Earthwork record MAB44829 - CARDEAN

Remains of a Roman fort, rediscovered by O. G. S. Crawford during aerial reconnaissance in 1939.

Remains of a Roman fort, rediscovered by O. G. S. Crawford during aerial reconnaissance in 1939. It was first mentioned by Knox in 1831, who describes it (possibly using a report by Roy), as very reduced and recorded in the Ordnance Name Book by Captain Bayley, with the records of the discovery in the vicinity of human remains, pottery, iron implements and a coin as well as a sword and some tiles. Crawford visited the site in 1925 and saw no traces, but recorded it as cropmarks during pioneering aerial reconnaissance on 7th June 1939. Continued aerial reconnaissance, by CUCAP, the RCAHMS and the Roman Gask Project has revealed most of the plan of the fort, including the northeast and southeast sides, two main streets and some side streets. The fort occupies a promontory between the Isla and the Dean Water. An annexe is represented by broad ditches running from the east and west angles. The fort was partially excavated between 1966-1975, initially under James Robinson (to 1967) and latterly by the Scottish Field School of Archaeology, directed by Dr A. S. Robertson. The excavations uncovered the turf rampart, with two ditches at the northwest and on the inner side of the rampart there were very heavy laid stoneworks, behind which ran a cobbled inter-vallum street. On the inner side of the street there was a wooden barrack block at right-angles to the rampart. The eastern corner had three ditches, the innermost of which contained two stones, possibly ballistae. Initial finds suggested a single, Flavian, (late 1st century AD) occupation. The 1968-72 excavations investigated the north and southeast turf ramparts and discovered four external ditches at both areas. Gateways in both areas were investigated. The excavations revealed the presence of timber barracks in both the praetentura and retentura, as well as a large timber granary. Also it is probable that the fort accommodated two separate regiments, one of cavalry, one infantry. The finds, including sherds of south Gaulish Flavian Samian Ware, and fine glassware, much in unbroken condition within the ditch terminals at the northwest, confirmed the view of Flavian occupation, and suggested an orderly abandonment shortly after 86 AD. Metal fittings, coins, a bun-shaped quern, a bust of Minerva and a pilum were also discovered. The occurrence of native Iron Age pottery rim-sherds in the interior of the fort and underlying the rampart suggest that a small native settlement was removed to make way for the fort, and that the site may have been reclaimed after the fort was abandoned. St. Joseph suggested that there may have been more than one fort because of the varying widths of the ditches and causeways. During the excavations the OS resurveyed the fort in 1970. The rampart was traced as a low spread mound accompanied by a broad ditch on the northeast and southeast sides. Breaks in the rampart indicate the sites of three of the gates in the northeast, southeast and southwest sides. The fort was investigated by the Roman Gask Project in 2001 by means of a fieldwalking survey over 7.3 ha of the promontory, in co-operation with the Perthshire Society for Natural Science Archaeology Section, over the harvested field at 10m and 2m intervals, as well as a selective metal-detector survey. These exercises yielded numerous items of an 18th to 20th century nature, a large amount of lead, as well as two copper-alloy Roman coins, possibly Vespasian. The core element of the survey was, however, a resistivity survey, covering most of the headland. But for a 20 m wide strip along the southern fence, the survey was able to trace the full extent of the surviving Roman fort which appears to be 207 m x 179 m over the ramparts (circa 3.7 ha inside the ditches) in size. This puts Cardean amongst the largest forts in Britain. The fort itself was surrounded by a complex ditch system, which also included two annexes: one in the southwest on the very tip of the promontory and one to the southeast. Combined, these effectively closed access to the promontory from the northeast by a large continuous system of ditches. Besides these clearly identifiable features, the survey also highlighted a large area of rig and furrow to the west of the fort, suggesting medieval activity on the site, as well as a number of circular features (possibly simple roundhouses) along the north edge of the field. These features appear to be associated with a forked feature, suggesting a prehistoric ditch system on the site as well as a number of pits. In the southern part of the promontory, close to the steep erosion edge to the Dean Water, another feature was tentatively interpreted as a complex roundhouse. The inside of the Roman fort appears to have been disturbed by an 18th century road with side ditches, as well as a large rectangular feature that obliterates traces of the Roman road system in the centre of the fort, possibly the site of a country house, but appears itself to have been cut by the Early Modern road. A period of flooding after heavy rainfall during the survey allowed for the documentation of an old river channel of the Isla at the very edge of the headland, suggesting that there may have been easier access in the past to the seasonably navigable Isla from the promontory than is apparent today. Geophysical survey in 2010 clearly defined the north and southeast defensive ditches, and ditch running south-southeast to enclose the annexe. The northeast half of the fort was magnetically 'noisy' which may represent a works area established here during construction of the railway. The southeast part of the fort contained a series of parallel features which may possibly be barrack blocks although they could result from more recent cultivation.

A/35303/CS, A/35303/CS (Photograph). SAB20986.

A/35305-8/PO, A/35305-8/PO (Photograph). SAB20987.

A/35684-6/PO, A/35684-6/PO (Photograph). SAB20988.

A/35713/PO, A/35713/PO (Photograph). SAB23479.

A/35714/PO, A/35714/PO (Photograph). SAB20989.

A/35715/PO, A/35715/PO (Photograph). SAB23480.

A/35716/PO, A/35716/PO (Photograph). SAB20990.

A/64833-5, A/64833-5 (Photograph). SAB20991.

AN/2956, AN/2956 (Photograph). SAB21022.

AN/2957, AN/2957 (Photograph). SAB23717.

AN/3086/PO, AN/3086/PO (Photograph). SAB23481.

AN/3087/PO, AN/3087/PO (Photograph). SAB21023.

AN/3088/PO, AN/3088/PO (Photograph). SAB23482.

AN/3089/PO, AN/3089/PO (Photograph). SAB23483.

AN/3090/PO, AN/3090/PO (Photograph). SAB21024.

AN/3091/PO, AN/3091/PO (Photograph). SAB23484.

AN/3345-6,8, AN/3345-6,8 (Photograph). SAB21025.

AN/3347, AN/3347 (Photograph). SAB23718.

AN/3999-4000, AN/3999-4000 (Photograph). SAB21026.

AN/4001, AN/4001 (Photograph). SAB23719.

AN/4396-7,9/CN, AN/4396-7,9/CN (Photograph). SAB21027.

AN/4398/CN, AN/4398/CN (Photograph). SAB23485.

AN/4400/CN, AN/4400/CN (Photograph). SAB23486.

AN/4401/CN, AN/4401/CN (Photograph). SAB21028.

AN/4733-8, AN/4733-8 (Photograph). SAB21029.

AN/4736, AN/4736 (Photograph). SAB23720.

AN/5033,5-7, AN/5033,5-7 (Photograph). SAB21030.

AN/5034, AN/5034 (Photograph). SAB23721.

AN/5038, AN/5038 (Photograph). SAB23722.

AN/5182/PO, AN/5182/PO (Photograph). SAB21031.

AN/5568-9, AN/5568-9 (Photograph). SAB21032.

AN/5570, AN/5570 (Photograph). SAB23723.

AN/5571-4, AN/5571-4 (Photograph). SAB21033.

AN/6537-9/PO, AN/6537-9/PO (Photograph). SAB21034.

AN/6643-4,6-7, AN/6643-4,6-7 (Photograph). SAB21035.

AN/6645, AN/6645 (Photograph). SAB23724.

B/16487,9, B/16487,9 (Photograph). SAB21036.

B/16488, B/16488 (Photograph). SAB23725.

B/22860-1, B/22860-1 (Photograph). SAB21037.

B/22862, B/22862 (Photograph). SAB23726.

B/44204-5,7-9, B/44204-5,7-9 (Photograph). SAB21038.

B/44206, B/44206 (Photograph). SAB23727.

B/44210, B/44210 (Photograph). SAB23734.

B/44211, B/44211 (Photograph). SAB21055.

B/50755-62/CS, B/50755-62/CS (Photograph). SAB21056.

B/84703-12/CS, B/84703-12/CS (Photograph). SAB21057.

C/11667-71, C/11667-71 (Photograph). SAB24405.

ORDNANCE SURVEY, 1871, Ordnance Name Book, Book No.2, 54 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1360.

St Joseph, J K, 1951, J Roman Stud 41, 64 (Bibliographic reference). SAB9636.

SDD, 1960-, [Untitled], List No.248 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10372.

St Joseph, J K, 1965, J Roman Stud 55, 83 (Bibliographic reference). SAB9645.

Robertson, J J, 1966, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 1 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10493.

Robertson, J J, 1967, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 5 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10494.

Robertson, A S, 1968, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 2 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10495.

Wilson, D R, 1969, J Roman Stud 59, 202 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10502.

Robertson, A S, 1970, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 4 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10496.

Wilson, D R, 1971, Britannia 2, 248 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10294.

Robertson, A S, 1971, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 2 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10498.

MacKie, E W, 1971, Glasgow Archaeol J 2, 39-71 (Bibliographic reference). SAB6327.

Wilson, D R, 1972, Britannia 3, 302 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10295.

Hartley, B R, 1972, Britannia 3, 4, 13 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11859.

Wilson, D R, 1973, Britannia 4, 273 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10297.

Robertson, A S, 1973, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 6 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10499.

Wilson, D R, 1974, Britannia 5, 402 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10298.

Robertson, A S, 1974, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 9 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10500.

Jones, M J, 1975, Brit Archaeol Rep Brit Ser 21, 137 (Bibliographic reference). SAB12204.

Wilson, D R, 1975, Britannia 6, 225 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10301.

Robertson, A S, 1975, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 8 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10501.

Goodburn, R, 1976, Britannia 7, 299 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11761.

DES, 1976, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 67 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10371.

St Joseph, J K S, 1976, Glasgow Archaeol J 4, 1, 22, 25-6 (Bibliographic reference). SAB9671.

Wilson, D R, 1976, Scot Archaeol Forum 7, 23 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10305.

Robertson, A S, 1976, Scot Archaeol Forum 7, 4, 7, 8-9 (Bibliographic reference). SAB9759.

McPeake and Moore, J C M an, 1978, Britannia 9, 333, No.12 (Bibliographic reference). SAB6496.

Rivet and Smith, A L F an, 1979, [Untitled], 126, 141, 212, 465 (Bibliographic reference). SAB9688.

Robertson, A S, 1979, [Untitled], 42-4 (Bibliographic reference). SAB9764.

Hanson, W S, 1980, Brit Archaeol Rep Int Ser S71 1, 28-30 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11836.

Breeze, D J, 1980, Scot Archaeol Forum 12, 16, 18 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11694.

Bennett and Young, J and R, 1981, Britannia 12, 37-44 (Bibliographic reference). SAB9059.

Breeze, D J, 1982, [Untitled], 51-2, 61 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11698.

RCAHMS, 1983, [Untitled], 31, No. 248 (Bibliographic reference). SAB8220.

Wilson, D R, 1984, Britannia 15, 55 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10308.

Robertson, A S, 1984, Proc Soc Antiq Scot 113, 407, table 2 (Bibliographic reference). SAB9765.

Breeze, D J, 1991, Proc Soc Antiq Scot 120, 58 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11337.

HOFFMANN, B, 2001, CARDEAN ROMAN FORT. DES 2001 pp14-5, 14-5 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2700.

HOFFMAN, B, 2001, Results of the survey of Roman Fort of Cardean, REPORT (Bibliographic reference). SAB836.

SURVEY

WOOLISCROFT & HOFFMANN, D & B, 2006, ROME'S FIRST FRONTIER. FLAVIAN OCCUPATION N BRIT., 158-164 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2090.

BATESON, J D, 2007, ROMAN AND MEDIEVAL COINS FOUND IN SCOTLAND, 2001-2005 IN PSAS 136 (2006), 161-198 (Bibliographic reference). SAB3835.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2011, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND. NEW SERIES, VOLUME 11, 2010, p.31 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5535.

JONES, R. H., 2011, ROMAN CAMPS IN SCOTLAND, 335 (Bibliographic reference). SAB925.

Record last edited

Mar 30 2026 2:53PM