A ROMAN “fortlet” has been rediscovered near the remains of the Antonine Wall.
Public body Historic Environment Scotland (HES) found the lost mini-fort during a geophysical survey in an “unassuming field” near Carleith Primary School in West Dunbartonshire.
The fortlet was mentioned in 1707 by antiquarian Robert Sibbald, who wrote that he had seen a fortlet in the area around Carleith Farm.
Excavation teams looked for it in the 1970s and 1980s, but the exact location remained unknown.
The Romans had up to 41 fortlets along the Antonine Wall, each housing around a dozen soldiers for a week at a time, but only nine have been located.
Riona McMorrow, deputy head of world heritage at HES, said: “It is great to see how our knowledge of history is growing as new methods give us fresh insights in the past.
“Archaeology is often partly detective work, and the discovery at Carleith is a nice example of how an observation made 300 years ago and new technology can come together to add to our understanding.”
HES made the announcement about the fortlet today to mark World Heritage Day.
Read more stories on Scottish Field’s news pages.
Plus, don’t miss the May issue of Scottish Field magazine.
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