east-lothian-1924/05-042

Transcription

HISTORICAL MONUMENTS (SCOTLAND) COMMISSION.

The number of bronze implements or weapons found in the county is
inconsiderable and the following are preserved in the National Museum of
Antiquities : two flat axes from Camptoun, The Chesters (No. 13), one flanged
axe from Grants Braes, two spear-heads exact locality unknown but from East
Lothian, a halbert probably from Nunraw, a sword from Keith House (No. 83),
another from Southfield, Gladsmuir, and a ring from near Elphinstone Tower.
Defensive Constructions. - The forts or fortified village sites of Scotland present
many problems to the archæologist, as very few of them have been excavated. The
great majority seem to be of comparatively late date, none of those excavated
having been proved to be older than the early Iron Age, although the recovery
of six bronze rapier blades from the ditch surrounding the circular earthen
fort on Drumcoltran Hill (Kirkcudbright Inventory No. 280), if the
record is correct, would point to a Bronze Age date for this structure. The
fact that Roman relics have been found within the confines of more than one
fort is evidence that their inhabitants were in touch with Roman civilisation,
and consequently some, probably many, of these defences existed near the
beginning of our era. As forts continued to be built and occupied down to,
and probably for some time after the Norman conquest of England, their
period covers a millenium. In that long stretch of time many forts would
be built, occupied for a time, and then deserted for more suitable sites or
for fresh fields or pastures new. But without extensive scientific excavation
it is almost impossible to place the different forts in their proper sequence.
In many parts of Scotland, groups of forts are often within a very
limited area, and amongst the questions suggested by this phenomenon are to
what periods do the different forts belong, what was the extent of the popu-
lation or how much country was drawn upon to provide men not only to
construct but to defend their often extensive works, and what were the
political conditions of the country that made them necessary and made it
possible to collect a force sufficient to storm such places ? Considerable en-
closed areas would be required to protect flocks and herds from the ravages
of wild beasts, but that does not explain the number of fortified sites with a
plurality of defences.
As is the case in other counties, the forts of East Lothian are more
generally distributed throughout the county than other classes of prehistoric
remains. Several survive in the low country, not always on the summits of
small hills, and only two on the sea-coast. Probably the sites of Dunbar
Castle and Tantallon were occupied by prehistoric forts, but if so all traces
of them have disappeared. A very small part of the coast-line of this county
is rocky and precipitous, and this no doubt accounts for the paucity of defences
in these parts. On the line of the Whitadder highway there are three defensive
sites, and one of these, the Friar's Nose fort (No. 219), from the conformity
of the country, may be considered as belonging to the Berwickshire group.
The remainder of the forts are placed along the northern flank of the Lammer-
muirs, from one end of the range to the other, but the most of them are
found on the hills to the south of, and in the lower country near Gifford.
Fifteen of the thirty-four defensive structures recorded from the county are
in this district, twelve of these occurring within a distance from east to west
of less than six miles. In this district there is only one cairn, while in the

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