Carronbridge, Dumfries and Galloway: the excavation of Bronze Age cremations, Iron Age settlements and a Roman camp

Abstract

Cropmarks of a square, double-ditched Iron Age/Romano-British enclosure, a Roman temporary camp and  another sub-rectangular enclosure were excavated in advance of road building. All the monuments were plough damaged. The square enclosure had three main enclosure phases. It contained six intersecting circular buildings, one of which was surrounded by a large ditch and three large sunken features  with complex, charcoal-rich fills. A cobbled surface (probably a Roman road) crossed its south-east corner. Radiocarbon dates from the enclosure ranged from 145 BC to AD 415; earlier activity was dated  to between 1285 and 230 BC. A brooch, sword, and sickle, deposited probably in the ninth or tenth century AD, were found within the enclosure.   The primary fill of the Roman camp ditch was redeposited turf. A group of internal post-holes was rich in  charred barley and wheat. The third and earliest enclosure was defended by a ditch and palisade; the  temporary camp re-used part of its ditch. An oven found within the third enclosure was probably associated  with the temporary camp.    Three cremation burials were found north of the square enclosure. Two were contained in collared urns, which were found in small cists. The third was in a pit, and unaccompanied. The excavation was arranged and funded  by Historic Scotland.