OSMap: LR85
Type: Roman Fortlet, 2 Practice Works.
The Burnswark Hillfort
from the approach-road to the south
Military Road: SE (3) to BLATOBVLGIVM (Birrens, Dumfries & Galloway)
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NGRef: NY1878 OSMap: LR85 Type: Roman Fortlet, 2 Practice Works. |
The Burnswark Hillfort from the approach-road to the south |
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Military Road: WNW (6) to Ladyward (Dumfries & Galloway) Military Road: SE (3) to BLATOBVLGIVM (Birrens, Dumfries & Galloway) | |
 A Probable Roman Slingstone from Burnswark found in a rabbit-warren on the southern hillside (note the damage caused by a high-velocity impact) |
The native hill fort dominates the area for miles around, and was possibly the site of a siege during the early conquest of Scotland, with large marching camps built on both the north and south sides, that on the south later turned into a training camp where Roman soldiers would be sent to learn artillery skills. Three ballista platforms dominate the northern ramparts of the south camp, whose western defences partly overlie a known Antonine fortlet, now hidden within a plantation of trees. The ballista A prominent outcrop on the south side of the British camp was evidently used as a target during Roman times as several examples of leaden sling-shot have been recovered from this area during excavation. A perfunctory scan of the debris at the entrance to a rabbit-burrow at this spot during our visit turned-up a diamond-shaped stone with evident impact-damage on one of its surfaces (see on left), it is possible that this was used by the Romans as a sling-stone.
A small fortlet was built during the Antonine period just south of the Burnswark Iron-Age hillfort, which had been abandoned many years prior to the Roman occupation of the area. Only one barrack-block was found during excavations within the fortlet so the garrison numbered no more than a single century of 80 men. The fortlet was rectangular and measured 100 x 70 feet (c.30.5 x 21.3m) covering an area of less than ¼ acre (i.e. only 7,000ft² or 649m²).
 The Northern Training Camp viewed from the hillfort |
 The Southern Training Camp viewed from the hillfort |
Up until 1985 there had been a grand total of 133 lead slingshot recovered from the environs of Burnswark alone, and only 28 more recovered from other forts in the north of Britain at Housesteads, Birdoswald, Chesterholm, Corbridge, Ambleside and Birrens. The majority of lead-shot were found clustered around three areas of the hillforts southern rampart and it seems likely that the Romans had erected targets at these points. It has been suggested that the profusion of ammunition finds, which also included arrow-heads and ballista-bolts, very-likely indicates that Burnswark was a training camp where units were sent, piecemeal, in order to be instructed in the use of these projectile weapons.
 The Ballista Platforms in the south camp's north defences |
The possibility that Burnswark was primarily a training camp is supported by the fact that there are two "practice works" nearby, situated to either side of the Burnswark hillfort. These training earthworks were very likely erected under the supervision of Roman engineers in order to teach troops the basics of entrenchment. The rampart of the southern training camp partly overlies the defensive ditch of the Antonine fortlet which occupied its north-eastern corner, and silting evidence suggests that the earlier earthwork had been abandoned for some considerable time. All of the pottery recovered from the site dates to the second century. Traces of permanent structures within the southern encampment suggest that the site continued in use until the early-third century.
