Report on the Society's Excavation of Rough Castle on the Antonine Vallum

Excavation of Roman, medieval and later features at Carriden Roman fort annexe in 1994

“…This passage was provided with a roughly metalled surface represented by the cobbling (F19); the upcast (F10) from the ditch was heaped up higher than usual at this point to prevent it from spreading over the entrance way. An annexe entrance in a similar location with respect to the fort was found at Rough Castle (Christison et al 1905), and the existence of a road over the infilled fort ditch at Castlecary suggests that one lies under the railway embankment there too (Christison & Buchanan 1903). In both of these cases the annexe was a later addition.…”

The provision of fort-annexes on the Antonine Wall

“…Only at Rough Castle has it been possible to examine the junction between (0.3 m) culvert placed alongside of it makes it impossible to determine whether or not the annexe rampart was contemporary with it, or later. Unfortunately the answer was not obtainable from the superstructure at this point (Christison, Buchanan & Anderson 1905). Earlier features, however, were found under the south rampart of the annexe (Macdonald 1933, 253).…”

“…At Mumrills the annexe ditch cuts the fort's three outer ditches (Steer 1961, 89). At Rough Castle the same sequence may be judged to have occurred, but no details of the ditch fills are given in the original report, nor are there any sectional drawings at this point (Christison, Buchanan & Anderson 1905). At Balmuildy the annexe ditch stops well short of the fort's south ditches, indicating the latter's prior existence.…”

Excavations of an enclosure system at Rough Castle, Falkirk

“…The Roman fort at Rough Castle is the best-preserved earthwork among the Antonine Wall forts. It has been the subject of several excavations (GAS 1899;Buchanan 1905;Macdonald 1933;Maclvor et al 1980). The fort was occupied in the Antonine period from about AD 142-165.…”

“…There is a 5 m deep covering of till (Buchanan 1905, pi 1). The upper part of this drift material is dominated by sandstone, presumably Carboniferous: a stone count of the fraction greater than 2 mm showed that 95% of the 71 stones identified were sandstone.…”