DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22272#0136
118
GLASGOW ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY.
rampart of the camp—no longer a direct portion of the line of
the vallum proper. It must have been a very broad and high
rampart—certainly broader and possibly higher than the vallum
proper. The discovery of this was somewhat of a surprise, for
the natural appearance of the ground scarcely prepared one to
find that so much of it was " made up."
The section, then, is cut from east to west, so as to pass at
right angles through the western rampart of the camp. It
begins near the eastern kerbstone of what appears to have been
a roadway 14 feet in width, paved with flagstones, three of which
measure about 2 feet by 1J feet, 22 inches by 34 inches, and
19|- inches by 19 ^ inches. It passes through a heap of confused
stone, mostly squared, and indiscriminately thrown together,
intermixed with loose earth. This covers about 8 feet of the
line of section. Then begins the familiar layering, as seen in
all the Bonnymuir sections. Through this the section proceeds,
and just after fairly passing through it, ends on the edge of
the inmost of the western ditches of the camp—at a point
52 feet from the eastern kerb of the supposed roadway.
These new phenomena obviously aroused many questions,1
which it will be worse than useless to attempt answering until,
in due time, Roughcastle is fully explored. We confine our
observations to the rampart.
In the earthen rampart proper, the resemblance to the
vallum is most marked. The soil is the whitish and ochreish
red sand of the Bonnyside type. The rampart stands 5 feet
9 inches above the stone base or flooring, which slopes rapidly
from east to west towards the ditch. There is a stone base
of the usual character, except that the existence or non-existence
of kerbs is not clear. The base follows the slope of the ground,
so that the east end is considerably higher than the west. Above
this stone bottoming the layering is very striking. Indeed, this
section affords a superb example of the singular lamination so
1 The confused heap of stone and earth appeared far too loose to be the remains
of buildings in situ ; but the stones are dressed yellow freestone, in size averaging
about 9 inches by 4J, with examples, however, as large as 14 inches by 10. At a
point 18 feet from the kerb the fragments of a large vessel of earthenware were
found nearly 3 feet below the level of the pavement.
GLASGOW ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY.
rampart of the camp—no longer a direct portion of the line of
the vallum proper. It must have been a very broad and high
rampart—certainly broader and possibly higher than the vallum
proper. The discovery of this was somewhat of a surprise, for
the natural appearance of the ground scarcely prepared one to
find that so much of it was " made up."
The section, then, is cut from east to west, so as to pass at
right angles through the western rampart of the camp. It
begins near the eastern kerbstone of what appears to have been
a roadway 14 feet in width, paved with flagstones, three of which
measure about 2 feet by 1J feet, 22 inches by 34 inches, and
19|- inches by 19 ^ inches. It passes through a heap of confused
stone, mostly squared, and indiscriminately thrown together,
intermixed with loose earth. This covers about 8 feet of the
line of section. Then begins the familiar layering, as seen in
all the Bonnymuir sections. Through this the section proceeds,
and just after fairly passing through it, ends on the edge of
the inmost of the western ditches of the camp—at a point
52 feet from the eastern kerb of the supposed roadway.
These new phenomena obviously aroused many questions,1
which it will be worse than useless to attempt answering until,
in due time, Roughcastle is fully explored. We confine our
observations to the rampart.
In the earthen rampart proper, the resemblance to the
vallum is most marked. The soil is the whitish and ochreish
red sand of the Bonnyside type. The rampart stands 5 feet
9 inches above the stone base or flooring, which slopes rapidly
from east to west towards the ditch. There is a stone base
of the usual character, except that the existence or non-existence
of kerbs is not clear. The base follows the slope of the ground,
so that the east end is considerably higher than the west. Above
this stone bottoming the layering is very striking. Indeed, this
section affords a superb example of the singular lamination so
1 The confused heap of stone and earth appeared far too loose to be the remains
of buildings in situ ; but the stones are dressed yellow freestone, in size averaging
about 9 inches by 4J, with examples, however, as large as 14 inches by 10. At a
point 18 feet from the kerb the fragments of a large vessel of earthenware were
found nearly 3 feet below the level of the pavement.