Cropmark record MAB63372 - BELLIE

Part of a possible Roman camp is visible on aerial photographs.

Part of a possible Roman camp is visible on aerial photographs. The probable camp was first recorded in 1726 and reported on in 1799. On visiting the area Crawford reported that nothing was visible on the ground and, while he voiced some doubts about the site as a Roman camp, he recorded that the site had been observed from the air in 1943. Crawford placed the camp crentred at about NJ 3573 6170, just over 100 m south west of where the fosse of the camp had been placed by the Ordnance Survey. The area was subject to excavation in 1967 by St Joseph who confirmed a probable Roman camp with a centre at about NJ 355 613, some 400 m south of where the camp had been placed by Crawford. Fragments of a glass bottle from about 1770-80 were found at the top of the ditch, suggesting that it had lain open until the later part of the 18th century, which broadly fitted in with the antiquarian accounts. Keillar reported to the Ordnance Survey archaeology branch that the ditch St Joseph excavated ran south from NJ 3555 6113 and that three of St Joseph trenches across it were still open at the time of his visit indicating that the ditch he excavated was farther north, and ran north east to south west from NJ 3569 6134 to NJ 3548 6112. The two trenches did not demonstrate a particularly v-shaped profile, although he recorded that the ditch was about 2.1 m in width and over 0.9 m in depth. In 1984 Jones and Keiller recorded the well rounded northern corner of a camp at NJ355 611, together with a long linear cropmark running in the same field. It is presumably the cropmark of this possible camp recorded by Jones and Keiller that was subject to excavation by Daniels in 1986, who intersected the ditch in five places. The only published report of this excavation indicated that the location of the camp was at NJ 354 610. In addition the ditch traced by St Joseph in 1967 probably related to an 18th century road. The aerial photographs taken by Cambridge University and AAS reveal a linear cropmark at NJ 3551 6103. The cropmarks to the east of Bellie Church, run south were to north east for about 160m and turn in a rounded angle to the south east, before running into the Lion's Den plantation. This provisionally has the characteristics of a Roman camp. The level of confusion surrounding this site suggests that it should be regarded as a probable camp, rather than given the accolade of the most northerly camp known in the Roman Empire. The possibility has been noted that there may be two separate sites and two distinct locations. Firstly where Crawford and the OS recorded the camp and secondly the site visible on air photographs. Whether any or all of these features are Roman in date awaits further investigation.

ST.JOSEPH, JK, 1969, JRS 59, 104-128, 113-4 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1802.

KEILLAR, I, 1986, POPULAR ARCHAEOLOGY,VOL 7,2-9, 8-9 (Bibliographic reference). SAB963.

JONES, R. H., 2011, ROMAN CAMPS IN SCOTLAND, 324-5 (Bibliographic reference). SAB925.

Aug 1 1971 , BHB 77-78, BHB 77-78 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30162.

Aug 2 1974 , BRD 60-61, BRD 60-61 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30165.

Jan 1 1980 , AAS/GR/80/CT18-21, AAS/GR/80/CT18-21 (Ground Photograph). SAB33838.

Jul 5 1949 , DF 7-9, DF 7-9 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30151.

Jul 15 1947 , V 27-28, V 27-28 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30150.

Jul 15 1958 , XE 3-4, XE 3-4 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30152.

Jul 21 1976 , CAG 34-42, CAG 34-42 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30167.

Jul 21 1976 , CAG 50, CAG 50 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30168.

Jul 22 1960 , ACG 97-101, ACG 97-101 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30153.

Jul 23 1962 , AGK 82-83, AGK 82-83 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30154.

Jul 23 1964 , AKD 41-42, AKD 41-42 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30155.

Jul 26 1968 , ATI 27,30-32, ATI 27,30-32 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30156.

Jul 26 1975 , BVE 23-27, BVE 23-27 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30166.

Jul 28 1945 , D 73-75, D 73-75 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30149.

Jul 28 1972 , BKG 36-63, BKG 36-63 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30163.

Jul 28 1973 , BOP 89-93, BOP 89-93 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30164.

Jul 29 1967 , ATO 85-89, ATO 85-89 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30157.

Jul 29 1967 , K17-K170-171, K17-K170-171 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30158.

Jul 29 1969 , AZF 9-12, AZF 9-12 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30159.

Jul 30 1970 , BEB 20-23, BEB 20-23 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30161.

Jul 31 1969 , KI7 S191-2, KI7 S191-2 (Air-vertical Photograph). SAB30160.

Jun 4 1980 , Untitled Source (Ground Photograph). SAB30148.

Record last edited

Sep 3 2024 12:14PM