . e centrath , . quadranE l e e portioth th f d o t nan interior were uncovered, and an entrance-causeway was identified on the N. side (fig. II).3 We are now authorised by the Commissioners to publish this note to amplif shore yth t statement Inventory.e madth n ei The ditc rock-cus hwa measured widtan n ti . 10-1y ft h b d7 6 ins depthn i . The slight depth implie t intendeno s defencea thas wa da t t mereli t bu , y served to define the limits of the enclosure, and perhaps to keep the interior dry by draining the ground. The only object found in the filling was a piece of Roman tile which was resting on the face of the scarp, almost at the bottom of the ditch, at the S. end of the section.* On the N. side the ditch was interrupted by a roughly paved causeway, between the paving-stones of which were several frag- ment f nativo s e e chiIropotterye f fineron po nAg d , an , buff-coloured ware, probably from a Roman coarse vessel. Excavation within the enclosure revealed that the natural surface, composed of weathered rock, had first been levelled and then covered with a pitching of stones 10-12 ins. thick; this pitching contained a scatte f animao r l bones, which, liknative th e e sherds e entrancefounth t a d , doubtless represen e destructionth t e procesth n f i levelling,o s n earliera f o , , native occupation-floor. Search in the E. quadrant for a palisade, bordering ditche th f innee o , th yieldep rli d negative results t exploratiobu , centrae th n i l ares rewarde e wa discovera th n post-holesy te b d f o y . Fou f theso r e holes, includin ga larg e double hole precisel e e centrenclosureth th f n yi o e , werf o e recen d simplt ha origin d yo holt an bee,dg du bonfire-supportn e th t s bu 5; 1 Ibid., xxxv (1900—1), 25-31; Collingwood, Archaeology of Roman Britain, figd (especiall4 1 .an 8 5 y No. 4). 2 Supra, p. 81ff. 3 Our thanks are due to the Buccleuch Estates Ltd., and to Lord William Scott, for permission to excavate; and to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland "who provided a grant towards the cost of the work. tile unusualls ei Th * y thisofd Romar an ntfo n manufacture side t bear e etracon a bu th , n f so eo semicircular scoring, done with the finger, which is often found between the flanges at the ends of Roman roof-tiles. 5 All these holes contained the stumps of the original timbers, together with other miscellaneous debris (e.g. nails and pieces of tar) from the bonfires which have been lit oil the site in living memory. 204 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , 1951-52. SIGNAL-POST : EILDON HILL NORTH ^••'•'•;:;'.v.V;.-:-::::;!:[ «L NATIVt POTma • • 1?OMAW TOST-HOLE ••••." ggg MODE.R.W POST HOL- t STlP?LtD AHEA UMEXCAVATED FEET. Fig. 11. 5 20 NOTES. remainin werx gsi e simila sizen i r , measuring 8—9 ins diameten i . n i d 3— . an rft 4 depth, and defined a rectangular structure 11 ft. 4 ins. long and 10 ft. 6 ins. wide. Taken in conjunction with the features already described, there can be no doubt that this structure was a Roman signal-tower, built of wood in the Gask tradition; d additionaan l proos furnishe e discoverwa fth y b d f threo y e more piecef o s Roma interione enclosuretile th eth n i whic f f ro o e hon , bear notchesa d decoration y havalonma e edge d beegon an e nn antefix a par e decisiof o tTh . o roont f the tower with tiles, rather than with lighter material (e.g. oak shingles), is understandable in view of the exposed nature of the site, and presumably explains the provision of six uprights in place of the normal complement of four. The two extra posts, in the centres of the N. and S. sides, would thus support the ridge-pole. The depth of the post-holes suggests that the tower may have been two storeys littl a high d e an ,evidenc e survive shoo dt w tha basemene th t t floor had been paved, but the position of the door (if such existed at ground-level) is uncertain.1 The only specifically datable relic found during the excavation—a worn dupondius of Trajan, minted in A.D. 116-7,2 which was lying on top of the stone . quadrant—-woulpitchinE e th n gi d see implmo t y tha signal-pose th t t belongs not to the Flavian but to the Antonine occupation of the district, these being the only probable alternatives othee th n r O hand. , sinc unstratifiedcoie s eth n wa , it cannot be assumed that it was necessarily lost while the signal-post was in use, rather tha t somna e later period. Architectural considerations factn i , , favour Flaviaa nconstructioe th dat r e fo post e th f ,n o for , althoug e Gashth k series si undated, similar small wooden signal-towers on the German frontier originated in the late 1st century, and had, in most cases, been replaced by stone towers by centuryd 2n e middle th th ; f eo whil e detached stone signal-tower alreade ar s y northere founth n do n frontie Britaif o r time earls n a th Hadrian.f es o y a 3 More- over, it can hardly be a coincidence that the dimensions of the Bildon tower Agricola e precisele . gatth ar f W e o e .

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