Archaeologists uncover Roman remains during water works

Archaeologists working alongside Scottish Water engineers have uncovered Roman artefacts at the Carzield Roman Fort site.

Roman artefacts including iron metalworks, clay fragments and tiles have been uncovered during work on water pipes at the Carzield Roman Fort site. GUARD Archaeology spokesman John Atkinson told BBC Scotland: 'A series of archaeological features were uncovered during the work, which appear to correlate with the projected layout of Carzield Roman Fort as witnessed during previous investigations. These features included the remains of four separate areas of cobbled surface, three of which coincide with the position of a projected barrack block on the south-west edge of what would have been the main Roman road through the fort. The most north-westerly of the surfaces lay within what would have been the central area of the fort and appeared to be more refined in its construction. Below the surfaces there were two ditch features extending north-west and south-east.'

Work can now continue to install a water main at the site, which is an important cavalry fort in Dumfries & Galloway, excavated in 1939 on the site of a medieval tower and farmhouse. Aerial photographs taken in 1952 revealed that the site may also include a civilian settlement. A number of finds from the site are displayed at Dumfries Museum.