Roman BritainNowtler Hill 2 Roman temporary camp
Roman Site · Civilian

Nowtler Hill 2 Roman temporary camp

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: nhle-8783
Site type
Site
Category
Civilian
Latitude
54.9016
Longitude
-2.9995
Overview

History & context

Nowtler Hill 2 is one of a pair of Roman temporary marching camps identified on Nowtler Hill in southwest Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway), south of the Solway and west of the Annan valley. Like most camps in this region it likely dates to the Flavian, Antonine, or Severan campaigns into southern Scotland (later 1st to early 3rd century AD), and would have served as a short-stay fortified enclosure for troops on the march rather than a permanent garrison post.

Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →

Significance

Historical significance

The site contributes to the dense pattern of temporary camps strung along the western routes into Scotland, marking the practical logistics of repeated Roman military campaigning north of Hadrian's Wall. Paired camps on the same hill, as here, are not unusual and may indicate reuse of a favourable bivouac position across multiple campaigns or by units of different size.

Archaeology

Archaeological record

The camp is known principally from aerial photography and earthwork survey identifying its rampart and ditch circuit; no significant excavation has been published, and there is little recorded artefactual evidence from the site itself. Its precise size, gate arrangement, and dating therefore remain uncertain and rest largely on morphological comparison with better-known camps in the region such as those at Wreay, Burnswark, and along Annandale.

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Nowtler Hill 2 Roman temporary camp?

Nowtler Hill 2 is one of a pair of Roman temporary marching camps identified on Nowtler Hill in southwest Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway), south of the Solway and west of the Annan valley. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a site site from the Roman period in Britain.

What type of Roman site is Nowtler Hill 2 Roman temporary camp?

Nowtler Hill 2 Roman temporary camp is classified as a Roman site — a civilian site in the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer. Roman Britain's archaeology encompasses thousands of sites ranging from legionary fortresses and marching camps to villas, temples and towns.

What other Roman sites are near Nowtler Hill 2 Roman temporary camp?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Nowtler Hill 1 Roman temporary camp (0.4 km), Boomby Lane 1 and 2 Roman temporary camps (1.1 km), Milecastle 68 (Boomby Gill) (1.2 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.

How can I research the history of the area around Nowtler Hill 2 Roman temporary camp?

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