Cramond Roman Fort
Encyclopedia
Cramond Roman Fort is a Roman-Era
archaeological site at Cramond
, Edinburgh
, Scotland
. In the Ravenna Cosmography
this settlement is called "Caromago". The fort was established around 140 AD and occupied until around 170, with a further period of occupation from around 208 to 211. Among the many archaeological finds, one of the most famous is a sculpture known as the Cramond Lioness
.
at the point where it flows into the Forth
. In Roman times
, there was probably a natural harbour here. The Roman fort at Cramond was established around 140 during the building of the Antonine Wall
, and remained in use until around 170 when the Romans retreated south to Hadrian's Wall
. When the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus
began the last major Roman incursion into Scotland from 208 to 211, the fort was reoccupied and enlarged. Throughout these periods of occupation a civilian settlement seems to have existed outside the fort, and some native occupation of the fort seems to have taken place after the time of Severus into the 4th century.
of Tungri
ans (either first or second) and was dedicated to "the Alatervan Mothers and the Mothers of the Parade-ground" . Early antiquarian
s interpreted this as referring to the place where the stone was found, and drew from it the conclusion that the Roman name of Cramond was "Alaterva". This idea is no longer accepted among scholars, and "Alatervae" is now believed to be an epithet
attached to the Matronae, following a practice found elsewhere in the empire. Other stones found at the fort include a centuria
l stone of Legio II Augusta, and an altar "To Jupiter Optimus Maximus
" erected by the fifth cohort of Gauls. In the Ravenna Cosmography
this settlement is called "Caromago".
The most famous sculpture is the Cramond Lioness
recovered from the mouth of the River Almond in 1997. The sculpture, in a non-local white sandstone
, shows a lioness devouring her prey, a naked bearded male torso. The sculpture was most probably originally part of a large tomb monument of an important Roman office, perhaps the fort commander or an important dignitary.
Cramond Roman Fort is a Roman-Era
archaeological site at Cramond
, Edinburgh
, Scotland
. In the Ravenna Cosmography
this settlement is called "Caromago". The fort was established around 140 AD and occupied until around 170, with a further period of occupation from around 208 to 211. Among the many archaeological finds, one of the most famous is a sculpture known as the Cramond Lioness
.
at the point where it flows into the Forth
. In Roman times
, there was probably a natural harbour here.T. Christopher Smout, (1992), Scotland and the sea, page 15. Rowman & Littlefield The Roman fort at Cramond was established around 140 during the building of the Antonine Wall
, and remained in use until around 170 when the Romans retreated south to Hadrian's Wall
. When the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus
began the last major Roman incursion into Scotland from 208 to 211, the fort was reoccupied and enlarged. Throughout these periods of occupation a civilian settlement seems to have existed outside the fort, and some native occupation of the fort seems to have taken place after the time of Severus into the 4th century.
of Tungri
ans (either first or second) and was dedicated to "the Alatervan Mothers and the Mothers of the Parade-ground" . Early antiquarian
s interpreted this as referring to the place where the stone was found, and drew from it the conclusion that the Roman name of Cramond was "Alaterva". This idea is no longer accepted among scholars, and "Alatervae" is now believed to be an epithet
attached to the Matronae, following a practice found elsewhere in the empire. Other stones found at the fort include a centuria
l stone of Legio II Augusta, and an altar "To Jupiter Optimus Maximus
" erected by the fifth cohort of Gauls. In the Ravenna Cosmography
this settlement is called "Caromago"http://www.romanmap.com/htm/ravcosm/rc190,191-200.htmhttp://www.romanmap.com/htm/nomina/Carumabo.htm.
The most famous sculpture is the Cramond Lioness
recovered from the mouth of the River Almond in 1997. The sculpture, in a non-local white sandstone
, shows a lioness devouring her prey, a naked bearded male torso. The sculpture was most probably originally part of a large tomb monument of an important Roman office, perhaps the fort commander or an important dignitary.
Cramond Roman Fort is a Roman-Era
archaeological site at Cramond
, Edinburgh
, Scotland
. In the Ravenna Cosmography
this settlement is called "Caromago". The fort was established around 140 AD and occupied until around 170, with a further period of occupation from around 208 to 211. Among the many archaeological finds, one of the most famous is a sculpture known as the Cramond Lioness
.
at the point where it flows into the Forth
. In Roman times
, there was probably a natural harbour here.T. Christopher Smout, (1992), Scotland and the sea, page 15. Rowman & Littlefield The Roman fort at Cramond was established around 140 during the building of the Antonine Wall
, and remained in use until around 170 when the Romans retreated south to Hadrian's Wall
. When the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus
began the last major Roman incursion into Scotland from 208 to 211, the fort was reoccupied and enlarged. Throughout these periods of occupation a civilian settlement seems to have existed outside the fort, and some native occupation of the fort seems to have taken place after the time of Severus into the 4th century.
of Tungri
ans (either first or second) and was dedicated to "the Alatervan Mothers and the Mothers of the Parade-ground" . Early antiquarian
s interpreted this as referring to the place where the stone was found, and drew from it the conclusion that the Roman name of Cramond was "Alaterva". This idea is no longer accepted among scholars, and "Alatervae" is now believed to be an epithet
attached to the Matronae, following a practice found elsewhere in the empire. Other stones found at the fort include a centuria
l stone of Legio II Augusta, and an altar "To Jupiter Optimus Maximus
" erected by the fifth cohort of Gauls. In the Ravenna Cosmography
this settlement is called "Caromago"http://www.romanmap.com/htm/ravcosm/rc190,191-200.htmhttp://www.romanmap.com/htm/nomina/Carumabo.htm.
The most famous sculpture is the Cramond Lioness
recovered from the mouth of the River Almond in 1997. The sculpture, in a non-local white sandstone
, shows a lioness devouring her prey, a naked bearded male torso. The sculpture was most probably originally part of a large tomb monument of an important Roman office, perhaps the fort commander or an important dignitary.
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
archaeological site at Cramond
Cramond
Cramond is a seaside village now part of suburban Edinburgh, Scotland, located in the north-west corner of the city at the mouth of the River Almond where it enters the Firth of Forth....
, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. In the Ravenna Cosmography
Ravenna Cosmography
The Ravenna Cosmography was compiled by an anonymous cleric in Ravenna around AD 700. It consists of a list of place-names covering the world from India to Ireland. Textual evidence indicates that the author frequently used maps as his source....
this settlement is called "Caromago". The fort was established around 140 AD and occupied until around 170, with a further period of occupation from around 208 to 211. Among the many archaeological finds, one of the most famous is a sculpture known as the Cramond Lioness
Cramond Lioness
The Cramond lioness is a Roman-era sculpture recovered in 1997 from the mouth of the River Almond at Cramond, Edinburgh, Scotland.It depicts a bound male prisoner being killed by a lioness...
.
History
The fort at Cramond was located on the River AlmondRiver Almond, Lothian
The River Almond is a river in east-central Scotland. It is 28 miles long, rising in North Lanarkshire near Shotts and runs through West Lothian, draining into the Firth of Forth at Cramond near Edinburgh....
at the point where it flows into the Forth
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
. In Roman times
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, there was probably a natural harbour here. The Roman fort at Cramond was established around 140 during the building of the Antonine Wall
Antonine Wall
The Antonine Wall is a stone and turf fortification built by the Romans across what is now the Central Belt of Scotland, between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde. Representing the northernmost frontier barrier of the Roman Empire, it spanned approximately 39 miles and was about ten feet ...
, and remained in use until around 170 when the Romans retreated south to Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall was a defensive fortification in Roman Britain. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall, lesser known of the two because its physical remains are less evident today.The...
. When the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus
Septimius Severus
Septimius Severus , also known as Severus, was Roman Emperor from 193 to 211. Severus was born in Leptis Magna in the province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through the customary succession of offices under the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. Severus seized power after the death of...
began the last major Roman incursion into Scotland from 208 to 211, the fort was reoccupied and enlarged. Throughout these periods of occupation a civilian settlement seems to have existed outside the fort, and some native occupation of the fort seems to have taken place after the time of Severus into the 4th century.
Finds
A stone altar which was dug up a few hundred years ago in the grounds of Cramond House, was originally erected by a cohortCohort
Cohort may refer to:* Cohort , a taxonomic term in biology* Cohort , a group of students working together through the same academic curriculum* Cohort , the basic tactical unit of a Roman legion...
of Tungri
Tungri
The Tungri were a tribe, or group of tribes, who lived in the Belgic part Gaul, during the times of the Roman empire. They were described by Tacitus as being the same people who were first called "Germani" , meaning that all other tribes who were later referred to this way, including those in...
ans (either first or second) and was dedicated to "the Alatervan Mothers and the Mothers of the Parade-ground" . Early antiquarian
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
s interpreted this as referring to the place where the stone was found, and drew from it the conclusion that the Roman name of Cramond was "Alaterva". This idea is no longer accepted among scholars, and "Alatervae" is now believed to be an epithet
Epithet
An epithet or byname is a descriptive term accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, divinities, objects, and binomial nomenclature. It is also a descriptive title...
attached to the Matronae, following a practice found elsewhere in the empire. Other stones found at the fort include a centuria
Centuria
Centuria is a Latin substantive from the stem centum , denoting units consisting of 100 men. It also denotes a Roman unit of land area: 1 centuria = 100 heredia...
l stone of Legio II Augusta, and an altar "To Jupiter Optimus Maximus
Jupiter (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Jupiter or Jove is the king of the gods, and the god of the sky and thunder. He is the equivalent of Zeus in the Greek pantheon....
" erected by the fifth cohort of Gauls. In the Ravenna Cosmography
Ravenna Cosmography
The Ravenna Cosmography was compiled by an anonymous cleric in Ravenna around AD 700. It consists of a list of place-names covering the world from India to Ireland. Textual evidence indicates that the author frequently used maps as his source....
this settlement is called "Caromago".
The most famous sculpture is the Cramond Lioness
Cramond Lioness
The Cramond lioness is a Roman-era sculpture recovered in 1997 from the mouth of the River Almond at Cramond, Edinburgh, Scotland.It depicts a bound male prisoner being killed by a lioness...
recovered from the mouth of the River Almond in 1997. The sculpture, in a non-local white sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, shows a lioness devouring her prey, a naked bearded male torso. The sculpture was most probably originally part of a large tomb monument of an important Roman office, perhaps the fort commander or an important dignitary.
The site today
The ground plan of part of the fort is laid out in an area of open parkland. Here one can see headquarters building, granaries, workshop, together with other buildings, restored in outline. Information panels at the site link the findings of the last 50 years of excavations and recreate life in the former Roman headquarters and bathhouse.Cramond Roman Fort is a Roman-Era
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
archaeological site at Cramond
Cramond
Cramond is a seaside village now part of suburban Edinburgh, Scotland, located in the north-west corner of the city at the mouth of the River Almond where it enters the Firth of Forth....
, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. In the Ravenna Cosmography
Ravenna Cosmography
The Ravenna Cosmography was compiled by an anonymous cleric in Ravenna around AD 700. It consists of a list of place-names covering the world from India to Ireland. Textual evidence indicates that the author frequently used maps as his source....
this settlement is called "Caromago". The fort was established around 140 AD and occupied until around 170, with a further period of occupation from around 208 to 211. Among the many archaeological finds, one of the most famous is a sculpture known as the Cramond Lioness
Cramond Lioness
The Cramond lioness is a Roman-era sculpture recovered in 1997 from the mouth of the River Almond at Cramond, Edinburgh, Scotland.It depicts a bound male prisoner being killed by a lioness...
.
History
The fort at Cramond was located on the River AlmondRiver Almond, Lothian
The River Almond is a river in east-central Scotland. It is 28 miles long, rising in North Lanarkshire near Shotts and runs through West Lothian, draining into the Firth of Forth at Cramond near Edinburgh....
at the point where it flows into the Forth
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
. In Roman times
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, there was probably a natural harbour here.T. Christopher Smout, (1992), Scotland and the sea, page 15. Rowman & Littlefield The Roman fort at Cramond was established around 140 during the building of the Antonine Wall
Antonine Wall
The Antonine Wall is a stone and turf fortification built by the Romans across what is now the Central Belt of Scotland, between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde. Representing the northernmost frontier barrier of the Roman Empire, it spanned approximately 39 miles and was about ten feet ...
, and remained in use until around 170 when the Romans retreated south to Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall was a defensive fortification in Roman Britain. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall, lesser known of the two because its physical remains are less evident today.The...
. When the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus
Septimius Severus
Septimius Severus , also known as Severus, was Roman Emperor from 193 to 211. Severus was born in Leptis Magna in the province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through the customary succession of offices under the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. Severus seized power after the death of...
began the last major Roman incursion into Scotland from 208 to 211, the fort was reoccupied and enlarged. Throughout these periods of occupation a civilian settlement seems to have existed outside the fort, and some native occupation of the fort seems to have taken place after the time of Severus into the 4th century.
Finds
A stone altar which was dug up a few hundred years ago in the grounds of Cramond House, was originally erected by a cohortCohort
Cohort may refer to:* Cohort , a taxonomic term in biology* Cohort , a group of students working together through the same academic curriculum* Cohort , the basic tactical unit of a Roman legion...
of Tungri
Tungri
The Tungri were a tribe, or group of tribes, who lived in the Belgic part Gaul, during the times of the Roman empire. They were described by Tacitus as being the same people who were first called "Germani" , meaning that all other tribes who were later referred to this way, including those in...
ans (either first or second) and was dedicated to "the Alatervan Mothers and the Mothers of the Parade-ground" . Early antiquarian
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
s interpreted this as referring to the place where the stone was found, and drew from it the conclusion that the Roman name of Cramond was "Alaterva". This idea is no longer accepted among scholars, and "Alatervae" is now believed to be an epithet
Epithet
An epithet or byname is a descriptive term accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, divinities, objects, and binomial nomenclature. It is also a descriptive title...
attached to the Matronae, following a practice found elsewhere in the empire. Other stones found at the fort include a centuria
Centuria
Centuria is a Latin substantive from the stem centum , denoting units consisting of 100 men. It also denotes a Roman unit of land area: 1 centuria = 100 heredia...
l stone of Legio II Augusta, and an altar "To Jupiter Optimus Maximus
Jupiter (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Jupiter or Jove is the king of the gods, and the god of the sky and thunder. He is the equivalent of Zeus in the Greek pantheon....
" erected by the fifth cohort of Gauls. In the Ravenna Cosmography
Ravenna Cosmography
The Ravenna Cosmography was compiled by an anonymous cleric in Ravenna around AD 700. It consists of a list of place-names covering the world from India to Ireland. Textual evidence indicates that the author frequently used maps as his source....
this settlement is called "Caromago"http://www.romanmap.com/htm/ravcosm/rc190,191-200.htmhttp://www.romanmap.com/htm/nomina/Carumabo.htm.
The most famous sculpture is the Cramond Lioness
Cramond Lioness
The Cramond lioness is a Roman-era sculpture recovered in 1997 from the mouth of the River Almond at Cramond, Edinburgh, Scotland.It depicts a bound male prisoner being killed by a lioness...
recovered from the mouth of the River Almond in 1997. The sculpture, in a non-local white sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, shows a lioness devouring her prey, a naked bearded male torso. The sculpture was most probably originally part of a large tomb monument of an important Roman office, perhaps the fort commander or an important dignitary.
The site today
The ground plan of part of the fort is laid out in an area of open parkland. Here one can see headquarters building, granaries, workshop, together with other buildings, restored in outline.David John Breeze, (2002), Roman forts in Britain, page 63. Osprey Publishing Information panels at the site link the findings of the last 50 years of excavations and recreate life in the former Roman headquarters and bathhouse.Cramond Roman Fort is a Roman-Era
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
archaeological site at Cramond
Cramond
Cramond is a seaside village now part of suburban Edinburgh, Scotland, located in the north-west corner of the city at the mouth of the River Almond where it enters the Firth of Forth....
, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. In the Ravenna Cosmography
Ravenna Cosmography
The Ravenna Cosmography was compiled by an anonymous cleric in Ravenna around AD 700. It consists of a list of place-names covering the world from India to Ireland. Textual evidence indicates that the author frequently used maps as his source....
this settlement is called "Caromago". The fort was established around 140 AD and occupied until around 170, with a further period of occupation from around 208 to 211. Among the many archaeological finds, one of the most famous is a sculpture known as the Cramond Lioness
Cramond Lioness
The Cramond lioness is a Roman-era sculpture recovered in 1997 from the mouth of the River Almond at Cramond, Edinburgh, Scotland.It depicts a bound male prisoner being killed by a lioness...
.
History
The fort at Cramond was located on the River AlmondRiver Almond, Lothian
The River Almond is a river in east-central Scotland. It is 28 miles long, rising in North Lanarkshire near Shotts and runs through West Lothian, draining into the Firth of Forth at Cramond near Edinburgh....
at the point where it flows into the Forth
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
. In Roman times
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, there was probably a natural harbour here.T. Christopher Smout, (1992), Scotland and the sea, page 15. Rowman & Littlefield The Roman fort at Cramond was established around 140 during the building of the Antonine Wall
Antonine Wall
The Antonine Wall is a stone and turf fortification built by the Romans across what is now the Central Belt of Scotland, between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde. Representing the northernmost frontier barrier of the Roman Empire, it spanned approximately 39 miles and was about ten feet ...
, and remained in use until around 170 when the Romans retreated south to Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall was a defensive fortification in Roman Britain. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall, lesser known of the two because its physical remains are less evident today.The...
. When the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus
Septimius Severus
Septimius Severus , also known as Severus, was Roman Emperor from 193 to 211. Severus was born in Leptis Magna in the province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through the customary succession of offices under the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. Severus seized power after the death of...
began the last major Roman incursion into Scotland from 208 to 211, the fort was reoccupied and enlarged. Throughout these periods of occupation a civilian settlement seems to have existed outside the fort, and some native occupation of the fort seems to have taken place after the time of Severus into the 4th century.
Finds
A stone altar which was dug up a few hundred years ago in the grounds of Cramond House, was originally erected by a cohortCohort
Cohort may refer to:* Cohort , a taxonomic term in biology* Cohort , a group of students working together through the same academic curriculum* Cohort , the basic tactical unit of a Roman legion...
of Tungri
Tungri
The Tungri were a tribe, or group of tribes, who lived in the Belgic part Gaul, during the times of the Roman empire. They were described by Tacitus as being the same people who were first called "Germani" , meaning that all other tribes who were later referred to this way, including those in...
ans (either first or second) and was dedicated to "the Alatervan Mothers and the Mothers of the Parade-ground" . Early antiquarian
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
s interpreted this as referring to the place where the stone was found, and drew from it the conclusion that the Roman name of Cramond was "Alaterva". This idea is no longer accepted among scholars, and "Alatervae" is now believed to be an epithet
Epithet
An epithet or byname is a descriptive term accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, divinities, objects, and binomial nomenclature. It is also a descriptive title...
attached to the Matronae, following a practice found elsewhere in the empire. Other stones found at the fort include a centuria
Centuria
Centuria is a Latin substantive from the stem centum , denoting units consisting of 100 men. It also denotes a Roman unit of land area: 1 centuria = 100 heredia...
l stone of Legio II Augusta, and an altar "To Jupiter Optimus Maximus
Jupiter (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Jupiter or Jove is the king of the gods, and the god of the sky and thunder. He is the equivalent of Zeus in the Greek pantheon....
" erected by the fifth cohort of Gauls. In the Ravenna Cosmography
Ravenna Cosmography
The Ravenna Cosmography was compiled by an anonymous cleric in Ravenna around AD 700. It consists of a list of place-names covering the world from India to Ireland. Textual evidence indicates that the author frequently used maps as his source....
this settlement is called "Caromago"http://www.romanmap.com/htm/ravcosm/rc190,191-200.htmhttp://www.romanmap.com/htm/nomina/Carumabo.htm.
The most famous sculpture is the Cramond Lioness
Cramond Lioness
The Cramond lioness is a Roman-era sculpture recovered in 1997 from the mouth of the River Almond at Cramond, Edinburgh, Scotland.It depicts a bound male prisoner being killed by a lioness...
recovered from the mouth of the River Almond in 1997. The sculpture, in a non-local white sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, shows a lioness devouring her prey, a naked bearded male torso. The sculpture was most probably originally part of a large tomb monument of an important Roman office, perhaps the fort commander or an important dignitary.
The site today
The ground plan of part of the fort is laid out in an area of open parkland. Here one can see headquarters building, granaries, workshop, together with other buildings, restored in outline.David John Breeze, (2002), Roman forts in Britain, page 63. Osprey Publishing Information panels at the site link the findings of the last 50 years of excavations and recreate life in the former Roman headquarters and bathhouse.Cramond is turned into next fort of call - news.scotsman.com - 01 May 2004External links
- Cramond Roman Fort at Undiscovered Scotland