Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a previously unknown Roman fortlet beneath the back gardens of residential properties in Bearsden, England, shedding new light on the defensive network of the Antonine Wall.
The discovery, detailed in newly published research by GUARD Archaeology, emerged during archaeological investigations carried out ahead of planned property developments. During the work, archaeologists found the stone foundations of what appears to have been a turf rampart — a crucial defensive element in Roman frontier construction.
Historic Environment Scotland recognised the significance of the initial findings and commissioned further investigation of the site, which revealed a parallel ditch running alongside the stone base, containing peat deposits, fragments of wood, and other organic material. A geophysical survey carried out at the same time also detected buried stone structures thought to be surviving fragments of the Antonine Wall itself.
The researchers determined that the stone base and ditch were aligned perpendicular to the line of the Antonine Wall, which runs through this area of Bearsden. This odd arrangement was a strong indication that the features formed part of a small defensive structure connected to the frontier, not the wall itself.
Scientific tests helped establish the site’s Roman provenance. The wood that had been dug up from the base of the ditch was radiocarbon dated to between AD 127 and AD 247, which firmly put it into the time during which the Antonine Wall was garrisoned and the decades immediately after.
Archaeologists also found two fragments of Roman pottery beneath the stone base, a further confirmation of the site as a Roman fortlet.
The Antonine Wall was built to the orders of Emperor Antoninus Pius by the Roman army, shortly after AD 142. It stretched across central Scotland and marked the northern boundary of Roman-ruled Britain. This frontier, however, was only occupied for around two decades before Roman troops withdrew to Hadrian’s Wall in the AD 160s.
The newly discovered fortlet is strategically placed on high ground adjacent to the Antonine Wall. The soldiers in this location would have had unobstructed views over the surroundings — especially towards the north, which was still beyond Roman control. Another point was that the site had direct sightlines to the nearby larger Roman fort at Bearsden, indicating it was part of an integrated network of defences.
Environmental analysis from the ditch deposits also uncovered information about the old landscape. Botanical remains and fossil beetles suggest that the area around the fortlet consisted mainly of open pasture with patches of partially cleared woodland dominated by alder, hazel and willow, with smaller amounts of oak and birch.
Sources : Guard Archaeology
