To begin our Literary Evening on 17 November, Val read the following piece to

Fieldwalkers
Today’s hunter-gatherers
have an eye for the land
they can add up all the years
of fieldwalking together
the sum of their experience
with each companion

The little head of Minerva
wearing her helmet
and giving a quizzical look -
Walter remembers finding her
and crossing the field to Mason Is this anything?

then the whole way back
Mason cupped her head in his hands
looking into her face

‘pig with the bagpipes’

We give out information; we certainly receive it, too. A clergyman from Ripon Cathedral sent Ian Brown a foolscap envelope with photographs of the ‘misericords’ in the choir stalls of the Cathedral where there is indeed a carved pig blowing furiously on his pipes while a couple of piglets are dancing away. Melrose Abbey’s pig with the bagpipes ? Apparently pigs were associated in the past with such unwelcome attributes as lust, gluttony and lack of self control, and were presumably depicted as lively warnings to the worshippers.

It is often said that Scotland is a small place. This was borne out, yet again, by a white-bearded walker who, at tea-time in Newstead Village Hall, suggested to one of the regular guides (not Ian Brown) that he had been taught by him at school some fifty years ago. How tempus fugit !

A couple arrived on a Wednesday from North Berwick and, though disappointed to miss the Walk, spent ages going round the Museum. Back they came the very next day - to go on the Walk - and to pay their subs as Trimontium Troopers. Thankyou!

‘making ski boots’

A Swiss couple spent an entire morning in the Ormiston and enjoyed the video on Roman Frontiers, which includes Germany and Austria, as well as Hadrian’s Wall and the Antonine Wall. Into the bargain they gave the supervisor a talk on making ski boots and how their own factory used to fasten on the soles, not with Roman-type hobnails but with wooden nails, which expanded in the snow to give the firmest of grips.

Vindolanda, mid-way between Newcastle and Carlisle, is a unique Roman site, several times over:

• the length of Roman activity (from the 80s AD until 400 AD or so);
• the number of superimposed forts (probably seven wooden and two stone);
• the writing tablets (one of the greatest manuscript discoveries ever made in Britain: multiple award-winning);
• the world’s largest collection of Roman leather;
• the only known fort with two bathhouses (one 1st cent; one 3rd cent);
• the site (in the courtyard of the CO’s house) of the earliest Christian church in North Britain.

The year 2005 saw the addition of four more unique features:-

• the discovery of temples/mausolea in the civilian settlement, along with pieces of several sculptures and the acanthus leaf top of a Corinthian column:
• a section of collapsed fort wall, left where it fell (the wall was rebuilt using new stone):
• two parallel turf ramparts (one probably Antonine) reinforcing an earlier unstable rampart:
• the premiere of “ Vindolanda the Musical”, running for several nights in July.

  In addition, two more writing tablets and a number of fragments were discovered, and a wooden building (of, so far, undetermined purpose) built with massive timber posts. Further identification has also been made of the layout of the pre-Hadrianic wooden forts and ditches.

With three sections of the site being excavated simultaneously, Vindolanda continues to be one of the most exciting and productive excavations currently under way in Britain. The staff at Vindolanda are expert at producing excavation reports timeously ( would that all excavators were as efficient!) and at displaying the finds in the museum.

‘places to dig are highly prized’

The first results are reported on the website (www.vindolanda.com) and we can look forward to more detailed reports being written up over the winter. It is not surprising that places to dig at Vindolanda are highly prized and the numbers of applicants readily exceed available vacancies.

To improve the visitors’ experience at Vindolanda, a new and expanded entrance display and visitor centre (with improved toilets) has been under construction at the W of the site and should be ready by Spring 2006.

A new display about the writing tablets has been in operation since October 2005, including a new film about how the tablets are found, conserved and interpreted. Vindolanda is open all winter, apart from Christmas Day and 9 & 10 February.

This joint production with Haydon Bridge High School brought to life the fort, the market place and the Wall (with some artistic licence in chronology) over three nights in July ‘05 in a marquee. In the story a pupil was knocked out while playing on the Wall and we were transported back in time to see him solve the mystery of ‘the man from overseas’ before the Governor as Judge, with surprising results.

Characters in the letters appeared, including Flavius Cerealis the CO, and his wife Sulpicia, plus episodes of the birthday invitation, the socks-and-underpants request and the Virgil copying mistake. Like “Joseph”, originally a school production, Chris Guy’s musical deserves to be presented elsewhere. A DVD is available. What price Jim Letham and ‘Trimontium the Musical’ too? On with the motley !

“an informal and witty speech”

The case is lit by fibre-optic lighting from the top (cleverly connected up by Graham Barker, who also tested the case alarm for us, and how!) and is backed by a special black backdrop, sanctioned by Dr Clarke of the National Museums and designed and illustrated by them, as an earnest of their partnership with the Trust. The purchase of the case was made possible only by a substantial grant from Awards for All.
Local SBC Councillor Bill Smith, introduced by Dr John Reid , the Trust Chairman, flanked by Mrs Barbara Linehan, daughter of James Curle, and Provost Windram, and surrounded by the group of Trust museum supervisors and Newstead helpers, made an informal and witty speech. He spoke of the advent of the case and its contents and the slowly-unfolding saga of the Trust and its supporters. The celebration continued over another sumptuous Newstead tea and coffee ceremony in the Lower Hall, a splendid preparation for the coming Site Safari.

“a blast from the trumpet”

At 1.30pm, at Newstead Millennium Milestone and in brilliant sunshine a blast from the trumpet of Liam Blain heralded the start of Scottish Archaeology Month in the Borders and the Trimontium Site Safari. Liam and his twin brother Kyle, resplendent in their red tunics and military belts and carrying the round shield, the long hasta thrusting spear and the vexillum banner, and accompanied by Roman lady Jessica Bennett in her saffron yellow tunic dress, ribbons, hair up and carrying a posy of flowers, led off the procession. Dr John Reid had welcomed the seventy-strong contingent (to be joined by ten more at Leaderfoot) and had unveiled the Eildons information board. En route up the S side of the site Ian Brown of Galashiels, Walk guide, addressed the crowd at the unveiling of the S Annexe board. The trio of Roman youngsters, to the delight of the many children as well as the adults present, unveiled the board outside the E Annexe, looking over to the Roman Stone Summerhouse.

“explaining the mysteries of bare fields”

Singing the Trimontium Song, the party made its way along the old railway track to the replica timber watchtower erected, by kind permission of the Ravenswood Estate, at the S end of the Leaderfoot Viaduct. Walter Elliot, Past Chairman, recounted the start of the Trust’s association with Tweed Forum, the local arm of the Heritage Lottery Fund and introduced Mrs Judith Nicol, who had created and led the Forum and secured some £9M for heritage work along the Tweed. Mrs Nicol paid tribute to the work of the Trust volunteers who had worked wonders in explaining the mysteries of bare fields. The Trust was always quoted as the example of what could be done by volunteers with determination and imagination. Mrs Nicol cut the red ribbon on the tower staircase and the party moved briefly on to the viaduct to see the wonderful views from the top.

“ the rendition of Lord Macaulay’s ‘Horatius’ ”

Skirting the field outside the E Annexe the troops arrived at Dr Lonie’s ‘dig’ across the Dere Street road mound in the trees heading down to the river. Despite the megaphone’s temporary failure the effort put into the work could be clearly seen. Down the slope and to the right we processed to see Liz Ellis of Newstead, representing the backroom boys and girls, unveil the Leaderfoot Marker, the black pillar on the E edge of the site at the A 68. Liam’s fanfare was echoed by the horn of a speeding chariot.

Moving towards the river we gathered at the S end of Old Drygrange Bridge to hear the rendition of Lord Macaulay’s ‘Horatius’ by the be-kilted Grant Lees of Melrose Opera fame. Standing on one of the five red sandstone blocks (symbolising the five crossings of the Tweed here) and flanked by the young trio as Spurius Lartius, Titus Herminius and the Scout, Grant ‘gie’d it laldy’, his ringing declamation being punctuated by shouts and laughter at the appropriate (?) points. The performance was received with acclamation and tumultuous applause. [It must be recorded for posterity].

“ from two-star to three-star rating”

After we crossed the bridge and walked up the Drygrange drive, Dr Reid addressed the multitude at the Roman Stone Summerhouse, built with stone from the Trimontium dig. He summed up the wonderful day and the Provost, wrapped in the mantle of a latter-day Mark Antony had the last words -‘Amici, Romani, Scotti (?)’- of thanks to all who had taken part in a memorable occasion, and particularly the Young Three of Jessica, Liam and Kyle. With a final trumpet call the group made its way to the Grange Hall annexe for their well-earned refreshments, served by Mrs Wendy Smith and her staff.

Triple Peaks? Yes, word came that very day that the Museum had been raised by VisitScotland from a two-star to a three-star rating. And the Trimontium Fort road sign on the bypass, down for twenty months, was suddenly restored , thanks to Winnie the Pooh - but that’s another story, Trimontiumly complicated!

Colin Maclean, a much younger friend, centurion and generous supporter since 1989, was Headteacher of Earlston Primary School and encouraged his teachers to ‘do the Romans’ and bring their classes the short distance S to Leaderfoot for the Route March, sometimes coming himself. A man with a deep interest in WWI campaigns, he died untimely. Family, Borders friends and colleagues miss him very much.

J N Graham Ritchie (1942-2005), husband of Anna Ritchie, is described by Fionna and Patrick Ashmore in a splendid Scottish Archaeological News (Summer 2005) obituary as ‘an eminent figure in Scottish archaeology. His example and his wide-ranging publications are an enduring legacy’. For us he was courtesy and helpfulness itself. One of his Millennial Rhind Lectures was on James and AO Curle, for which he consulted Mrs Linehan and the family, and which he repeated in Kelso (Trumpet No. 16 p 19) and also to Melrose Historical. He readily made available his file in RCAHMS on the Curles, with the notebooks (one containing a Haverfield letter), the journal and copies of James’ letters to the British Museum, which he was instrumental in bringing to Edinburgh (and which, one day, the Trust may be able to publish). He allowed us to quote about the finding of the notebooks from the Kidd & Ritchie 1988 publication (Trumpet No. 18 p16; p19). He was delighted to see the Grant Lees find of the 1905 Appeal for Funds to continue the excavation. A scholar and a gentleman.

Andrew Macgregor Young, senior partner in J &J Robertson, Solicitors, Edinburgh, played a crucial role in the formation of the Trust and the Museum Trust. In 1988 at the Robin Birley lecture in the Corn Exchange Mrs Linehan asked the speaker what we should do. ‘We formed a Trust’, he said. A Newstead lady asked Andrew how a Trust was formed, pointed him in the direction of the now Hon Sec - and the rest (a local version of blood, toil, tears and sweat) is history. Andrew used to tell the story of crossing to Normandy after D-Day, carrying Caesar’s

Gallic Wars, presumably as a code aid when writing home. He strayed off course and uphill in his armoured car and became a spectator of a tank battle taking place in the valley below. For many years his mode of transport was an ancient tan-coloured Rolls Royce, perhaps the one foible of a modest man, in which he attended Trustee meetings, Trimontium Lectures and even a Walter ‘dig’ at Torwoodlee. He and Irene were familiar figures over many years in Melrose and Newstead, where his cottage still is. He was always willing to lend an ear and give advice not only to the Trust but to Newstead Village and Conservation Committees. A generous supporter, with a pawky sense of humour.

Ian Mitchell, lecturer and photographer (Clapperton Studios, Selkirk) recently gave us a disc of photos of the Oakwood fort excavation after WWII. We made him imaginum artifex - artist in images.

This year’s Archaeology Forum was held in the old Perth City Hall, where the Hon Treasurer and the Hon Sec manned a stall promoting Trimontium through book and souvenir sales, and the trying on of costumes by the children. We had bought some new miniature ballistas to sell - we could have sold them three times over. People were buying the new Keppie guide to Scotland’s Roman Remains. One lady customer had never heard of Lindsey Davis but bought one of her books and mentioned casually that she would be down in the Borders the next week. In the middle of our afternoon tea on Curle Circuit Day she appeared. Business is business - and we were glad to open up there and then and sell another two Falco adventures.

The most well-known of Curle’s correspondents was Professor Francis Haverfield, who held the Camden Chair of History at Oxford University while the excavations were ongoing from 1905 to 1910. Dr Philip Freeman of Liverpool University, who has studied the great man for twenty years, shared his insights with the audience in the Corn Exchange on Thursday 3 November. If it was the practice in the past to speak no ill of the dead (de mortuis nil, nisi bonum) and to defer to the intellectual luminaries of the day, that has now gone in the drive to ‘cut out the flannel’ and ‘tell it as it is’.

‘an eye to the main chance’

Haverfield stood revealed as an academic with an eye to the main chance, and, while standing on the same feet of clay as other members of the human race, unafraid himself to stand on other people’s toes on the basis of his superior knowledge. He died comparatively young because of ill-health (not, according to the speaker, because of distress, as was conventionally held, at the number of his students killed in WWI). The people who wrote his fifteen obituaries regarded his death as a national calamity, each describing different aspects of a complex character. George Macdonald, the Secretary of the Scottish Education Department, coin expert, archaeologist, President of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and, in a sense, Haverfield’s ‘agent’ in Scotland (and later, his ‘ghost writer’), cast the great man in the role of the complete authority on Roman Britain as if he had suddenly appeared, like a mythological figure, fully formed, to dominate the scene. Dr Freeman went over the evidence that helped to deconstruct these myths. He confessed that a great number of negative aspects had emerged, including a desire on Haverfield’s part to take control of other people’s excavations, while being a less than perfect archaeologist himself. He had apparently ‘fallen out’ with many colleagues, who perhaps resented his one-man flying squad descending on their work to pontificate and zoom off again.

‘not up to the job’

He had suggested to Curle, early on, that Mr Mackie, the experienced Clerk of Works at the Newstead excavation was ‘not up to the job’. Curle had obviously paid no heed, and in his 1911 book was full of praise for the man who had actually supervised the digging.
The talk was a fascinating jigsaw of a clever but somehow unattractive character. The proposer of the vote of thanks looked forward to hearing how James Curle handled this man, dominant in his profession, through his letters.

Gordon Maxwell of Aberdour (and formerly of RCAHMS) was describing a different character from the formidable Edwardian personage of Lecture I. Sir Ian Richmond, who dug at Newstead in 1947 (Curle, with whom he had planned to dig had died in 1944) with German POWs borrowed from local farms, cut a puckish and humorous figure, carrying lightly his gifts of quick thinking and encyclopaedic knowledge, and captivating everyone with whom he came into contact.

‘being met at the station with a pony and trap’

He was the leading Roman archaeologist and professor of his day and at the same time was eager to spread the word to the public, not only with his books but also by accepting invitations to speak to WRIs and faraway local societies, on one occasion in 1960 being met at the station (he did not drive) with a pony and trap. His refusal to cut down his commitments probably led to his early death in 1965 at the age of 63. Based for a time in Newcastle, he wrote most of the Roman material in the Inventory of Roxburghshire (1956) about Cappuck, Dere Street, Newstead etc. Though he was not always right in his conclusions, the speaker indicated that Richmond was ‘wrong for the right reasons’, being always willing to listen to suggestions, though so persuasive himself that his views held sway for a long time till fresh evidence (which he would have welcomed) turned up to disprove them.

‘talking as he worked and trowelled’

The talk was enlivened by an illustrated display on Richmond’s life kindly loaned by Newcastle University and a BBC recording of him talking as he worked and trowelled (plenty of scraping noises) at the huge Inchtuthil fortress in Perthshire, where he dug for fourteen summers and where the million Roman nails (made at Newstead?) buried when the fort was abandoned were found.

The speaker’s admiration for his subject was echoed by Mrs Mary Hanson who, happily had been a student of Richmond’s at Newcastle and whose vote of thanks could only have been given by one who had sat enchanted at the master’s feet, and, listening to the measured tones, had been so grateful to have had the time to understand and take such readable notes.

Dr John H Reid, wing collar, moustache and all, played the part of Dr Curle; Nancy Finlay, complete with academic gown, acted as narrator in these Trimontium Theatricals, linking the letters together in date order; and Donald Gordon, similarly begowned, provided the voices for the few Haverfield and Macdonald letters. As the letters were linked and read, each speaker with a radio mike, over 100 slides were shown, in documentary style, to illustrate the points raised, with flashes of humour, as required.

Dr Mike Bishop of Chirnside had rushed out a draft booklet containing the 20 or so letters, together with a commentary on them by Dr Freeman (see p 16). The letters show the excitement of the time, with artefacts being found and described daily and questions constantly being raised as to their function. James Curle is seen growing in confidence from being somewhat diffident at the beginning in reporting to a Professor, but by the end standing his ground and defending his conclusions, as a practical archaeologist, against the theorising of the academic historian.

Dr Bill Lonie gave a spontaneous speech of thanks. As distinct from the polished final report, the letters gave the rough and ready feel of how things actually happened, before the finishing touches were applied for public consumption.

The evening, at which, happily, Mrs Linehan was present together with her nephew Mr David Murray, was begun in style with the reading by Val Gillies of her Odes to Walter and Fieldwalkers in general (see pp 11-12), copies of which were circulated to the audience. The Walterisms, in lingua Selkirkese rang so true and raised a smile of recognition each time.

Since it was a Gala Night and really bringing the 2005 Celebration to an end, the evening closed with refreshments, for which lady members of the Trust were warmly thanked.

Thoughts now began to turn to 2006.

When the Romans arrived, did they find existing settlements, or were they the cause of these vici [vee-kee]? Vicus ( the singular) is a civil/legal term eg over 200 vici in Rome itself. A fort is a military facility. There are few proven military vici in Britain. Activities inside and outside the fort were very similar. Did the

the forts belong to the vici, or the vici to the forts? The R. military needed far more space than was available in a fort. Vindolanda records show 16+ activities going on outside the fort eg mining, kilning, pasturage etc. - a large demand for space.

When did a settlement become a vicus? Civil vici existed at London,Water Newton, Lincoln, Brough-on-Humber. Military vici? At Old Carlisle, Great Chesters, Vindolanda, Housesteads, Carriden. No relevant inscriptions from Newstead. Is a defended vicus [vee-koos] the same as a military annexe?

At Chester and Heronbridge there is (1) a settlement associated with a fort; and (2) a civil settlement a short distance away. [See the vicus beside Piercebridge R. fort - and the native settlement at Stanwick, 3 miles away. Trumpet No. 19 p 17].

Curle (1918 p 114) speculated that native people must have been either attracted to or compelled to settle at the vici to provide (slave?) labour for well/ditch digging, agriculture etc. Vici seem to be occupied soon after their forts are constructed. No evidence of round houses = no existing settlements. The oblong style of vicus buildings is Italianate. Would natives have adapted so quickly to such a cultural change?
While there are no wells inside a R. fort in Britain (sic ?) there are often signs of ‘probable wells’ in the vici.[Newstead S Annexe is full of wells/pits].
Did the vici inhabitants come from a different building tradition? Perhaps, not having the generous manpower supply of the army, the residents were not inclined to go far to obtain water for their domestic and manufacturing needs.
From existing evidence Salway (1965) thinks the majority of vici inhabitants were immigrant followers of the army. Did it initiate vici at their fort sites?
Vici - not occupied post 3rd Cent. Why?

Our thanks to reporter Ian Dalton

Appendix

A Biggins ‘Recent geophys, H’steads/HRochester’
A Birley ‘ Vindolanda vicus; extension of military community’
J McKelvey ‘Vicus defences under Swan Hunter yard at Wallsend’ and M Snape ‘Vicus area at S Shields’
D Mason ‘Canabae at legionary fortress, Chester’
J Bruhn ‘ Military vici & indigenous population’
N Hodgson ‘ Military vici:changing perspectives’

When Hadrian saa Northumberland
The moorland ind the sea
The netties and the pit heaps
He said ‘Noo, that’s for me’.

Now Hadrian was a clever man
Of that there is no doot
To the big centurion he said
‘Noo, teyke a luk aboot.

Why gan back tee Rome, man,
Wi’v got it made up heor,
Wi’ stotty cake ind fine young maids,
Ind a smashin’ pint o’ beor’.

So Hadrian sed ‘W’ll build a waal
Rite across the land
From the mooth o’ Tyne yonder
To the Solway’s golden sand.

A muckle waal shud dye the trick,
Built wi’ stanes that’s lyin’ aboot.
Then we’ll ahl enjoy this place
Ind keep the b-gg-rs oot’.

Noo hist’ry tells us that the Picts,
The Scotties and the Celts
Wor aaful men wi’ ginger beards
Ind swords stuck thro tha belts.

They say thi built the waal
Tae keep thise wild men back.
That’s not true - wi’v fund oot since
That niver was the crack.

No! Hadrian really liked the Scots,
Ind he alwis teld the trooth.
Who he really didn’t wand -
Wis yon b-gg-rs from the Sooth!