Roman military fort discovered in Scotland, far north of Hadrian’s Wall

Archaeologists in Scotland have discovered the remains of a Roman fort built next to a huge wall across Scotland.

This defensive border, known as the Antonine Wall, separated present-day southern Scotland, conquered by the Romans, from unconquered northern Scotland. The 38-mile (62-kilometer) long wall, constructed primarily of turf or earthen materials, began construction in AD 142 by order of Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius (r. 138-161 AD), following the Roman conquest of southern Scotland.

The walls contained a series of forts, fortifications, camps, baths, and military roads that allowed the rapid movement of Roman troops and their supplies. The wall was abandoned by 165, after the Roman army retreated to Hadrian’s Wall in northern England.

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Radiocarbon dating has revealed that the newly discovered fortress dates from the mid-2nd to mid-3rd century AD. Archaeologists from Gard Archeology said in a statement that the wall was built to the south of Antonin’s Wall in the town of Bearsden, about five miles (8 kilometers) north-west of Glasgow, and spans the gardens of three houses in “an elevated area immediately adjacent to Antonin’s Wall”. “From there, you could see a panoramic view of the northern landscape, especially one that was beyond Roman control.”

The fort also had a good view of nearby Roman forts, and may have been able to send signals to the garrison if enemy forces were detected. The researchers noted that most forts along the Antonine Walls could house between 20 and 50 soldiers at a time.

Archaeologists first discovered the fort in 2017 in the backyard of a private house where archaeological surveys were being carried out ahead of construction work. The team then conducted further extensive excavations and recently published their findings in the journal Archeology Reports Online.

Archaeologists write in a magazine article that the fort was built on a stone foundation. There was also a ditch just outside the fort that may have helped protect it.

Guard Archeology created a digital reconstruction of the fort. It shows two buildings that could house a small garrison of Roman troops, two watchtowers, and a series of ditches and walls to protect them.

The fort was likely “an integral part of the Roman wall defenses, which included bastions and bastions along its entire length,” the archaeological team wrote in a journal article.

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