- Collection type
- Object
- Description
- Iron nail, square in section and with a wide, flat head. [SM 02/01/2008]
- Geographical reference
- Scotland Perthshire Perth And Kinross Caputh Inchtuthil
- Person
- Field collector Ian Archibald Richmond
- PRM source Ian Archibald Richmond
- PRM source Henry Cleeve
- PRM source Iron & Steel Institute
- Date / Period
- Date made: 83-87 Archaeological period: Romano-British, uncertain
- Date collected
- By 1962
- Acquisition information
- Donated: 1962
- Materials and processes
- Material Iron Metal, Process Forged (Metal), Process Hammered
- Dimensions
- Length: max 190 mm, Width: max 21 mm
- Object numbers
- Accession number: 1962.5.3.2 Other PRM accession number: 1962.5.3b
- Research and responses
The Roman legionary fortress at Inchtuthil [NO 1251 3971] is recorded on the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland [RCAHMS] Canmore database of archaeological monuments under site no. NO13NW 5.0 and Canmore ID no. 28592. The fort is described as being founded by Agricola soon after AD 83 and systematically demolished soon after AD 86. First excavated in 1901 by Ross Abercromby, the next excavation occurred from 1952 and 1965 directed by Sir I. A. Richmond [the donator of this object] and Professor J. K. St Joseph. During their excavations they discovered that close to a million iron nails had been buried shortly before the fortress was abandoned, presumably to prevent them from being utilised by the enemy. [MN 09/07/2009]
A photo of a large quantity of iron nails recovered during the Richardson and St Joseph excavations can be viewed on SCRAN [Scran ID: 000-299-998-257-C], see http://www.scran.ac.uk. [MN 09/07/2009]
The final excavation report was published in 1985 as part of the Britannia monograph series; see Inchtuthil: The Roman Legionary Fortress Excavations, 1952-65 (Britannia Monograph series, no. 6), by Lynn F. Pitts and J. K. S. St. Joseph (London: Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1985). [MN 11/09/2009; JC 12 9 2012]
1962.5.3.2
Iron nail, square in section and with a wide, flat head. [SM 02/01/2008]
1962.5.3.2
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