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REVIEW BY AMY BAKER
Bringing together work conducted by Historic Environment Scotland (previously Historic Scotland), Glasgow University, and various commercial archaeological units, this highly readable and comprehensive synthesis of two decades of geophysical survey work along the Antonine Wall offers more than just technical descriptions: each site has a useful overview and history of investigation, and the data are firmly rooted in the wider Roman military archaeological context, making it a great introduction for the general reader as well as a vital resource for researchers, and archaeologists.
Beginning with an accessible introduction to previous study of the Antonine Wall and an overview of geophysical survey techniques and interpretation, the book then follows the Wall from west to east, setting out each site clearly. Discussion ranges from big-picture questions over the sequence of construction for the forts, such as at Mumrills, where the presence of two ditches to the north supports a pre-Wall build, down to the potential identification of elements of daily life, such as furnaces or kilns suggesting industrial activity in the annexe at Rough Castle.
The book draws these together at the end with a discussion of the results and the future pathways that research might take. The book is honest about the limitations and inconsistencies in the data gathered, seeking to avoid over-interpretation of the results.
This work is a valuable addition to the publication of major excavations and fieldwork conducted along the line of the Antonine in recent years, including Bearsden, Croy Hill, and Falkirk district. Ensuring this research is in the public domain increases the focus on and potential of the Antonine Wall, putting this important frontier monument into its proper context. The book is a reminder of how much the Antonine Wall still has to offer us in terms of investigation, and how this kind of large-scale synthesis of survey work can open up fresh interpretations that enhance our understanding, not just of the frontier in 2nd-century Scotland, but also of Roman military settlements and their organisation in general.
Exploring the Antonine Wall with terrestrial remote sensing
William S Hanson, Richard E Jones, and Nick Hannon
Archaeopress, £45
ISBN 978-1803278018
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