The Museum reopens on Friday 14th February at 10.30am. We're planning lots of great events and activities for the coming year! Find out more
 

The Trimontium Museum Archive

Burnswark, Hillfort Under Attack: Ancient Warfare Magazine

Home | Archive | Burnswark, Hillfort Under Attack: Ancient Warfare Magazine

This six page article by Duncan B. Campbell in the Ancient Warfare magazine focusses on Burnswark Hill.

It debates the ongoing discussion of the purpose of this Roman site.

Was the site home to a ‘bloody battle’ or ‘bloodless manoeuvres’?

Campbell lays out the two sides of the debate. He provides evidence from archaeologists and Roman historians to build a picture of the academic argument that has ensued since the site’s first excavations.

He then juxtaposes these modern theories with accounts from ancient Roman writers, such as Vegetius and Josephus. These accounts support the theory that Burnswark was a site of a brutal siege, not a practice ground. For example, there is no evidence in the ancient texts that the lead bullets found at the site were used in army training practices. He is therefore combining archaeological evidence with the ancient sources to build a more holistic picture of the potential use of Burnswark.

 
 
This website uses cookies
This site uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience. We use necessary cookies to make sure that our website works. We’d also like to set analytics cookies that help us make improvements by measuring how you use the site. By clicking “Allow All”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyse site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
These cookies are required for basic functionalities such as accessing secure areas of the website, remembering previous actions and facilitating the proper display of the website. Necessary cookies are often exempt from requiring user consent as they do not collect personal data and are crucial for the website to perform its core functions.
A “preferences” cookie is used to remember user preferences and settings on a website. These cookies enhance the user experience by allowing the website to remember choices such as language preferences, font size, layout customization, and other similar settings. Preference cookies are not strictly necessary for the basic functioning of the website but contribute to a more personalised and convenient browsing experience for users.
A “statistics” cookie typically refers to cookies that are used to collect anonymous data about how visitors interact with a website. These cookies help website owners understand how users navigate their site, which pages are most frequently visited, how long users spend on each page, and similar metrics. The data collected by statistics cookies is aggregated and anonymized, meaning it does not contain personally identifiable information (PII).
Marketing cookies are used to track user behaviour across websites, allowing advertisers to deliver targeted advertisements based on the user’s interests and preferences. These cookies collect data such as browsing history and interactions with ads to create user profiles. While essential for effective online advertising, obtaining user consent is crucial to comply with privacy regulations.