stirling-1963-vol-1/05_068

Transcription

INTRODUCTION : THE ROMAN PERIOD
Dun, approximate site, West Bonnyfield (No.
94)
Dun, approximate site, West Auchincloch
(No. 95)
Dun, approximate site, Ruchill (No. 96)
Dun, approximate site, Auchinvalley (No. 97)
Dun approximate site, Townhead (No. 98)
Dun, approximate site, Colziumbea (No. 99)
Broch, Tor Wood (No. 100)
Settlement, site, Wheatlands (No. 101)
Homestead, Logie (No. 102)
Homestead, Woodside (No. 103)
Homestead, West Plean (No. 104)
Homestead, Keir Hill, Gargunnock (No. 105)
Homestead, site, Bowhouse (No. 106)
Crannog, Strathcashell Point (No. 107)
Crannog, "The Kitchen" (No. 108)
Crannog, Loch Laggan (No. 110)

5. THE ROMAN PERIOD

From the Roman standpoint, possession of the area known to us as Stirlingshire was vital to
any scheme for the occupation of Scotland, since it lies at the intersection of the two most
important natural routes in the country. The east-to-west route provided by the Forth-Clyde
isthmus not only offers the shortest link from coast to coast, but also, as Agricola was quick to
appreciate, ¹ forms an obvious base on which to establish a frontier-line; while the north-to-
south route, crossing the Forth in the vicinity of Stirling, constituted the only practicable line
of advance in Roman times against the tribes inhabiting the territories beyond the isthmus.
It is not surprising, therefore, that Stirlingshire is very rich in monuments of the Roman
period (cf. Fig. 4). More than ten of the thirty-seven miles of the Antonine Wall (No. 111,
and see Fig. 30), and five of the nineteen Wall forts - Mumrills (No. 112), Falkirk (No. 113),
Rough Castle (No. 115), Seabegs (No. 116) and Castlecary (No. 117) - lie within its boundaries;
while between the Wall and the crossing of the Forth the main arterial road to the north
(No. 124) was guarded by a fort at Camelon (No. 122), and probably by another at Stirling
itself (No. 123). Yet another fort may have been planted at the extreme western end of the
county, to prevent infiltration by northern tribesmen into Strath Blane and the Kilpatrick
Hills, but an intensive search in the neighbourhood of Drymen from both air and ground has
so far proved negative. ² Other types of Roman military works occurring in the area include a
small fortified post (No. 114) attached to the south side of the Antonine Wall at Watling Lodge,
and temporary camps of the kind used by troops engaged on campaigns or on engineering
operations at Little Kerse (No. 118), Milnquarter (No. 119), Dalnair (No. 120) and Camelon
(No. 122). Lastly, an interesting sidelight on the occupation is presented by the remarkable
temple known as Arthur's O'on ³ (No. 126) which formerly stood on the northern slopes of the
Carron valley some two miles north of Falkirk.
Of this abundant material, however, very little is visible at the present day. Arthur's O'on
was pulled down in 1743 to furnish material for repairing a mill-dam, and cultivation and
industrial development during the past two hundred years have wrought havoc with the rest.
Thus the only remains still traceable on the surface are several sectors of the Antonine Wall,

1 Tacitus, Agricola, 23.
2 It has not been possible to identify the quarry near the Endrick Water where gold coins of Nero and Trajan are reported to
have been found about 1771 (P.S.A.S., lii (1917-8), 245).
3 I.e., (King) Arthur's Oven. For the Arthurian Legend in Scotland, see P.S.A.S., lxxxix (1955-6), 1 ff.

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