The map below shows the intensity of the Roman occupation of the area. The detail shown on the map comes from aerial photographs taken of the area over the past thirty or years. Most were taken by the staff of the Royal Commission though several were taken by Ed Archer in the 1970’s, so the map is a composite of a number of photographs.
As a result of the aerial photos a large marching camp no 1 on the map was identified. Due to the design of the gateways of this fort (A) , this is the earliest fort belonging to the time of the invasion of Scotland by Agricola c.79 A.D.
No 2 marks the construction camp used by the detachments of members of the II Augusta Legion plus auxiliaries whilst the permanent fort No 3 was being constructed.
No 3—the permanent fort is now reckoned to have been garrisoned at least in the early period by the Ala Sebosiana—a cavalry regiment from Spain. This fort went through several phases of occupation and was remodelled in the reign of the Emperor Antoninus Pius when it was reoccupied c.138 A.D after being unoccupied since about 100 A.D. The fort was deserted about 166 A.D after the Romans briefly left Scotland then they came back but for how long is not known.
Temporary camps no 4 and No 5 belong to the Antonine Period. No 5 possibly being the earlier of the two being built when Antoninus Pius invaded Scotland prior to the building of the Antonine Wall.. No 4 was probably the one used during the reoccupation of Scotland about 166 A.D.
The small square fields marked (B) on the map relate to a Celtic field system ; this shows how the soldiers based at Castledykes supported the families and themselves. It is also possible that the native population worked in these fields but that is of course a matter of speculation.
The amount of time that the Romans stayed at Castledykes is a matter of conjecture — three late Roman Coins were found in the 1980’s spanning the time from the Emperor Constantine to the time of the Emperors—Julian and Procopius. This would suggest that there was activity in the area to at least the late four century and it may be that some of the features on the map belong to this period in time, but this is difficult to work out without archaeological investigation.
There are many other interesting details on this map which have not been discussed but as can be seen aerial photographs provide a fascinating glimpse into our past.
Castledykes Roman Fort