Frequently Asked Questions

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FAQs

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Question...	Submited By: Bruce Hall
Have any archealogical finds been made at the Dunning site? Are there likely any to be found that can identify it as linked to Mons Graupius?

Response...	Date: 1/9/2010 Subject: General
We touch on the likelihood or otherwise of artefacts from the fighting being found at the site of Mons Graupius in our article - see the section "The Sources Available ". We mentioned in the Lomond Hills contender that the Roman spearhead found there - now in the National Museum of Scotland - is the only known artefact from any of the contending sites so far and that would by default include Dunning. To be fair to the Clevage Hills site at Dunning however we feel it is only right to point out that we were the first to associate these hills as the area of the fighting only last year, so the Clevage Hills have not enjoyed a long pedigree for finds to be sought or indeed recognised in their correct historical context. In contrast, correspondents have advised us that some long recognised contending sites such as Bennachie (for example) have been searched on and off without any artefacts of the fight ever being found. On the other hand we must not let its huge size blind us to the obvious; the site contains the enormous Roman marching camp at Dunning. This camp is the correct size (based on capacities recorded by Polybius) to accommodate the number of troops we have reasoned Agricola had with him - based on what is included in Tacitus`s writings. Its morphology (proportions) are universally accepted as belonging to the Flavian period, the time of the battle. So to answer your question; yes an artefact has been found. It is not a piece of equipment such as armour, spearhead or cloakbroach, nor indeed of human remains but is the upstanding remains of the defended bivouac of the Roman army. Lastly, we would appeal to anyone enthused and intent on visiting the site with a metal detector to do so only under the aegis of a respected metal detecting club working in full consultation with Scotland's Portable Antiquities Scheme - and only with the permission of the landowners. And if you find anything don`t forget to let us know

Question...	Submited By: Menno de Fouw
Right on the spot!! It was Jedburgh Abbey! As I can recall there is also small explanation sign somewhere in the neighbourhood or on the Abby's premesis that speaks of an small square-like outpost-fort that would have stood outside the wall's boundaries. Perhaps the stone's origin lays there? On the stone itself it was clearly statet were these "lads" came from. I wil have to look up the photo's as we must have photographed it. Many thanks for the splendit way you've answered my question! Kind regards

Response...	Date: 12/26/2009 Subject: Location
Glad to assist.

Question...	Submited By: Menno de Fouw
I was in scotland for holiday and discovered in the borders area a church monastry with the regimental honor stone incaseded in this church. It dislpayed an ode to the calvary unit that was stationed there at that time and came from now a days germany and clould be at least 1500 years old when we saw it. Could you assist me finding it again?

Response...	Date: 12/25/2009 Subject: Location
Based on what you have said I would hazard a guess that you were at the Abbey in the border town of Jedburgh. There are several carved Roman stones there which were used in the building of the Abbey (12th - 15th C AD). The first stone records a unit of spearmen (Gaesatorum) under their Tribune Julius Severus. It has been speculated that this unit may have been Raetian in origin. Another stone specifically records the First Cohort of Vardullians under their tribune C. Quintus Severus. Both therefore relate to infantry units, not cavalry as an "ala" is the term for a cavalry unit. Raetia was the territory now occupied by central and eastern Switzerland, southern Bavaria, upper Swabia and parts of both Tyrol and Lombardy. The Vardullian unit originated in northern Spain. We know they certainly were the garrison of the Antonine wallfort of Castlecary in the mid 2nd C AD. The stones will have been brought to Jedburgh from an - as yet - unidentified site. The nearest known Roman site to Jedburgh is Cappuck fort while the large fort at Newstead (Trimontium) is not too far away to the north. The stones are reckoned to date to the 3rd C AD. Given the poor relations between Scotland and England for much of the period that Jedburgh Abbey was being built then it seems unlikely that the stones were brought north across the border from Roman sites in the north of England, situated a not inconsiderable distance away to the south over the Cheviot Hills. This then suggests that a fort site - somewhere not too far removed from Jedburgh as stone is a very heavy commodity to transport long distances - was occupied during the 3rd C AD, probably in the Severan period (the Emperors Septimus Severus and Caracalla). Hope this has been of assistance.

Question...	Submited By: Ben MacLeod
Are any of the "mons" in Caledonia shaped like a horse's shoe or horse's shoes?

Response...	Date: 12/24/2009 Subject: General
There will no doubt be some, particularly deep within the mountain ranges of the highlands, however such a pronounced re-entrant profile as a fully formed "U" shape is more likely to be formed by the lie of the land created by a series of hills, particularly in relation to a water course rather than an individual hill alone. Glenmouths are a fine example but there is usually a watercourse running down the middle of these - see the Fortingall and Fendoch sites. The alternative Bennachie Chapel of Garrioch, Gask ridge Cairnie Braes, and Mormond Hill sites all have concave theatre like profiles though not as pronounced as the horseshoe "U" shape you refer to. See the "Contenders" section of our Mons Graupius article for plans of these sites. We trust this has been of assistance.

Question...	Submited By: Mark Higgins
Thanks Euan Again thanks for the reply, over the 8 months I have been obsessed with the romans time in Scotland. I have always been interested in archeology since i was a child it started with dinosaurs , then time passes school ,work , kids, now thing have settled well kids grown up and dont need there dad to annoy them any more, my old hobby of digging through books and pictures and the wonderful internet has again ignited my old passion. I found the roman scotland site while I was helping my youngest with home work and instantly became hooked, i never knew the extent of the roman conquest in scotland . ps the site is simply fantastic and big thanks to the time and research which has went in to it. I would like to get more involved after visiting some sites it left me wanting more and would be very grateful if you could point me in the right direction, if there is any clubs or organizations or society I could join or to lend a hand to i would really appreciate the information. Thanks

Response...	Date: 12/23/2009 Subject: General
Thanks for the positive feedback on the web site, its a team effort and it is always appreciated when people take the time to let us know they are enjoying it. In my opinion you have taken the most important step already and are getting out and about visiting Roman sites, thats the key, too many writers / blog authors write on the matter without visiting it on the ground which in our opinion is absolutely fundamental to understand the sort of terrain where the Romans actually went. In time we will cover every Roman site in Scotland, but it will take years to get there in the detailed manner we like to do things, so far we have literally only scratched the surface. Meantime if you check out our links section (under Services) you will find links to various web sites, museums, interpretative centres etc which should give you plenty of ideas of places to go. A useful book if you don`t already have it is Lawrence Keppie's the Legacy of Rome. Its certainly for sale on E bay at the moment. This gives a nice overview of the Romans in Scotland and highlight sites worth visiting. The Ordnance Survey map of Roman Britian also pin points all the sites. Magazines such as Current Archaeology highlight every now and again what local digs are taking place, while a trawl through the internet may flag up what local historical societies there are on the go such as the Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust and the Biggar Archaeology Group, google them and check their links for local archaeological societies. The Antonine Guard is linked in our links section if reenactment of Roman times, or even just viewing it is of interest. The key however is to visit the sites as you are doing, read as much as you can and form your opinion based on your research. Enjoy!

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