Inveravon

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Inveravon - towards Polmont Ski Slope. The road follows the line of the Antonine Wall Inveravon. - geograph.org.uk - 112161.jpg
Inveravon - towards Polmont Ski Slope. The road follows the line of the Antonine Wall
Wheat above Inveravon, with Grangemouth Oil Refinery Wheat above Inveravon - geograph.org.uk - 1475906.jpg
Wheat above Inveravon, with Grangemouth Oil Refinery
Farm track from the site of the Antonine Wall Farm track - geograph.org.uk - 1233450.jpg
Farm track from the site of the Antonine Wall

Inveravon is sited on the east side of the River Avon in Scotland. It was long considered to be the likely site for a Roman Fort on the Antonine Wall in Scotland. The fort is one of the most dubious [1] on the wall although some excavation and geophysics has been done. [2] Near Inveravon Tower, the bare traces of a fort were found but there is nothing that an unskilled visitor could identify. [3] Several excavations have unearthed the site's foundations as well as a section of the Military Way. Cobbled surfaces and some stone walls were found. [4] Also ‘expansions’ were discovered, perhaps used as signal or beacon towers. [5]

Two temporary marching camps have been found. [6] In the 1950s aerial photography brought these to light. News about them was circulated in the Journal of Roman Studies by J.K. St. Joseph. The sites are south of the Wall and south-east of Inveravon. [7] In 1960, aerial photography revealed a 3rd camp. It was also south of the Wall. Additional camps at Mumrills and on either side of Grangemouth Golf Course have been identified. [8] [9]

Many Roman forts along the wall held garrisons of around 500 men. [10] Larger forts like Castlecary and Birrens had a nominal cohort of 1000 men [11] but probably sheltered women and children [12] as well although the troops were not allowed to marry. [13] There is likely too to have been large communities of civilians around the site. [14]

Forts and Fortlets associated with the Antonine Wall from west to east: Bishopton, Old Kilpatrick, Duntocher, Cleddans, Castlehill, Bearsden, Summerston, Balmuildy, Wilderness Plantation, Cadder, Glasgow Bridge, Kirkintilloch, Auchendavy, Bar Hill, Croy Hill, Westerwood, Castlecary, Seabegs, Rough Castle, Camelon, Watling Lodge, Falkirk, Mumrills, Inveravon, Kinneil, Carriden Antonine.Wall.Roman.forts.jpg
Forts and Fortlets associated with the Antonine Wall from west to east: Bishopton, Old Kilpatrick, Duntocher, Cleddans , Castlehill, Bearsden, Summerston , Balmuildy, Wilderness Plantation , Cadder, Glasgow Bridge , Kirkintilloch, Auchendavy, Bar Hill, Croy Hill, Westerwood, Castlecary, Seabegs , Rough Castle, Camelon, Watling Lodge , Falkirk, Mumrills, Inveravon, Kinneil , Carriden

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Bar Hill Fort

Bar Hill Fort was a Roman fort on the Antonine Wall in Scotland. It was built around the year 142 A.D.. Older maps and documents sometimes spell the name as Barr Hill. A computer generated fly around for the site has been produced. Lidar scans have been done along the length of the wall including Bar Hill. Sir George Macdonald wrote about the excavation of the site. Many other artefacts have also been found at Shirva, about a mile away on the other side of Twechar.

Croy Hill

Croy Hill was a Roman fort, fortlet, and probable temporary camp on the Antonine Wall, near Croy, to the north east of the village in Scotland. Two communication platforms known as ‘expansions’ can be seen to the west of the fortlet. Alexander Park excavated the site in 1890-1891. Sir George Macdonald wrote about his excavation of the site which occurred in 1920, 1931, and 1935. At Croy Hill, the ditch in front of the rampart was not excavated by the Romans. It is likely that hard basalt and dolerite of the hill was virtually impossible to shape with Roman tools. This is the only place along the Wall where the ditch wasn't dug. There is a bath house just outside one fort. A video reconstruction of the site has been produced.

Auchendavy

Auchendavy was a Roman fort on the Antonine Wall in Scotland. Much of the site archeology was destroyed by the builders of the Forth and Clyde Canal. Between Bar Hill and Balmuildy the wall roughly follows the southern bank of the River Kelvin. The site of the fort is north of Kirkintilloch's northern border. It can be seen as a mound mid-way between the Forth and Clyde Canal and the road.

Cleddans Roman fortlet on the Antonine Wall, Scotland

Cleddans is the site of a Roman fortlet on the Antonine Wall in Scotland. Its postulated existence was confirmed by trial trenching in 1979. Evidence of building work on Cleddans and on the Wall by units of both the sixth and the twentieth legions has been found in the area.

Watling Lodge

Watling Lodge was a Roman fortlet on the Antonine Wall in Scotland. It was located near what is now Lock Sixteen on the Forth and Clyde Canal in Falkirk with neighbouring forts at Rough Castle to the west and Falkirk to the east. There was also a fort at Camelon to the north. There was also a Roman temporary camp found a short distance south of the site.

Mumrills

Mumrills was the site of the largest Roman fort on the Antonine Wall in Scotland. It is possible that Mumrills could exchange signals with Flavian Gask Ridge forts. Some believe Mumrills may have been the site of Wallace's defeat at the Battle of Falkirk. The farm at Mumrills was also used as an early site for the Falkirk Relief Church.

Seabegs Wood Site of a Roman fortlet on the Antonine Wall in Scotland

Seabegs Wood was the site of a Roman fortlet on the Antonine Wall in Scotland.

Castlehill Fort

Castlehill was a Roman fort on the Antonine Wall in Scotland.

Balmuildy

Balmuildy is the site of a Roman fort on the Antonine Wall in Scotland. It is one of only two forts on the Antonine Wall to have been found with stone ramparts; the other is Castlecary. A digital reconstruction of the fort has been created.

Wilderness Plantation Site of Roman fortler

Wilderness Plantation was the site of a Roman fortlet on the Antonine Wall in Scotland.

References

  1. Rohl, Darrell, Jesse. "More than a Roman Monument: A Place-centred Approach to the Long-term History and Archaeology of the Antonine Wall" (PDF). Durham Theses. Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online ref: 9458. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  2. "Inveravon, Antonine Wall". CANMORE . Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland . Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  3. "Inveravon". Frontiers of the Roman Empire (site by site). Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  4. Robertson, Anne S. (September 2010). "RECENT WORK ON THE ANTONINE WALL". Glasgow Archaeological Journal. 1 (1): 37–42. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  5. "INVERAVON: FORT AND TEMPORARY CAMPS" (PDF). Frontiers of the Roman Empire. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  6. "Inveravon Camps Temporary Marching Camps". Roman Britain. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  7. "OS 25 inch map 1892-1949, with Bing opacity slider". National Library of Scotland. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  8. "Inveravon". Open Street Map. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  9. "Polmonthill". Frontiers of the Roman Empire (site by site). Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  10. "Soldier". Frontiers of the Roman Empire. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  11. Miller, S. N. (1952). The Roman Occupation Of South Western Scotland Being Reports Of Excavations And Surveys Carried Out Under The Auspices Of The Glasgow Archaeological Society By John Clarke, J. M. Davidson, Anne S. Robertson, J. K. St. Joseph, Edited For The Society With An Historical Survey By S. N. Miller. Glasgow: Robert Maclehose & Company Limited. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  12. "Children". Frontiers of the Roman Empire. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  13. "Roman child's leather shoe". A History of the World. BBC. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  14. Rohl, Darrell, Jesse. "More than a Roman Monument: A Place-centred Approach to the Long-term History and Archaeology of the Antonine Wall" (PDF). Durham Theses. Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online ref: 9458. Retrieved 14 October 2017.

Coordinates: 56°00′05″N3°40′33″W / 56.0013°N 3.6758°W / 56.0013; -3.6758