¹²⁷ The excavations were directed by Mr J. D. Leach and Professor J. J. Wilkes and were funded principally by the Scottish Development Department. The armour was discovered in a trench running from east to west, across the praetentura of the Severan 26-acre base, halfway between and parallel to the via praetoria and north rampart. It lay intact at a depth of about 0·5 m below the modern surface in a pit at a point approximately 40 m from the east rampart. No evidence for dating was recovered from the pit containing the armour but other pits and channels produced material from the Severan occupation of the site in the early third century.

¹²⁸ When discovered the object, as yet unidentified, was passed along with the rest of the finds to the Dundee Museum. Its nature was revealed first through cleaning by Mr Hugh Ritchie, conservator at Dundee Museum, in consultation with the archaeological field officer Miss Lisbeth Thoms. Although investigation and conservation is not yet complete, it seemed worthwhile, in view of its exceptional character, to publish a preliminary note on it. The linen fibre was identified by the Shirley Institute.

¹²⁹ Robinson, H. Russell, The Armour of Imperial Rome (London, 1975), 153 ff., fig. 161 (Aventicum).Google Scholar

¹³⁰ Groller, M. von in Der römischeLimes in Österreich ii (1901), Sp. 90 ff., Textfig. 21, Taf. xvi.Google Scholar