Review by Kathryn Murphy
In Facing the Enemy, Andrew Tibbs presents analysis of Roman fortifications and the Scottish landscape, focusing on the positioning, intervisibility, orientation, and interconnectivity of Flavian sites. Stemming from his PhD thesis, this volume discusses one of the first systematic applications of Geographical Information Science (GIS) to Scottish 1st-century Roman sites and provides a re-examination of 124 fort, fortress, camp, fortlet, and tower sites through a combination of various spatial analysis techniques.
Of particular interest is the exploration of the placement and orientation of Roman fortifications in relation to the river and waterway network in Scotland. This analysis shows how important the river network was to the Flavian invasion, and how the placement of fortifications at key locations could allow control of movement through, and of, the wider landscape.
Facing the Enemy? A GIS study of 1st century Roman fortifications in the Scottish landscape Andrew Tibbs BAR, £53 ISBN 978-1407360157
