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Air Reconnaissance in Roman Britain, 1973–76

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 September 2012

J. K. St Joseph
J. K. St Joseph
Affiliation:
Committee for Aerial Photography, Cambridge
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Extract

Air reconnaissance over the United Kingdom has been continued during the last four years, a period which has seen a considerable extension of such work, and one notable for exceptionally dry summers. Thus, both the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments for England, through the Air Photographs Unit of the National Monuments Record, and the Royal Commission for Scotland have undertaken extensive surveys, while the growth of local flying has meant that many areas of the country have been reconnoitred more intensively than has hitherto been possible. The account that follows relates almost entirely to the work sponsored by the Committee for Aerial Photography of the University of Cambridge, though information is, indeed, often interchanged with others making similar surveys. The fullest knowledge of any given site comes from study of all available records. The first clue may be obtained by one observer, later reconnaissance by others may amplify the record, perhaps making plain what was previously only suspected. Nevertheless, had it not been for knowledge of the first, perhaps incomplete, observation, subsequent reconnaissance might never have been undertaken. This is a pursuit in which each participant may owe much to others: the cumulative results reflect the activities of many.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Roman Studies , Volume 67 , November 1977 , pp. 125 - 161
Copyright
Copyright © J. K. St Joseph 1977. Exclusive Licence to Publish: The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

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References

1 The reconnaissance was made in the University's aircraft, piloted by A. G. Douglass. The flights were part of a planned programme designed to serve many needs besides archaeology. The photography was undertaken by J. K. St Joseph and D. R. Wilson. The costs of publication have been defrayed by generous grants from the Council for British Archaeology, the Administrators of the Haverfield Bequest and the Committee for Aerial Photography of the University of Cambridge.

2 JRS XLI, XLIII, XLV, XLVIII, LI, LV, LIX, LXIII.

3 O.S. maps at 1: 25,000, which have the advantage that contours are drawn at intervals of only 25 ft, may also be consulted with profit.

4 The photographs illustrating this article (Plates XIII–XVIII) are all from the Cambridge University Collection. Of the text-figures, 5, 7 and 10 were drawn by D. R. Wilson, 1–4, 6, 8–9 and 11–17 by B. Thomason: copyright the Committee for Aerial Photography of the University of Cambridge.

5 JRS XLVIII (1958), 98.

6 Hawkes, C. F. C. and Hull, M. R., ‘Camulodunum’, Res. Repts. Soc. Antiq. XIV (1974), Pl. 1Google Scholar; Britannia v (1974)Google Scholar, plan (by C. Saunders) printed as fig. 11, facing p. 259.

7 For a discussion of such revetments, see M. J. Jones, ‘Roman fort-defences to A.D. 117’, Brit. Arch. Repts. XXI (1975), 82–3.

8 For further details and a photograph, reference should be made to the full account of this site being published by Wilson, D. R. in Britannia VIII, 1977Google Scholar.

9 JRS XLIII (1953), 82; LIX (1960), 127–8, Pl. 11, 2.

10 JRS LXIII (1973), 233.

11 JRS LIX (1969), 104.

12 JRS LIX (1969), 104, Pl. 11, 1.

13 Britannia VII (1976), 315–16, fig. 11Google Scholar.

14 JRS LXIII (1973), 216.

15 The clearest air photographs of these camps, obtained by the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments for Scotland, in August 1976, have been kindly made available by Dr. K. Steer.

16 JRS LXIII (1973), 216.

17 JRS LIX (1969), 107–8.

18 JRS LXIII (1973), 217, Pl. XVI, 1.

19 Agr. 24.

20 JRS XLI (1951), 58; XLVIII (1958). 89; for a plan, see Glasgow Univ. Publs. LXXXIII (1952), Pl. v.

21 JRS LXIII (1973), 217.

22 JRS XIV (1955). 85; LV (196s), 80.

23 JRS XLV (1955), 86–7, described under Balmuildy.

24 JRS LXIII (1973), 217–8. For the position of the various sites N. of the Forth, see the map printed in JRS LXIII (1973), 227, fig. 17.

25 JRS XLI (1951), 62; XLVIII (1958), 90; LV (1965), 81; Britannia I (1970), 163–71Google Scholar.

26 Pennant, T., Tour in Scotland 1772, pt. 2 (1776)Google Scholar, plan on Pl. 10, facing p. 101; W. Roy, Military Antiquities 1793, 63, Pl. 10; Crawford, O. G. S., Topography of Roman Scotland (1949), 33Google Scholar.

27 I. A. Richmond, Arch. J. XCIII (1937), 314. In Fig. 8 the trenches dug across the signal-post are omitted for sake of clarity.

28 These are the numbers of the camps in Fig. 7.

29 This may be named Shielhill south to distinguish it from the tower already identified (JRS LXIII, 218) 1,000 yards to the NE., which becomes Shielhill north.

30 By Mr.Nicoll, J. S., who kindly showed me his excavation. Discovery and Excavation, Scotland (1971). 35Google Scholar.

31 By members of the Perthshire Society, Archaeological Section, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland (1967), 37.

32 JRS XLI (1951), 62.

33 JRS LXIII (1973), 218–19, fig. 10.

34 ibid. 219–20, fig. 11.

35 JRS XLV (1955), 87; LXIII (1973). 224.

36 JRS LV (1965), 83; LIX (1969), III; LXIII (1973), 224.

37 JRS LIX (1969), 111.

38 JRS LIX (1969), 111–12; LXIII (1973), 224.

39 JRS LXIII (1973), 226.

40 For its geographical setting, see the map, Fig. 11.

41 JRS XLV (1955), 87; XLVIII (1958), 93; LI (1961), 123; LXIII (1973), 226; Britannia I (1970), 175–7Google Scholar.

42 The distance between the E. and W. sides near the S. end of this camp is c. 2,200 ft, compared with 2,275 ft at Dunning, and 2,250 ft at Abernethy.

43 There is an eighteenth-century record purporting to refer to a camp near Stonehaven. Forsyth, I. (ed.), A survey of the Province of Moray (Aberdeen, 1798)Google Scholar. ‘The remains of a Roman camp were, some years ago, to be seen near the shore at Stonehaven, but are now effaced.’ I owe this reference to Mr. Angus Graham.

44 It will be interesting to see whether the camp recently recognized near Kintore may prove to be a third example.

45 Agr., 29. This conclusion is to be discussed in a separate paper, which will also give details of the excavations at Durno.

46 JRS LIX (1969), 116.

47 Moreover, Stracathro is 39 acres in size; it may equally have belonged to the previous year's campaigns, when Agricola's forces were operating N. of the Forth.

48 For a distribution map, ‘The Roman advance into Wales’, see JRS LXIII (1973), 243, fig. 23.

49 JRS LXIII (1973), 234.

50 JRS LI (1961), 123–4. For excavations at this site see S. C. Stanford, Trans. Woolhope Nat. F.C. XXXIX, pt. 2 (1968), 238–58.

51 Antiquity LI (1977), 55–60Google Scholar.

52 The narrowness of the inner mark leaves open the question whether this was indeed a ‘ditch’, or a trench for timber uprights, perhaps forming the front of a rampart.

53 Nash-Williams, V. E.The Roman Frontier in Wales2, revised by Jarrett, M. G. (1969), 55–6Google Scholar.

54 JRS XLIII (1953), 85–6; Nash-Williams, op. cit. (n. 53), 66–70.

55 Nash-Williams, op. cit. (n. 53), 108–110; D. W. Crossley, Arch. Camb. CXVII (1968), 92–102.

56 Inventory of Merionethshire (RCHM), 1921, 135–8; JRS LI (1961), 130; Nash-Williams, op. cit. (n. 53), 54–6.

57 Inventory of Merionethshire (RCHM), 1921, 150–2; JRS XLIII (1953), 87; LI (1961), 130; LV (1965), 86; Nash-Williams, op. cit. (n. 53), 111–113.

58 Reynolds, P. K. B., Excavations on the site of the Roman fort at Caerhun, Caernarvonshire (1938)Google Scholar; Inventory of Caernarvonshire I (RCHM), 1956, 34–6Google Scholar.

59 At the fort of Brecon Gaer, it was noted that all the stone buildings excavated in 1924–5 showed very clearly in 1976, even under a crop of hay. This result, likewise, is probably due to the clearance of the fallen debris that encumbered them.

60 Inventory of Merionethshire (RCHM), 1921, 157–60; Nash-Williams, op. cit. (n. 53), 104–6; JRS XLIII (1953), 86–7.

61 JRS LI (1961), 130; but compare Margary, I. D., Roman Roads in Britain II (1957), 86–7Google Scholar.

62 I am grateful to Mr. J. L. Davies for his assistance with the examination of this site. He also kindly sent notes of his excavation at Erglodd.

63 JRS LI (1961), 128; Nash-Williams, op. cit. (n. 53), 113–6.

64 JRS LI (1961), 127; LIX (1959), 126; Nash-Williams, op. cit. (n. 53), 97–8, 200.

65 At SN 64255637. It is the mounds of these roads that constituted the ‘substantial bank’ mentioned in JRS LI (1961), 127.

66 JRS XLVIII (1958), 97; LI (1961), 131; S. S. Frere, Repts. Res. Comm. Soc. Antiq., XXVIII (1972), fig. 147 for general plan of the town.

67 At TL 111082 and TL 113083.

68 Antiquity XV (1941), 113Google Scholar, Pls. i-iii.

69 Hoare, R. Colt, Ancient Wiltshire II, Roman Era (1821), 90–1Google Scholar and plan facing p. 91; JRS XLIII (1953), 90–1.

70 Inventory of Huntingdonshire (RCHM), 1926, 52–4, plan; JRS XLIII (1953), 91; XLVIII (1958), 98; LI (1961), 132; LV (1965), 87; LIX (1969); 127.

71 Artis, E. T., The Durobrivae of Antoninus (1828)Google Scholar.

72 VCH Warwickshire 1 (1904), 236–7Google Scholar; JRS LV (1965), 87. For summaries of recent excavations at Alcester, see Britannia II (1971), 262Google Scholar and subsequent volumes.

73 JRS XLIII (1953), 88–9; XLV (1955), 88; XLVIII (1958), 97–8; LV, (1965), 87; for a plan of Wroxeter, see Webster, G., The Cornovii (1975), fig. 27Google Scholar.

74 Such as the forum, excavated by D. Atkinson in 1922–27 (Birmingham Arch. Soc. Trans., 1942), and buildings SW. of the forum, excavated in 1912–14, J.P. Bushe-Fox, Repts. Res. Comm. Soc. Antiq. I–II, IV, (1912–1916).

75 Inventory of Herefordshire (RCHM) II, 1932, 93–5Google Scholar; JRS XLIII (1953), 92; XLVIII, (1958), 98.

76 JRS LXIII (1973), 237, and plan, fig. 20.

77 VCH Notts. II (1910), 19–23Google Scholar, fig. 5; JRS LIX (1969), 127.

78 Edwards, D., East Anglian Archaeology, rept. 2 (1976), 258–9Google Scholar, fig. 69, Pls. xxi–xxv.

79 ibid. 259.

80 Whitwell, J. B., Roman Lincolnshire (1970), 76–77Google Scholar. Mr. D. N. Riley kindly drew my attention to these crop marks. His detailed account of the site will appear in the forthcoming issue of Britannia.

81 Inventory of Essex (RCHM) I, 1916, xxivGoogle Scholar and plan fig. 2 on p. xxii.; VCH Essex III (1963), 135–6.

82 V.C.H. Essex III (1963), 171–3, fig. 35.

83 JRS XLIII (1953) 94.

84 VCH Somerset I (1906), 322.

85 VCH Wiltshire I, pt. i (1957), 75.

86 JRS LV (1965), 88.

87 JRS LI (1961), 133–4; LIX (1969), 128; Antiquity XLII (1968), 46–7Google Scholar.

88 Inventory of Hertfordshire (RCHM), 1911, 38; JRS XLV (1955), 89.

89 JRS LXIII (1973), 245, pl. xviii, 2.

90 Phillips, C. W. (ed.), The Fenland in Roman Times, R.G.S. Research Series v (1970)Google Scholar. For Bullocks Haste, Cottenham, see pp. 212–3, plan fig. 13 and Pl. xvii.

91 J. G. D. Clark, Ant. J. XXIX (1949), 150.

92 The centre-line for this flight runs from TG 521018 to TG 531982. The photographs cover an area 1,000 yards wide.