Proc Antiqc So Scot, 111, 1981, 229-247

Some excavations on the line of the , 1957-80 L J F Keppie* and D J Breezef with contributions by James Barber, G Finlayson, N McCord, I Maclvor FranceJ , s MurrayScobieH J H WalkeJ J J ,C , d an r Wilkes

ABSTRACT Repor smal5 1 f lto excavation foud san r watching brief definitioe sth whicWale o t th d f lhn o le lin e in thre informatioew placene d san n concernin structuree gth , buildin histor d Wale gan th f ly o elsewhere . seee particularn b I applo nt w no y fuln onle th ca :l y, ditche widt ovem th centrae 2 f h1 th r,o l sector; a demarcation line in the stone base has been detected; the rampart at Tollpark underwent major repair an duniquea inexplicabled an , , stone platfor attaches m basewa e th d.o t

INTRODUCTION Parts i and ii are numbered separately, each list running in geographical order from E to W, as in an earlier paper published in these Proceedings, which reported on similar work carried out between 197 197d 3an 6 (Keppie 1976, 61-80) orden .I helo rt p differentiat separate eth e entrien so numbere th (fi p , g1) ma se relatinth placee pargo t ar circla i t n di e whila en thosi e parn ear i i i t square. Copieoriginae th f o s l reports, together with supportingd documentationan 7 1- , i s no f o , ii, 3-12 are held in the Hunterian Museum, University of Glasgow, together with the small finds from Garnhall, Westerwood and Carleith, with copies of the documentation in the National Monuments Record for Scotland. The records and finds from nos ii, 1 and 2 are in Museum. This paper completes the publication of all such excavations on the line of the Antonine Wall sponsore Scottise th y db h Development Department Ancient Monuments Branchs it r o , predecessors, up to 1980.

(i) 1957-69 Edite Daviy db dBreezJ e followine Th g seven excavations were carrie t betweedou n 195reques e 196d th 7 an t 9a f o t Inspectorate th Ancienf eo t Monuments, actin Ministrbehale n go th f o f Workf y succeso s it r so - sorsreporte Th . s wer producel eal d promptl havd yan e since lai departmentan no l files. However, t seemi s appropriat publiso et reporte hth thes s a l includ yal e evidence relatin linee th , o gstruct - ture or history of the Antonine Wall. The reports have been edited to exclude extraneous matter, Hunteria* n Museum, Universit f Glasgowyo . (AncienD SD t t Monuments), 3-11 Melvill Edinburgh, eSt . 230 | PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1981

E ANTONINTH E WALL Antonine Th FI G1 e Wall: locatio excavationf no watchind san g briefs numbere Th . circlen si s refe paro t r , i t thos squaren ei paro st . ii t

such as the cost of the week's work at Bar Hill (23 shillings). A note in brackets at the end of each entry directs attentio lateno t r relevant materia provider lo s informatio latee th rn nhistoro e th f yo site.

1 BeancrosslDollhouse (NGR NS 925795 and 929794) McCorN d Earl Antonin e 196n vicinitye i th line th f 5 maith a eo n i f yo t n e cu draiWal s nlwa (Macdonald 1934, 116; Robertson 1979,46-7 vallew lo yPolmonte f juso th n )tW i . Although these work t inte scu o th accepted line of the Wall, the contractors did not detect any trace of ditch or wall. The area was further roadaffectew cuttine ne th , a whicy f db go h destroye dstretc a suppose e th f ho e Walde th th lin n f i l eo Beancross/Dollhouse area shorA . t excavatio undertakes nwa tracee y Aprith n nan i f f so i le 196se o 5t Wall could be found in the areas which remained unaffected by the digging of the drain but which would t throug proposee cu th e b y hb d roadpossiblo Tw . e areas were available, which include supposee dth d Walle betweeline th f eon ,o n Beancros Polmone th d san othe te Dollhousef Burno th d rE an , , where eth ground begin riso st Cadger' o et s Brae botn I . h case aree sth a availabl restrictes ewa narroa o dt w strip drainw draie ne th betwee,e nth line f havin th eo roa e d nth dan g encroached upo acceptee nth d linf eo the Wall particularly in the eastern of the two areas. In both areas trenches were cut across the available traco spacen t e bu ,whateve founds negative wa r Th . e naturresulte th especialls f eo swa ye cleath n i r western area, wher etrenca t righmh2 cu dee s t mapacros S pWalwa e O linth showe s ;e f a lsth e th o n no sectioe th n herconsistentls ewa y barre structuralf no wentt cu e traces dowth d nan , into quite clean heavy clay. Althoug positivo hn e conclusion drawe b n nsca from these results t migh,i regardee tb distinca s da t possibility that the accepted line of the Antonine Wall is not entirely accurate in the stretch between Polmont hill and . (Th Antonine linth f eo e Wall immediatel Beancrosf o yS confirmes swa d durin gwatchina g brief in June 1973 (Keppie 1976Wale th line f l,th e o betwee63) t shouldebu , W e nth f Cadger' hero rd ean s Brae, where Macdonald foun stone dth e bas 191n ei 3 (Macdonald 1915, 135) wliicd confirmes an , hwa d by excavation in the next field to the E in 1960 (Steer 1961, 323), remains uncertain. DJB).

2 Tollpark 770777S (N ) I Maclvor lande Th Tollpar f owneCumbernaulse o w th no y de b kar d Development Corporation aree s .aTh i zoned by the Corporation for industry, and in order to lay out their sites the Corporation desired to know KEPPIE AND BREEZE: ANTONINE WALL, 1957-80 | 231 Romae limite th th f so n antiquities Corporatioe Th . n wishe establiso dt supplha coolinf yo g water rfo the industrial zone, and to erect a water tower on the high ground known as Hag Knowe. The Corporation's proposals required excavation to establish the line of the Military Way and to determine the nature of remaine Knowg th Ha n eso itself. Military Way Sections were taken across the presumed line of the Military Way as shown in aerial photographs in the possession of the Ordnance Survey. These sections were made on each of the hedge lines in the lands of Tollpark, where the line of the Military Way is seen on the aerial photographs to be dissociated from the line of present tracks. In the two easterly trenches a scatter of stones was observed at a depth of about 15 cm below the surface firmo N . cobblin sees gnwa here onld an ,yligh a t scatte stonef supposee ro seeth s n snwa o d line further to the W. The supposition must be that the Military Way has been scattered by ploughing, and thastone-scattee th t r appears more clearlaeriae th n ly o photograph s tha t doeni excavationsn si . Rampart sectio A acrosg du rampar e wid -n3s 1 m sth ewa t nea tentative th r watee eth sitr refo tower kerbe cobblind Th . san rampare th f go t were found, traverse culverta y db cobbline Th . s gwa covered by about 60 cm of turfwork in good preservation. The turfwork showed the same marked colour distinctions that were found in 1957-9 on the rampart at Rough Castle (Maclvor et al 1979, 100). There were only abou f plougo t 1m 5c h soil abov distince eth t line f turfso . But the section also revealed a feature which had not hitherto been noted on the line of the Wall. ramparkerbe e th Th f so t were about 4-4 apart2m standare ,th d ramparwidte th f ho t foundatione th o T . S of the kerbs was a line of large undressed stones forming a face 76 cm to the S of the S face of the rampart blockind an , culverte entre th g th southerl e o yt Th . y lin f stoneeo places m levec a swa t 0 da 3 l higher than the level of the setting of the S kerb and stood on top of a mass of tumbled turfwork which in turn lay above a black turf line presumably contemporary with the laying of the kerbs. The turfwork of the rampart ran up to the southerly line. The southerly line of kerbs indicates a drastic rebuilding of the turfwork of the Wall. The continuity of turf lines from the southerly line northwards over the body of the rampart cobbling suggests a major demolition of the rampart structure. The tumbled turfwork on which the southerly line of stones stands suggests destruction or at least collapse of the rampart turfwork, and argues against the incompletion of turfwore th rampare th firse f th ko t n stagi t f buildingeo .

3 Tollpark 770777S (N ) J J Wilkes Trial excavations were undertake Septemben ni r 196 discoveo 4t r further information aboue th t additional ker bAntonine alonsidth S f e o gth e Wall locate earlien a n di r section (abov 231)ep . terminatios it W additionae e s th Th nd wa an E l kere founs . Botth m b wa n exten o 0 hdt o 3 r dfo abrupt and no structural relationship with either the turf or stone of the Antonine Wall was noted at any point. Throughout the length of this additional kerb the original S kerb of the Wall was discovered intact. The feature is clearly of the Roman period since it is closely aligned with the S kerb, its southern face being 1 m beyond the S kerb, while laid at a slightly higher level (about 15-30 cm). It appears to have been intende strengtheo dt n this section wher hav y ture eth ma ef been unstabl southwara n eo d water- logged slope. A curiou Wal kerbe unexplaineS d th d shorslf an a so an tbotN n distanci e hp dth featurga a es ewa E of the end of the additional kerb. On the N side the kerb was missing for a distance of 17 m and on the S side the interval was 11 -7 m. Trenches in the middle of this gap revealed no traces of either turf or stone humuf o kindm y c so an f6 lyin 4 , g directl orangn yo e boulde stonsida E f thip e ro esth clayga n O . surface extended westward from the end of the Wall kerb both on the N and S sides. A similar stone sprea kerdiscoveres S de wa b . th 7-E furthef 5e m o dth S o t r No finds were made. (Similar repair Antoninkerbe e th th f so o st e Wall base havbeew enno discovere t otheda r sitesn ,i particular Bantaskin, Falkirk (Keppie 1976, 75-6 Garnhalld )an , (see belo 237-9)p wp r Fo . later work at Tollpark by Dr L J F Keppie and Mr J J Walker see below pp 239-40. DJB) | PROCEEDING 2 23 THF SO E SOCIETY, 1981

4 Bar Hill (NS 813762 to 708761) C H H Scobie r HilWorBa l carries fron o AugusJulk3 9 wa mt 2 o y dt ou t determin195o t ordey n 7i tr o re t eth exact position of the Roman Wall and Military Way, so that the young trees which had been planted over the remain Forestre th y sb y Commission migh removede b t wore Th . k took considerably longer than was initially anticipated due to the depth at which the Wall foundation lay, to the fact lhat the foundation had been disturbed or removed at several places, and to a failure to trace some of the old sections dug by the Antonine Wall Committee in the 1890s (GAS 1899). The Wall Altogethe Antoninee r th fiv f o e Wall Committee's trenches were re-opened nind an ,e new trenches were cut. The kerb of the Wall was only located in five of the new trenches, however, so that Wal e checkes linth e points n f lAntoninwa th e tota a o te l th it df n al a lo n .I e Wall Committee'1 o sN and No 3 sections both kerbs of the Wall were located, but in all other sections only the N kerb was uncovered. The Antonine'Wall Committee's No 1 section at the edge of the wood, in front of the gamekeeper's cottage (no ruins)wn i easils ,wa y found kere Th b. stones were intac t eithea t Wale r sidth f l eo base e Th . Antonine Wall Committee' t located sectio2 no o s sN n wa . Some mistak r misprineo t must have been made in the Report, for it is 72 ft from the No 1 section to the stone dyke, and not 101 ft as the Report states (GAS 1899, 86). (All measurement Tabln si were1 e mad trenches)e e sid th E fro f e o m th . What was presumably the Antonine Wall Committee's No 3 section was located; it tallies with the description given in the report (GAS 1899, 91), but again the Report's measurements seem to be at fault, though this time onlsmala y yb l margin . kere Mosth bf o tstone s see mhavo t e been lifte thed dan n replacedo s d an , canno reliegive o t b taccurat n ea n do e lineAntonine Th . e Wall Committee't sectio4 no o s sN nwa located. Sections 5, 6 and 7 on the shoulder of Castle Hill were located, re-opened and, after the line had been marked with pegs, were closed again.

TABLE 1 locatioe trenchee Th th f no indicates si followine th n di g tabl distancesf eo : From AWC's No 1 section to stone dyke 22 m m 6 4 ) (a o t stone dyke (a) to (b) 6m m 14 ) (c o t (b) (c) to AWC No 3 13m AWC No 3 to (d) 42m ) (e 24o t m (d) m 12 ) (f o t ) (e m tur8 o t 3 Waln ni l (f) m 0 8 ) (g o t tur Waln ni l (g) to (h) 41 m (h) to (i) 17m (i) to AWC No 5 12 m AWC No 5 to AWC No 6 20 m 7 o N 16-C 5m AW o t AW 6 o CN

Ten new trenches were dug from the now ruined Bar Cottage to the NW side of Castle Hill. Trench encountere) (a dlayea darf ro k hard-packed gravel just belo surfacee wth thin I . s layer wer enumbea f ro stones, including one fair-sized one. The attempt to dig through this layer was abandoned. It may have time bee on roaea t na d (though fro positioe mth spreadina ne b thi y unlikelys si materiaf gma o t i r )o l from the nearby dump of mineral refuse. Trench (b) also encountered this layer, and no attempt was made furtherg di o t . Trenc encountere) h(c dlittla e dar k thes throug g gravelnwa du t hbu , rampart material which seeme contaio dt nlarga e proportio clayf no . subsoie Lyinth n go l wer stoneso etw large d on , ean roundish in shape, and another smaller at a slightly higher level. These may have once been part of the foundatio t clearlnbu y they were never kerb stones thed an , y positionn i wer t eno . The kerb, represented by two stones roughly squared and laid in line, was located in trench (d). Behind them, there appeared to be the usual type of rough pitching. The kerb was again located in trench (e). Three kerb stones lay in position but then there was a gap of about 1 m from which both kerb stones KEPPIE AND BREEZE: ANTONINE WALL, 1957-80 [ 233 and pitching had been removed. The kerb was resumed by another stone, just visible in the W end of the trench. In trench (f) the foundation was intact, and two kerb stones were uncovered. Trench (g) was opened before the exact line of the Wall had been determined, as the probe revealed the presence of a large piec f stoneworkeo . This singlprovea e b eo dt larg e stone lyinanglen a t ga . Whe exace nth t line Wale determineds oth f wa l linee ,stonee s thith it Th .f y so b , trencN foun clearls e e li hth wa o dt o y t sizshaped weley an lma , have bee nkera bfoundatioe stoneth , f thiso I . s si n must have been disturbed t thia sstone pointth ed musan , t have slid downhil littlea l kerbe Th . , represente kero tw b y stonesdb , was discovered intac trencn i t hf (h)o ker o trencn d I . tw ben ) stonehE (i e th s t wera p e ga found a t bu , the trench seemed to indicate that there had been some disturbance and that a kerb stone had been removed. Pegs were put in at the ten points where the kerb was located and it was found that the Wall runs very muc indicates ha r GeorgSi n di e Macdonald' (1934p sma , PI XXI . FroV A) Antonin e mth e Wall Committee' sectio1 o s N followst ni straigha t course westwards ove firse rth t Hilr dowd ridgBa lan f neo int hollowe oth foundatioe .Th presumabls ni gullieye losth n i ts whic t acroshcu line sth e here Wale .Th l then veers slightly to the left until the shoulder of Castle Hill is reached, when it curves round to take the best advantage of the high ground. The Antonine Wall Committee found that in each of the three full foundatioe th , section 4) Hilr 4- s wided 3m Ba l n wa an (No n s o 3 .the , t s2 ycu s The Military y UnfortunatelWa y Wal e worth ln ktooo availabl e mosp kth u f o t e time onld ,an y a few trial cuttings were made on the presumed route of the Military Way. These were made just to the circulae th f o r E enclosurN e throug northere hth n par f whico t r GeorghSi e Macdonald (1934, 149) indicates tha roae th t d passes smalo .Tw l trenches encountere dgravea l surface thirA . o t d t trenccu s hwa gravee agaithesth s f o thd lwa en eN an found digginn O . g throug numbea ht i stonef ro s were foundt bu , the trenche yth appearef o . d Theen thin-ouo ndN t came th t eta abou soilf o t 1,m 5followedc anothey b r layer of hard-packed gravel covering a stone bottoming. This lower layer also seemed to come to an end trenche inth . Another trenc littla t faileehN cu furthe e locato dt layersth o o tw t er e eithe. th Thu f o r s it would seem tha have w tdea o et l witroado htw s separated from each othe lona y grb enough timr efo f soi o accumulate o t l 1m 5c t thisBu . mus checkee b t furthey db r digging befor conclusiony ean e b n sca drawn. Mr McLaren of Bar Farm tells me that there is a hard surface leading from a point directly to the S of the S gate of the fort, which it is impossible to plough: this would seem to be a road issuing from the fort (cf Macdonald & Park 1906, 27).

5 Hillhead, (NS 662742) James Barber Excavation at selected points on the N side of Hillhead Road, Kirkintilloch, from 9 to 14 June 1958, was necessitate imminene th y db t redevelopmen housina s a t g estataren a af e o whic Antonine hth e Wall was know traverseo nt t wher,bu exacs eit t cours neved eha r been determined excavatione .Th s were both less extensiv lesd esan revealing tha beed nha n hoped ,point e sincth t ea s examined nothing remainef do Wall'e th s stone foundation. What was established, however, was the line of the Antonine ditch: this was checked at two points. trencn I h 1, bot lips hit s were defined trencn i ; , onl h2 southere yth n margin alignmene Th . t thus con- firmed by excavation corresponds very closely to that inferred by the Ordnance Survey Officers from surface indications still thar fo , t matter, legible toda pronouncea ylan- e th d n aloni northerp e ddi gth n fiele th d f immediatelo d en Cleddanf o yW s farmyard, which continues, though less perceptibly, inte oth othee gardenth n r O hand . sline W adjacen th ,e e suggesteth n r Georgo t Si y db e Macdonald (1934, PI XXIVmanifestlw no s )i y erroneous. discoveres wa Littl w ene d abou internae th t l archaeolog ditce th f hyo itsel f though exposes a , n di trench 1, it seems to conform to the 6-15 m standard recorded at , rather than to the 12-3 m width hitherto regarde norme th s featurda .A e nowhere previously reporte steppine th edg e s th def wa g o ditche ofth , visible especiall southere th trenct n yi a p nli h moss i 1 t ;i t unfortunat impossibles thawa t ti e to follow this disquieting hint of incompleteness into the lower filling of the ditch. In both trenches, instead of a level berm, the natural slope of the boulder clay seemed to have been deliberately accentuated down southere th o t nditce edgth hf e o proper primare littlo th f To .eo y siltin reaches gwa permio dt y an t discussio Romae naturerelics o th it n f f d nso o n an , period were recovered. assumede b Wale n th line f ca l eo Th , broadly speaking havo t , e followe dditche thath f o ,t from 234 | PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1981 whose southern edg rarels i t ei y over 9-2 m distant ;mor d berm m0 an 3 e f havso e indeed been recorded, t Croa s ya Hill t thesbu , e were apparentl exceptionao t e ydu l circumstances inoperativ Billheae th n ei d Road sector; though, just in case, trench 1 was extended far enough S of the ditch to cover all but the widest known berm. Faint traces of disturbed turf work were in fact observed in trench 1 at about the 'normal alsy significane 'o b distancema ditcht e i th d f o ;an t sS that botn i , h trenches approximateln a , y 4- wid3m naturae ris th notice s n ei wa l d- agai n mor 'normale lesr th eo t sa ' distanc fro n editchi e mth . Were these perhaps stretche naturae th f so l subsoil long preserve Wall'e th y dsb stone foundation from ploughine th g which gradually wore awa surroundine yth g land ultimateld an , y disperse cobbline dth g itself? (A similar northerly fall of the berm has now been noted by Dr L J F Keppie at Bantaskin, Falkirk (Keppie 1976,72) and at Garnhall (see below p 238), while at the subsoil on the correct position destroyee ofth d Antonine Wall rampar noticeabls twa y harde (BreezS r thad groune an n eth N 1974 o dt , 7). In 1963 at the ditch was found to be 9-7 m wide and at least 3-5 m deep (Discovery Excav Scot 1963, 29). DJB)

6 Thorn Castlehill,d an Bearsden 529726-526727S 53372S N (N d 4an ) FinlaysoG n In February 1960 excavations were carried out on the presumed line of the rampart at Thorn, Bearsden, and on the presumed line of the rampart and ditch at Castlehill, Bearsden, to confirm the line of the Wall in advance of building operations. . a Thornexcavatione Th s were starte t Thornda t , ou wher establiso g t plae s pe eth n d wa han the S kerb of the Wall as far W as lain Road. The ground here lies on a considerable slope, and, at the thisf trencheo o p tw , to s wer acrosg edu presumee sth Wallde linth traceo f eN .o eithef so rf kerbo r no , the stone cobbling, could be found in one, but in the other the S kerb was revealed in good condition, 33 cm belo surfacee wth . Ther alss oeconsiderabla wa e amoun f kercobblingN o t o bn coult foundbu ,e db . The amount of cobbling found, however, indicated that the Wall must have been rather wider than 4-3 m t thia s point meany B . f probinso smald gan l trenches checkewals e th line wa lf th ,e o t ninda e points hill e slope seveWth n thisf th . I o f en theso f no ,o e trenches kerS e b ,th appeare reasonabln di e condition core th othee eo th remaine rn tw i d an d intact furthen I . r trenche thif o s showeverW traco n , eithef eo r kerb or of the cobbling could be found. Once the points at which the Wall had been found on this stretch had been pegged out, the line was seen to turn more sharply than had been supposed; the bend t cami s a e dowN vers e hile th nth ywa l o markedt . The line of the Wall, E of the initial trenches, was found at only two points. There had clearly been disturbance here, and the foundation had disappeared over a fairly large area. In the first trench, the ker founs N depta b wa t d a 1 f h8 o ker S disappearedcm d e bha ; th . However furthea n ,i r trenc thisf o h,E ker founS s e b wa goo th n di d condition belom c surface e w3 th 5 , othel Al . r attempt kerS fino se t n b i d th this area failed, and all that could be done was to peg out the supposed line of the S kerb by means of projectin pointe gth s already found. b. Castlehill Afterthis, work was started at Castlehill. The plan here was to peg out the S kerb of the Wall, and the N edge of the ditch, across the two fields E of Castlehill farm. Work was started at the W fiele enth d f dneareo farm e acrosg r th trenc supposedu A e . s sth hwa ditce d th lin hf - whic eo h doesn i , fact, appear hopquite Walle th th e en f i ,thagrounclearlo e d th t n an thiy do - s would reveal bote hth ditce edg th N ditche hedg f e th clearlN e o coul f b e Th e .o t th Walle kerydno S th d definedf an b,o , althoug hsligha t darkenin apparens gyellowa e th n wti clay subsoil blue .Th e clay belobegam c e w2 nth 4 distance surfacTh . sloped ecm deptean froa 8 4 o d t mf ho possiblthi e ditce edgth sS th o hf t e o edg eN e ditce th conclusiv o hf n o S e wath es o Wal e sign12-T th . f 3lm s o coul founde db . Neither kerb stone could be established definitely, but there was a certain amount of stonework, which may have been cobbling. Owing to the failure to find the Wall at this end of the field, a second trench was dug at the other end, 16 m W of the boundary hedge which runs approximately N-S. Here, the N kerb of the Wall was foundbelom c surfaceboundare e w8 th 2 th , f o . W 2-y 4hedgem ker thirS ,a fino e t b dth g trencdu s hwa Walle oth f . This appeare belom dsurface1 e wth . Between these kerbs, however westernmose th d an , t part of the field, where the first trench had been dug, no sign of the Wall could be found. Also near the boundary hedge, a fourth trench was dug to establish the southern edge of the ditch. Again the blue clay appeared, sloping down int oyelloa w clay subsoil, starting belo 1m 8 c surface e wth . KEPPIE AND BREEZE: ANTONINE WALL, 1957-80 | 235

On the line of the S kerb, and 5-2 m E of the boundary hedge, a fifth trench was dug, revealing a furthe belo rkerbm S stretc c surfacee e 5 wth 2 ,th furthee f ho thiOn .n i rsg fieltrenc du fino s de t dth h wa S kerb; this was done on the line of another hedge transversing the field. The S kerb appeared here, almossurfacee th n o t . Unfortunately, extensive probing suggested that ther littls ewa e stone morth f eeo foundation to be found. (Both housing estates were constructed following the excavations, and at both sites the line of the" Antonine Wall was preserved, undeveloped, within the estates. DJB)

7 Carleith (NS 483729) L J F Keppie The line adopted by Sir George Macdonald for the Antonine Wall between the farms of Wester Duntiglennan and Carleith placed the Roman frontier about 25 m N of Beeches Road, Duntocher, and its western continuation, the bridlepath immediately S of Carleith Farm (Macdonald 1915,95; 1934,178). 1955-n I 7 investigatio Professothiy n nb o s9 lin 44 fieln ei o r dn Ann e Robertson proved negativet bu , trenching clos Beecheo et s Road itself locate hollo e ditche dth th confirminf o ws ,o g earlier antiquarian reports of its course (Robertson 1964, 188). Later proposals for housing development in the field immediately W of that examined in 1955-7 afforded a further opportunity to check Macdonald's findings. In January 1969 trenching by a squad of DOE labourers under the supervision of Professor Robertson close to the SW corner of the field (no 445) faile locato dt rampare eth ditchr to investigatiod an , more th f eno northerl y line propose Macdonaly db d was similarly unrewarding. Give desirabilite nth establishinf yo alignmene gth ramparf o t ditcd tan h more precisely thereabouts, a further week's trenching was arranged by Professor Robertson in May 1969, with the kind permission of Mr A Torrance of Carleith Farm, and carried out by the author with the aid of sixth formers from Daniel Stewart's College, Edinburgh. Attention was directed to field no 443, immedi- atelf Carleito yS h farmhouse. The ditch was successfully located in the SE corner of this field; its S edge lay 9 m from the S limit ditce th field e h od widt a th fitsel secone an ,d f 5-5th hha o f, 6dm narrowest measurement ever reported alon Antonine gth e eviden s Wallwa t .I t tha Wale tth l itself must underli bridle eth e efiele th pat th o d t n hi S. The ditch had been cut into natural sand, and its sides and lips revetted with pink clay, in which numerous small cobble beed sha n embedded, presumabl preveno yt t slippage. Excavatio ditce th hf no carries deptwa a o d t f 1- , wheho 6 m n prolonged rain prevented further digging layero Tw .f fil so l were observed: sandy brown soil overlyin gdara k grey clayey silt. There wer smalo en l finds. sol s housinr 1970hald E d Fielf fo wa e mi fo 3 sth e d44 gth developmentn (I . Throug efforte hth f o s the Inspectorat Ancienf eo t Monuments, house buildin hels gdwa back ditche fro linth e mf th e,o which was later grassed over. The alignment of the rampart and ditch at Carleith was confirmed by excavation in 1970-1 and 1980 (below, p 242).

(ii) 1977-80 KeppiF LJ e Described result e belosmall-scal2 th 1 e f wso ar e excavation watchind san g briefs undertaken along the line of the Antonine Wall between January 1977 and November 1980. Of these, nine (nos 1-5, 8-11) wer autho e invitatione th carrieth y Ancient e b ra t th f dou o t Monuments Branch of the Scottish Development Department, in response to 'rescue' threats; the others were 'research excavations' undertaken for a variety of reasons. The work at Tollpark and Carleith (below, nos 7 and 12) was supervised jointly by the author and Mr James Walker; the work at Philpingstone Lane, Bo'ness and at Howgate, Falkirk (below, nos 1 and 2) jointly by the author and Mrs Frances Murray. Another joint excavation with Mrs Murra t Kempeya r Avenue, Falkirk, which bega routina s na e areWalsearce n a th an r l i wher hfo e Q 23 | 6PROCEEDING S OF THE SOCIETY, 1981 its course was disputed, produced unexpected results of wider significance: a separate report appears immediately after this paper (pp 248-62).

1 South Philpingstone Lane, Bo'ness (NT 012813) MurraKeppiF F LJ J d yean In November 1980, in advance of a housing development on waste ground at South Philpingstone Lan Bo'nessn ei , trial trenching took plac presumes it searcAntoninn e i f o th f hW o dS em Wall0 20 c , starting point at Bridgeness. Current OS maps, on the authority of Sir George Macdonald, show the Wall climbing SW from the Bridgeness promontory almost to Philpingstone Lane, then turning sharply to the W towards Grange School and Grahamsdyke Road. This alignment was based on the discovery of the Philpingstonf o W m 0 ditcedgee fiela th 10 n ehf di c so Lan e (Macdonald 1925, 280; 1934, 100). Excavatio 198n ni thin 0o s supposed line proved entirely negative. Wor considerabls kwa y ham- pered by the foundations of now demolished houses bordering Philpingstone Lane on the N and associated building debris. However, access to the undisturbed natural sand and gravel was obtained at sufficiena t numbe pointf ro precludo st presence e areth e ditc e th th a n hf i examinede o searce s Th . hwa extendesupposee th f o dN d furthe a lin withour m efo 5 2 r t success evidens wa t ;i t tha groune th t d con- tours had been altered by the dumping of industrial waste materials at various times. Pottery manufacture her r nearb eo e 19t th hn yi centur evidences yrecoverwa e th y db f kilyo n furniture, spacers wasterd an , s (C W McNay's Bridgeness Pottery was established in 1886 and closed sometime in the 1950s.) It may be thought likely, therefore, that the Wall and ditch ran along somewhat higher ground to the S of Philping- stone Lane, outwith the area examined in 1980, and turned NE towards Bridgeness promontory, near the junction between the Lane and Harbour Road. It must be remembered, however, that the precise location of the terminal point of the Wall on the River Forth remains a matter of some doubt.

2 Howgate, Falkirk 885798S (N ) L J F Keppie and J F Murray In November 1979, three days of excavation took place on the presumed line of the Antonine Wall and ditch in the Howgate district of Falkirk, just S of the town centre, in advance of redevelopment. Attention was directed first to sloping ground E of Cockburn Street where houses fronting the street had recently been demolished and the ground landscaped. Modern disturbance proved to be least at the top of slope th e (nex Pleasanco t t e Gardens), wher emera e ski f rubblno refusd ean e overlay undisturbed natural buff sand. However, as the excavators moved downhill, the evidence of modern disturbance increased. A strip of ground 60 m N-S was comprehensively trenched, but no remains of the Wall or ditch could be found. Some fragments of green glazed medieval wares, a Warwickshire trade token of 1793, and fragmena Romaa f o t n hexagonal glass bottle were recovered from topsoil. This lack of success prompted investigation of vacant ground W of Cockburn Street (outwith the redevelopment zone), through which both Wall and ditch were also believed to pass. Here the level expanse of grass proved to conceal compacted rubble from a building which once stood on the site; two of its walls were plotted during excavation. Attempts to locate remains of Roman date had to be abandoned. The course of the Antonine Wall in Falkirk has never been established in detail (see also below, 254)p alignmene .Th t adopte mapS O sy d b rest s partl observationn yo half so centura f y ago partld ,an y topographican o l considerations Cockburf o E e th no StreetT . , remain stone th f eso base were locaten di 1913 in the garden of Rosehall (Macdonald 1934, 124); W of Cockburn Street, the presence of 'forced soil' under a villa on Arnothill was held by Macdonald to determine the position of the ditch (1934, 125). Further W the stone base was accidently exposed in the garden of Mayfield, by the blowing down of a large tree about 1930 Macdonald'n I . s westward projectio Wale th f ln o lin e from Rosehal Arnothilo lt l allowanco n mads epossiblr wa efo e deviations occasione locay db l topography. Whil possibls i t ei e that l Waltracee ditcd al th f an l so h have been remove modery db n disturbanc areae th sn ei investigaten di 1980, it would not be hard to imagine that the Wall veered slightly to the S at Cockburn Street, and so lay developmene cleath f ro t area. Interestingly, ther pronouncea s egardee i th n i n adjacen p n wala d di f o l t sandstone villa to the S of the area investigated in 1980, which may offer a better clue to the alignment of the ditch hereabouts. KEPPIE AND BREEZE: ANTONINE WALL, 1957-80 | 237 3 Seabegs Motte 824798S (N ) A wide trac derelicf to t land forme e closth eo t r sit Bonnybridgf eo e Canal Railway Statioe b o t ns i rehabilitate Centray db l Regional Council. Include thin di s projec regradine th s i t f unevego n ground immediatel Seabegf o yS s Motte, which overlie upcase sth Antonine sidtth N mounf e o th en do ditch , and utilises the ditch itself as part of its S defences (Smith 1934, 59; RCAMS 1963, no 180). Antonine th f o p 197n eli I positio e ditcS establishe7s th e hth wa f no t fouda facrS pointss eit d ,an followe maximua o dt m dept ditce beed 0-6intf t Th h o ha . n cu o5subsoi a m sandf lo y gravel. Thers ewa no evidence of recutting by the Motte builders, but excavation in 1977 did not penetrate to the medieval layers. There were no small finds of Roman or medieval date, but some large lumps of iron slag recovered refuse fro b ditc e y mth e hma fro m adjacent foundrie Smitf s(c h 1934, 64) attempo .N mads twa locat o et e ditche th f ,o whicp li maskes N h i spreae Motte e th th th y f ddb o e mound. Mottee th stonf e o th , S eAntonine basth f eo e Wall prove havo dt e been much disturbed aree aTh . was converte allotmentr dfo 1917n si 'ton d an stones,f so reportee ar ' havo dt e been carted awa t thaya t time (Macdonald 1934,131). A sequence of deep gullies and pits, together with structural debris, suggested the presence of bomb shelters, presumably dating from 1939-45. That any fragments of stone base had survive tributa solis s it dwa do e t construction kertraces N e bwa dTh . ove distancra 5-f , togetheeo 5 m r with portions of the rubble core. The kerb stones, at a depth of 0-1 to 0-35 m from the modern surface, were carefully dressed, though smaller than the norm; slight traces of turfy material were observed immediately overlying the kerb. The berm between the stone base and the ditch was 8-4 m wide. Elsewhere zone inth e examine 197n di tracl 7al Romaf eo n stonewor beed kha n removed marbl.A harf eo clay d dre , type oth f e foun mann do y Roman sites.was recovered from among topsoil.

4 High Bonnybridge 82279S (N 825798o 7t ) Marcn I h 1979 four day excavatiof so n took plac appallinn ei g weathe disusen ro d industrial land at High Bonnybridge (just W of no 3 above), to establish the line of the Wall and ditch prior to redevelop- ment. After some difficulty, both were located, on a line c 6 m S of that shown on large-scale OS maps. t sooI n became clear thawhole th t e aremucs awa h disturbed ove yeare th rfactor y sb foundrd yan y building, and dumping of industrial waste. In almost every trench a thick layer of solidified clinker and slag lay directly over the natural gravel. It was possible to locate the stone base only in the W half of the redevelopment zone depta t a ,f 0- hfroo 8 m modere mth n surface kerbe beed Th . sha n removedt bu , enough of the core remained to indicate that its width when complete was not less than 4-57 m (15 ft). boundar ditcW e locatedCloss e th hf th wa o o et yp li . fence HoweverS e th , , over sitmuce ditce eth th f ho seeme havo dt e bee t awancu y during levellin constructioe th r gfo foundrief no associated san d concrete platforms. At one point, close to the E boundary of the site, where the original ground surface was accessible, layers of ditch fill were encountered in one test pit. From the angle of the layers the trench had been laid out over the N half of the ditch. Some trial trenching was carried out S of the Wall line in case the missing Seabegs fort should prove to lie in this area, but without result.

5 Castlecary Brickworks 785782S (N ) During redevelopmen formee th f o tr brickwork f Castlecaro sW y viaduct, e watc th keps r hwa fo t Wall and ditch, on an alignment established by excavation many years ago (Macdonald 1934, 136), but remaino n s were observed t musI . likele b t y that prolonged industria obliterates ha e lus e tracl dth al f eo Roman frontier. Nevertheles smale son l lengt ditcf ho h survive 787782S N acces t w sa ne , sclose roadth eo t .

6 Garnhall (NS 782780) Cumbernaule Th Kilsytd dan h District Counci bees ha ln considerin gproposaa convero t l e th t newly disused farmhouse of Garnhall 1 km W of Castlecary into a museum and interpretive centre for visitors to the Antonine Wall. A week-long excavation in March 1977 in fields N of the farmhouse exposed stone areath f eso base, define ditche edgee th located th f an ,so d possible traceMilitare th f so y Way, with a view to eventual display to the public. stone Th e base, oftens whic(a y littla )h la e belo crese norta w th f o t h facing slope exposes wa , t da three point depta t a 0-2 f shy o 0-oveo 5la frot 3t m moder e I distancr a (fim. th m g2) 0 7 nf eo surface d an , was in a commendable state of preservation, except that the N kerb was lost over almost the entire area examined; at one point only, where the N kerb had survived intact, the base was 4-3 m (14 ft) wide. 238 | PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1981

GARNHALL FARM 1977 excavated areas

FI G2 Garnhall Farm, 1977: excavated areas

Above the core 0-2 m of turf superstructure was observed. Detailed examination of the layerings. estab- lished that the turf blocks (each now compressed to a thickness of 0-04-0-05 m) had measured 0-5 m N-S by 0-3 m E-W. Several interesting features were revealed. In Area 1 and over the E part of Area 2, the core of the stone base was made up of unworked natural boulders and pebbles, the latter often forming a very thin layer. However, in the W part of Area 2, and throughout Area 3, the core was made up of cut and often jagged sandstone blocks (pi lOa) change-ovee Th . r fro type mmateriaf on eo othee markes th ro wa lt y db neaa t dividing line, indicative perhap activitiee th f so f differenso t work-squads firse (fi. Thith g3) t s si time that such a demarcation line has been detected (see below, p 248). grounAree n I th beed a1 dha n terrace preparation di constructioe th r nfo stone th f eno base A . shelf 0- dee 1m basebeee d t belopth halha S nf cu , e o distanckerfa extendinS w th r e bfo th f f eo o gS 0-. Evidenc5m founs rathea ewa f do r makeshif rampare th facS t f repaio e th t superstructuro t r n ei Area 3. Lying parallel to the S kerb, at a height of 0-3 m above its S edge and overlying 0-35 m of slipped turfwork, were two rows of large unworked boulders, with an overall N-S width of 0-75 m (pi lOb). The ditch too was examined. The visible hollow proved to give a false impression of its proportions. foundmucs e li wa o ht p li furthe S tha) e N rnTh e dowmighth slope o t nth e t e(i hav e been expectedd an , the berm (which had a width of 7-5 m) itself angled sharply downwards, almost certainly following the natural slope of the ground. Both the N and S lips were located at several points, giving widths of between 12-12-d (40-43an 7 m 1 attempft)o N . mads twa obtai o et ncompleta e section uppermose th t bu , t layef ro yellowish-browa s filwa l n sandy soil. Both lips were marke edginy db g stones. Evidence from Area5 suggested tha lina t cobblef t intervaleo a p beed li t alon sS ha betweef n se so e . Alongth m 1 n g d 0-8an mucp li hN largee th r boulders wer excavates e usedwa e :on detai n di l (Are whil) a7 e others were detected by probing and by surface observation at intervals of c 5 m. In Area 7 the boulder was flanked by smaller stones; there may have been an almost continuous line of stones along the ditch edge. KEPPI BREEZED EAN : ANTONINE WALL, 1957-80 239 AREA 2

SOUTH NORTH KERB KERB ROBBED

0 5m

FIG 3 Garnhall Farm, 1977: Area 2, showing demarcation lines between work squads

The upcast mound N of the ditch was briefly examined. It was of hard purplish clay, presumably dug out of the ditch, and contained numerous small stones; the mound formed a direct continuation of the ditche facth N f e,o servin heighteo gt nt artificiallyi ditce th f hlarge o could Th p .e li boulderN , e th n so MillarB H r a,s M hav suggestey b e e servem o dt d primaril prevenyo t t this upcast material slipping back int ditche oth . Undoubtedl buildine yth frontiee th f go r lin t Garnhalea resulted lha changa e n di th n ei natural land-contours. The wall itself was placed a little below the crest of a north-facing slope, with the ditch some way lower down. Originally the ground had continued to fall away to the N, but the dumping of the upcast on the N side of the ditch created an artificial hump which has lasted until the present day. Trenche Garnhalf o E s d werMilitar e shows S an linlth a e eO farf y th eW also n nt mn o y o Wa cu maps (Area farmhousse 8-10)th f o Militar.continueE s e eth ha y y Wa serv do t farmtrack a s ea ; excavation revealed a spread of cobbling 3-5 m wide and 0-2 m thick, but how much if any of this surface was Roman whad an t represented successive resurfacing morn si e recent times determined e coulb t dno . Trial trenching presumee th n farmhouso e th df lino eW e revealed only scattered stonesevidenco n d , an gullief eo s which might have been expecte drain-ofo dt f water fro camberes mit d surface. Four fragment reddishn i r ja a -f so brown fabric, one fragment of amphora, three fragments of green glazed medieval wares, and a flint point were recovered during the work.

7 Tollpark (NS 770777) L J F Keppie and J J Walker In April 1979 four days of excavation took place at Tollpark in search of an interval fortlet or other structur prominena n eo t knoll calle w Knoweg ,no d Ha , where, just ove centurra y ago antiquariae th , n 240 | PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1981 John Buchanan reporte remaine dth Romaa f so n 'watch-tower' (1872,472) stone linth e f eeo .Th bas f eo the Antonine Wall had already been investigated over a distance of 30 m on this knoll in 1964 by Mr I Maclvor and Professor J J Wilkes, in advance of the possible construction of a water-tower to serve adjacent factories (above event e 230)p , th water-towe e n .I th , places rwa d elsewhere Professof o e on n r.I Wilkes' trenches remains of stone cobbling were located behind the Wall base itself (above, p 231). In Wale 197 linth e 9f lth e o bas checkes ewa t frequenda t intervals knole distancea th r f lfo o p acros:to e sth stone Th e. basm 0 oef9 prove havo dt e survive excellenn di t stat lengt e mosr th e fo f ho t examined, with up to six layers of turfwork visible above the stonework. It was evident that repairs had been necessary to- support the turf stack on its southern side. In places a line of cobbles had been laid, down only slightly highe itrf o ;tha stonelsewherS e ne th eth baseo t 0- d estona 6m an , e 'dyke courseo tw ' s hig beed hha n erected overlying 0-15 m of fallen turf, to prevent further slippage. No evidence for the presence of a fortlet was forthcoming. Instead, on the eastern flank of the hill^ a stone platform 12m E-W and 1 • 8 m N-S had been added to the S kerb of the stone base (fig 4; pi 11 a). This platform, one course in thickness, was clearly a secondary feature as in places it overlay a thin layer of slipped turf constructios It . perhaps nwa s contemporary with repair wor othen ko r hille partt th ,bu f so the platform itself seemed too massive and too regular to constitute a repair; its purpose can only be t see no havm o t d guesseedi t formeI . dbasat ture a df th ef o stack attache Walle o th n thers o ds a ,t ewa trace of turfwork in the interstices of its stones or in section. On the other hand, substantial traces of burnin adjacend gplatforme an wer th f o o et t p platfore founto , Th n especiall. do E m e senth t o you t roughly-made wing walls W and E from its SW and SE corners; the latter was traced over a distance of casn I 4-. e5 m thi s platform should prov occupo et centre yditcheth a f eo d enclosur type th ef erevealeo d recentl aeriay yb l photography near (RCAMS 1978, 113), trenche searcn i sn a S wer f t ho ecu accompanying ditch t non founds bu ,possibilit e ewa Th . y thaplatfore th t m might have servea s da supporting base for the fragmentary distance slab found on the hill in 1868 (Buchanan 1872, 472) was. briefly considered durin excavatione gth t rejectedbu , . Alternativel platfore yth m could have beee nth base of an ascensus, or way up to the Wall top, by means of ladders, but the apparent absence of turfwork renders this explanation less secure. There wer smalo en l find suggeso t s t prolonged occupatio hile Roman th i l f no n times thao e s , th t function of the platform must remain unclear.

TOLLPARK 1979

1 0 6m

FI G4 Tollpark, 1979: stone platform lyin Antoninf o gS e Wall

8 Westerwood (NS 761774) Westerwood farmhouse, which occupies the NE quadrant of the Roman fort, has been converted to- a Jubilee Youth Camp, recently inaugurated by the Prince of Wales. (In 1964-5 areas S of Westerwood. fort, where the construction of a Young Offenders' Institution was proposed, were examined by excavation (Keppie 1978, 12); the Institution was not built). A watching brief was kept on the associated building; KEPPIE AND BREEZE: ANTONINE WALL, 1957-80 | 241 work, which involved replacement of the drainage and sewage system, and the demolition or renovation of barns and outhouses. Pipelaying operations withi farmyare npenetratt th no d ddi undisturbeo et d Roman levels. However, considerable damage was done to the surviving turf superstructure of the Antonine Wall which formed the N rampart of the fort and passes along the front of the farmhouse, just clear of its N wall. The stone base Wale oth f l was, however t disturbedno , . Trenche Januarn i g sdu y replacemen e 197th r 8fo draia f o tn against the N wall of the farmhouse close to the NW corner revealed masonry debris, which was cleared by the author and Mr J J Walker to reveal flat slabbing and dressed stonework. The close confines of the pipe t permi trencno d thdi certain interpretation nature structurae th th t f eo bu , l remains dise th -d an , cover numerouf yo s hypocaust-bric flue-tild kan e fragments suggested tha trence th tdisturbe d hha d part obathhousa f e building r GeorgSi . e Macdonald repors hi excavationn n i ,o t t Westerwoosa 1933n di , provisionally locate fore dth t quadranbathhousW fore N e th t f th (1933 o t n ei , 285)locatioa t bu , n within the NE quadrant may now seem more likely. provisioe Th septia f no c tan soak-awaford e kth an t f necessitatefiele o th d N yn i cuttine dth a f go trench 0-6 m deep and 0-3 m wide across the line of the Antonine Wall and ditch at the NE corner of the farmhouse. Scattered stones were observed on the presumed line of the stone base, and the N lip of the ditch located in section 18 m to the N. Further to the N, layers of dirty clay overlying the natural over a ditce represeny th hf distancma o outee p li th t 7-f erfroN o 9 m mounde mth whole Th . e area, however, proved to have been much disturbed, and was partly overlain by an often-repaired farm track; the S lip of the ditch could not be identified. From surface observation, however, it seems likely that the ditch had widta 12mc f ho , separatinwitm 6 hbera c rampartf e m kero th N t frog i f e bo m th .

9 (NS 678750) In June 1980 the replacement of field drains in fields E of Auchendavy farmhouse disturbed the stone line 8023 B th eWalle base mapsn showth S o ,th f O e,f o o n whic.n o observes N hwa m 5 1 dc

0 Bridgend1 (Auchendavy) 674749S (N ) In January 1978 the laying of a sewage pipe in farmland at Bridgend, 300 m W of Auchendavy fort, necessitate cuttine dth trenc a f go h acros presumee sth Walde ditc d linth f lan thes e ho a y pass westwards towards Kirkintilloch. The stone base was located on the line shown on OS maps, at a depth of 0-6 m from the modern surface. It had a width of 4-3 m (14 ft). The S lip of the ditch was not observed, but its N lip was seen and plotted at a distance of 15-5 m from the N kerb of the stone base. Clearly the ditch t herno e d attai ft)di 0 ful;s (4 n mosit lm widt2 t1 probablf ho shoule yw d assum editca h widt abouf ho t 9-5 m (32 ft) and a berm of c 6 m (cf Keppie 1974, 162).

11 Billhead, Kirkintilloch 663743-666745S (N ) Junn I e 1980 topsoi removes wa l d from field t Hillheadoutskirta sE e th n Kirkintillochf so o , y B . kind permission of the farmer, Mr Henderson, and the contractors, watch was kept for the stone base of Wale th casn li t shoulei disturbee db machiney db s scraping-dow naturale eventh e th o t tn n I .som no e damag causes stoneworke th ewa opportunite o dt th d an ,take s ywa carro nt t somyou e small-scale excavatio checo nt alignmene kth Wal e ditchd th f an l o t . course stone th Th f eeo bas ditcd plottes ean hwa d acros morfieldse o th s tw en I .westerl y fiele dth stone base proved to have been already all but removed, presumably by the plough; only scattered cobbles remained generae th t ,bu l cours base th ef ecoulo establishee db d withou muco tto h difficulty lipe f so Th . the ditch were located at several points; it had a width of 9-2 m. The lips had been marked by large boulders, disturbed and removed during mechanical scraping. more th en I easterly field stone th , e basmucs ewa h better preserved, thoug kerbs hit beed sha n largely robbe mads d frowa p away e t yellou widt d a ft)mbas4 e cu an d , (1 4-f .Th weh ha o 3 m sandston e naturad an l boulders sandstone vera .Th n yi s sofewa t condition ofted an , n crumble t touchda ditce .Th h in this field had a width of 9-1 m, and was separated from the N kerb of the stone base by a berm of 6-1 m. Alon continuouditca e s lipth e hgf wa th s o s lin smalf eo l cobbles alignmene .Th Wale th f l to establishe dn i 1980 conforms at the E end of the area examined to the position shown on current OS maps, but towards acceptee th f o dN positionm 8 1 o t . p lins u it s ei W e th 24 | 2PROCEEDING S OF THE SOCIETY, 1981

12 Carleith 480730-482730S (N ) WalkeKeppiJ F LJ J d eran Augusd an y t Ma 1980 n I , excavation took plac farmlann eo outskirtt CarleithdW a e th f n so o , Duntocher, primaril searcn yi mile-fortleta f ho t als establisbu o ,t h more precisel alignmene yth e th f o t Wall whic beed hha n disputed thereabouts 1971n I . , investigatio PricJ t CarleitE na er suggesteM y hb d an alignment markedly different from that shown on current OS maps (Discovery Excav Scot 1971, 18; 1974, 33). Mr Price also located structures close to the Wall which it seemed advisable to investigate more thoroughly. In the event it was found (fig 5.1) that the Wall, having descended from high ground at Beeches Road, passed W along the line of the Bridle Path in front of Carleith Farm; then, after a short t continuei . Finally furthe, a m N r detou0 e fo 10 th r,d W o aftert r another turnt i , , thiSW se timth o et descended towards Carleith Burn Wale Th . l builder evidentld sha y experienced considerable difficulties in laying out the stone base, because of natural rock which comes close to the surface of the field over a wide area somt .A e point directlt se Wal e s sth bedrock n ylwa o otherst ;a dipe ,th s between rocky outcrops were levelled with broken stone base , th turf esoild d laian ,an , d over this infill. Wher base eth e passed across the tops of rocky knolls, it had largely been removed by ploughing. In the field to the S of the Bridle Path investigation was hampered by the later quarrying of rock, and subsequent i nfilling with rubble, both of which have substantially altered the contours of the ground surface. Further E, the stone base Antonine oth f e Wall survived belo Bridle wth e Pat ker S beed h s bitselfha it n t removedbu , . . In the field W of the track to Carleith Farm, and immediately E of the track itself, the Wall base wa recordeds s founwa ) havin)o in d4 t t furthe t 6 .f , ewidt bu a t widt a 6 f 5 (1 E r5- f 4-7 hf o h(1 1 o m 2m It must be likely that there occurred hereabouts the change-over in responsibility between the Second and Sixth Legions which is recorded on a distance slab from Carleith. The stone base itself consisted of large well-dressed sandstone kerbs, wit hrubbla e core; hertherd ean eskia turfworf no k survived above eth stonework. As already mentioned Wale th , l basbuilts ewa across rocky suspecteoutcropse b y ma t dI . thae th t Wale fare th rock-cu s farmhouseth f e mli o f pointth e o track f N on E o e ditct td S , th .A bot an o h,t hW surface observation, supported by trial trenching, suggested that the ditch had not been dug at all, notee b y dhardnese thama perhap th rockt e i o tt t th thie f ;bu so sdu apparent break corresponds closely to the proposed change-over point between the Second and Sixth Legions. No attempt was made in 1980 to obtain a section across the ditch, but it may be thought likely to have been about 5-6 m (19 ft) wide, a measurement obtaine nex e (above196n E di th te n 9fieli th . 235 o p ,berde t )Th m betwee kerN f e bo n th ft)0 (3 . m widta ditc e 9 d th f hf o ha o p li Wale S th e lth bas d ean As Carleith Farm lies almost exactly 1 Roman mile W of the fort site on Golden Hill, Duntocher, a fortlet might be looked for hereabouts on grounds of spacing. Search was made firstly on low ground beside Carleith Burn where enigmatic structures, including 'a wall bas widet f e9 , which thleave° e90 t sa souther nAntonine edgth f eo e Wall' wer J ePric observeE er (DiscoveryM y db Excav Scot 1971, 18). Here it was apparent that the Antonine Wall base had been much disturbed by medieval occupation. poine Aon t claa t y floo r platforo r parn i md t overlaabuttean o t ston e n ydth o e base; numerous frag- ment green-glazef so d wares were recovered. A much more likely position for a fortlet would be on a rocky knoll a little to the E and immediately farmhouse th f o S e (fig 5.2) moders .A n disturbance seemed certai havo nt e remove l tracedal thn si e Bridle th fielf o e dPathS , attentio concentrates nwa d alonAntoninee linth e f gth eo Wall base, whics hwa foun mako dt unexpecten ea apparentld dan y unnecessary doubl pointee turne on th t ,f ,A .jus o E t the presence of a rampart base passing below the Antonine Wall from S to N, and turning W to run parallel to it, was suspected (fig 5.3). Initially it was thought that this could form the internal NE corner of rampare th putative th f to e fortlet, predatin Antonine gth e Wal lated an l r overlai t (pi iy nlib)b . Else- where on the knoll spreads of cobbling well to the N of the Wall itself were detected, but attempts to locate other features which migh assignee b t corner fortlea W N gato d t N a ( a ,et passage flankinr o , g ditches) were completely unsuccessful, and there were no small finds. Nevertheless the suspicion must remain that a fortle r otheo t r structur Romaf eo n date onc eknolle stooth n .do Particular attention migh focusee b t d on the true summit of the knoll immediately W of the double turn, where the stone base of the Wall itself removet bee s plougbu e l ha th n al adequat d y db han e space woul available db fortleta r efo ; here only the. ditch or ditches of such a site might survive. KEPPIE AND BREEZE: ANTONINE WALL, 1957-83 24 | 0

FI G5 Carleith, 1980 - Genera :1 l site plan - inse ;2 t showing change alignmenn si Antoninf to e Wall farf o mE , track | PROCEEDING 4 24 SOCIETYE TH F SO , 1981

FIG 5.3 Trench plan showing possible rampart base passing below Antonine Wall rampart. Possible kerb stones of this earlier base shaded

(iii) Discussion KeppiF J BreezJ bL yeD d ean The work described above has added many small but useful details to our knowledge of the Antonine Wall frontier. Much of value accrues from determining the precise position of the Wall, for example when dealing with planning applications. At Hillhead in Kirkintilloch, Thorn and Castlehill in Bearsden, and Carleith the work described has led to the precise definition of the Wall's alignment, as has that at Kemper Avenue, Falkirk (described separately below, p 248). In three places, Bo'ness, Dollhouse and Howgate, Falkirk, failure to locate the Wall in its expected position may indicate that current maps require revision. Measurements for the stone base of the Wall were obtained at Auchendavy (4-3 m), Garnhall (4-3 m), Hillhead (4-3 m), Tollpark (4-42 m), Kemper Avenue, Falkirk (4-45 m) and Bonnybridge t leas(a l withital 4-5 , normae n7th m) l allowance fare t Carleitth A m. 5- s f wido 1m wa t ehW i track t furthebu , onlE r y 4-7 , indicativ2m e perhap change-ovee th f so responsibilitn ri y between the 2nd and the 6th legions attested on a distance slab from Carleith (Collingwood & Wright 1964 2204)o n , . The superstructure of the Wall possessed its normal turf-built character at Garnhall, Toll- par Carleithd k an t Kempe a t bu , r Avenue, Falkir t consisteki eartf do h with turf revetmentse th , normal method of construction E of . The width of the ditch was determined at a number of points. At Garnhall it was 12 to 12-3 m wide t Westerwooa , d t Hillhea revealea s probabl 6-1, s (a m 5wa o m t 2 t d1 1958)i n d9 i y c d an , notee b reveales y d(a 9- furthethama 1m m t 1980I 0 n dchange-ove ti a . 30 E r )c r betweeh 6t e nth and the 20th legions occurred thereabouts (Collingwood & Wright 1964, nos 2184-5). At Auchen- dav ditce probabls yth hwa y9- c wide t 5Castlehilm a t t Carleita , 5-5bu s , 6wa widtm a l t hi f ho reporteds 12-i 3m generan I . evidence th l e confirm r Hilnarrowina s Ba l f e ditco th f hW go (Keppie 1974, 156-8). The measurement at Castlehill is by far the widest reported W of Bar Hill, but as some dubiety surrounds the location of both ditch-edges this measurement cannot be accepted without confirmation t Kempe.A r Avenue, Falkir kwidta shows m8f h5 o wa • 5 excava y nb - onlw tion fulye no appliel.Th m widt2 1 f sh o ove centrae rth l sectio Walle th f n,o between Falkirk and Bar Hill, a distance of about 19 kms. At Carleith there was some evidence that a short stretch of ditch had not been dug-out at all, as at two points on Croy Hill and one on Bar Hill. The KEPPIE AND BREEZE: ANTONINE WALL, 1957-80 | 245 presence of edging stones along the ditch lips was detected at Hillhead and Garnhall. Also at Garnhal notes wa dt i l tha breao t n ther s slopn ki ewa e e th betweeditce d th fac N hf an e o nth upcast mound. More was learnt about repairs to the Wall base and superstructure. At Tollpark excavation in 1964 (confirmed by that in 1979) revealed an additional kerb added to the S side of the stone base (at a distance of 0-7 to 1 m from the existing kerb) over an area of at least 30 m, overlying tumbled turfwork and blocking entry to a culvert through the base; the rampart was then rebuilt broadee th o t r gauge t GarnhalA . repaie th l r also overlay fallen turfwork. Similar repaire sar known elsewher Walle th somn n i ,e o e instances associated with culverts (Keppie 1976, 75-6). t BantaskinA , Falkir kculvera blockes twa drampare kerwheth N dismantlef s e bo n th wa t d dan replaced on a new alignment, while at New Kilpatrick Cemetery, Bearsden, it appears that the base was widened to the E thus blocking entry to a culvert. It seems possible that these repairs were necessitate watey db r action underminin ture gth f stack thid san , hypothesis receives some support fro appearance mth f repairdownhile o th n so Walle lpossibl s sidi th f t I .eo e thae th t stone bas provides preveno t ewa y tr to d t wate r damag bottoe Wal e th possibld th o et f an ml o y even to allow culverts to be inserted. certainls i t I y possibl demonstrateo t e that wateproblea s rwa Hadrian'mn o s firs Walle th t n .I sections of the stone wall to be built, drains were provided only where clearly necessary. However, when the original turf wall was rebuilt in stone, drains were provided at regular intervals of c 6 m, irrespectiv f whetheeo r they were necessary (Breez Dobsoe& n presumee 1978b y , ma 31) dt I . that the situation would be even more difficult on the turf sector of Hadrian's Wall, though as yet no drains have been noted alon lengths git resula . Perhaps a experiencf s o t wa t si e with drainage problems on the Hadrianic Wall, that the stone base was introduced on its successor. On the Antonine Wall they appear with some regularity t intervala , 15c f mso (Keppie 1976, 74-6)s i t .I ironic therefore that culverts should have been the source of local damage to the Wall, requiring repair work which resulted in their elimination. f particulaO r interes newls i t y acquired evidenc neatlf eo y edge demarcatioS dN- n linen si the core of the stone base, at Garnhall and Kemper Avenue, Falkirk and possibly Bantaskin, Falkirk (Keppie 1976, 69). In no case do the locations correspond to known or likely change-overs in responsibility between legionary detachments therefory ma d evidence b ean , f subdivisioeo n of the work between cohorts and centuries, as on Hadrian's Wall. At Tollpark a unique stone platform was found abuttting on to the S kerb of the base, but its purpose could not be ascer- tained. soughs Militare numbea wa Th t y a t ypointf Wa o r s (Garnhall, Tollpark n Hill)r i t Ba , bu , genera scantiessufferee d th ha t t i l bu d tl badlytraceal beed d an sha ,n removed, presumably yb the plough. At Bar Hill, however, one section at least encountered relatively undisturbed remains, two surfaces surviving. The work described mainly concerned the curtain formed by the Antonine Wall, but at Westerwoo chancda e discover f structurayo l remains offere locatioe cluth a dfort'e o th et f sno internal bathhouse.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We would like to thank Mr T Borthwick for preparing fig 1 and Mr D Gallagher for pre- paring figs 2-5. We would also like to thank Mr lain Maclvor for reading and commenting on this paper t HillheadA . wore th ,observinf ko g scraping operation shares swa d wit r BreezehD , 246 | PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1981 Mr J J Walker and Miss Deborah Haase. Permission to excavate at Philpingstone Lane was granted by Barratt Developments Ltd and at Howgate by Falkirk District Council. Excavatio t Garnhalna l took plac kiny eb d permissio ownerse th f no , Deve- lopment Corporation finances Cumbernaule wa th d y db an , Kilsytd dan h District Council, which also made availabl eteaa youngsterf mo s employed undeCreatiob Jo ra n Scheme provided an , d necessare th y tool equipmentd san Developmene .Th t Corporation generously made available eth farm building excavation a s sa n base. Thank Hugr M s muso t Millaro g t , archaeologist wite hth Distric sitn N o WalkertJ e Orkne r s CouncilC J throughout D r J wa d r M o yD ,an o t wh , d an , Foju acteo sits wh tda e assistants. The work at Tollpark and Carleith was financed by the Excavation Fund of the University of Glasgow, and we are grateful to its committee for allocating the necessary funds. At Tollpark, permission to excavate was granted by the Cumbernauld Development Corporation. At Carleith particularlwe ear y Torranc gratefuA r M o Carleitf t le o h Farm lands permissior hi ,fo n , o g di o nt activs hi r efo encouragement d an . Mr J L Davidson and his colleagues of the Archaeology Branch, Ordnance Survey, kindly discussed the results of the work, which are to be incorporated on a revised sequence of OS 25-inch sheets for the Wall line, work on which has recently been completed. speciaA l deb mane owes i tth yo dt helper l ageturneo al f swh so d out ,mose ofteth tn ni unpleasant weather conditions, at the bleakest periods of the year and persevered to achieve results even when success seemed remote.

REFERENCES Breeze J 197D , Romane 4Th Fort t Bearsden,a 1973 Excavations, Interimn A Report. Edinburgh. Breeze, D J & Dobson, B 1978 Hadrian's Wall. Harmondsworth. Buchanan, J 1872 'Notice of two pieces of Roman sculpture found at Arniebog, Dunbartonshire, in 1868', Proc Soc Antiq Scot, 9 (1870-2), 472-81. Collingwood, R G & Wright, R P 1964 The Roman Inscriptions of Britain, Vol 1. Oxford. Keppie F 197 J L , 4 'The buildin Antonine th f go e Wall: archaeologica epigraphid an l c evidence', Proc Antiqc So Scot, (1973-4)5 10 , 151-65. Keppie, L J F 1976 'Some rescue excavation on the line of the Antonine Wall, 1973-6', Proc Soc Antiq Scot, (1975-6)7 10 , 61-80. Keppie F 197 J L ,8 'Excavatio f Romano n site t Dullatua s Westerwoodd an r , 1974-6', Glasgow ArchaeolJ, 5(1978), 9-18. GAS 1899 The Antonine Wall Report, by a committee of the Glasgow Archaeological Society. Glasgow. Macdonald, G 1915 'Some recent Discoveries on the line of the Antonine Wall', Proc Soc Antiq Scot, 49 (1914-5), 93-138. Macdonald, G 1925 'Further discoveries on the line of the Antonine Wall', Proc Soc Antiq Scot, 59 (1924-5), 270-95. Macdonald G ,193 3 Roma'Notee th n so n Fort t Rougsa h Castl Westerwood'd ean , Proc Antiqc So Scot, 67 (1932-3), 243-96. Macdonald, G 1934 The Roman Wall in Scotland. Oxford. Macdonald, G & Park, A 1906 The Roman Forts on the Bar Hill. Glasgow. Maclvor, I, Thomas, C & Breeze, D J 1979 'Excavations on the Antonine Wall fort of Rough Castle, Stirlingshire, 1957-61', Proc Soc Antiq Scot, 110 (1978-9), 230-285. RCAMS 1963 'Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland', Stirling- shire: An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments. Edinburgh. RCAMS 1978 'Royal Commissio Anciene th Historican d no an t l Monument f Scotland'so , Lanark- shire: Inventoryn A Prehistoric e oth f Romand an Monuments. Edinburgh. Robertson, A S 1964 'Miscellanea Romano-Caledonica', Proc Soc Antiq Scot, 97 (1963^), 180-201. KEPPIE AND BREEZE: ANTONINE WALL, 1957-87 24 | 0 Robertson, AS 1979 The Antonine Wall. Glasgow. Smith S ,193 4 'Noteartifician a n o s l moun t Bonnybridge'da , ProcAntiqc So Scot, (1933-4)8 6 , 59-68. Steer, K A 1961 'Excavations on the Antonine Wall in Polmont Park, and at Dean House, in I960', Proc Soc Antiq Scot, 94 (1960-1), 322^.

The society is indebted to the Scottish Development Department for a grant towards cost the thisof paper.