Gaius Paulinus Maximus Posted March 17, 2011 Report Share Posted March 17, 2011 Two rare, carved altar stones found in East Lothian could shed new light about the Roman period in Scotland, it has been claimed. The Roman stones were found during the redevelopment of a cricket pavilion in Lewisvale Park, Musselburgh. Experts said they may help re-write the history books on the Roman occupation of Inveresk. Although they were found in March 2010, it has only now become safe to fully inspect them. Archaeologists said the stones were of "exceptional quality". http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-12771243 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostOfClayton Posted March 18, 2011 Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 (edited) Lovely article. Not sure exactly where the find was, but here's a map of the area. Also, for context, here's a paragraph from Musselburgh's Wiki: "It was first settled by the Romans in the years following their invasion of Scotland in AD80. They built a fort a little inland from the mouth of the River Esk and bridged the river here. In doing so they established the line of the main eastern approach to Scotland's capital for most of the next two thousand years. " Edited March 18, 2011 by GhostOfClayton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melvadius Posted March 18, 2011 Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 It is unclear in the BBC article what the problem with the stones was that they couldn't be moved. However the Scotsman makes the point in their article that when first found the stones were 'too brittle' to be examined. Presumably they have been doing some heavy duty preservation on the stones before they could be cleaned up and the faces revealed for study. The secrets of two ancient Roman altars discovered beneath a cricket pavilion in Musselburgh have finally been revealed after painstaking efforts by archaeologists. Boasting intricate craftwork loaded with religious symbolism, the significance of the stunning stone carvings - unearthed in March last year - could turn out to be so far-reaching as to rewrite the history of the Roman occupation in Scotland. When discovered during a revamp at Lewisvale Park, the stones were so brittle that experts were unable to analyse them conclusively. Only the backs and sides were able to be viewed until now when it became safe to inspect them fully. ...continued The need to conserve the stones is confirmed by an article in the East Lothian Courier which incidently has a good photo of the four seasons heads found on one of the stones here TWO "internationally significant" Roman altar stones discovered in a Musselburgh park last year during redevelopment work have revealed a "fascinating new chapter" in the story of the area's Roman past. Investigations have been carried out into the rare, beautifully carved altars found at Lewisvale Park, close to historic Inveresk, which are believed to be unique to Scotland if not Britain and date from about 200 AD. The exciting discovery was made in March last year while work had been carried out on a cricket pavilion there. The stones were removed and put into storage by AOC Archaeology Group, working in partnership with East Lothian Council and Historic Scotland. Just the backs and sides were visible at the time, and last month - for conservation reasons - a full inspection was carried out. The results, now revealed below, have greatly excited archaeologists. ...continued Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melvadius Posted March 18, 2011 Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 STV apparently have a video report of the find here unfortunately it requires 'Flash' to play which I don't have on this PC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klingan Posted March 18, 2011 Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 STV apparently have a video report of the find here unfortunately it requires 'Flash' to play which I don't have on this PC. There's not really any new information, but they have some really nice shots of the pieces, well worth seeing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corax Posted March 18, 2011 Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 STV apparently have a video report of the find here unfortunately it requires 'Flash' to play which I don't have on this PC. There's not really any new information, but they have some really nice shots of the pieces, well worth seeing. I have tried to access the video but it comes up with a message that it is not currently available. The picture from the East Lothian courier is impressive, though. The main part of the altar sounds as bit like one of those from Brocolitia. Corax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostOfClayton Posted March 19, 2011 Report Share Posted March 19, 2011 YouTube to the rescue. Also, seeing the location of the new Pavillion on video allowed me to get onto Google Earth and pinpoint the find in relation to the Roman fort. A couple of hundred metres west of the South West corner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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