"...it features the image of a Roman cavalryman charging down a native Caledonian."

Perhaps Maggie Brown could use this as a new emblem for the Scottish Office at Westminster.

I love the way the museum was not interested, and now we hear what a find this is! Someone lacks a professional approach!

The Inveresk area was once known by the name of Eiudensca in Roman times. There has to be a lot more archaeology to be found!

Full name of the unit was Ala Augusta Sebosiana. An "ala" is a cavalry "wing" - roughly speaking a regiment. This ala served in Upper Germany until the civil war in 69, where they were employed by the emperor Vitellius in his futile bid for supremacy. After serving for a short time in Italy, they were shipped to Britain sometime in the seventies, possibly in the train of Petillius Cerialis as early as 71.
The first record of this regiment's service in Britain aside from diplomata is an Agricolan writing tablet from Carlisle.
It is later attested on an inscription recording restoration work on the bathhouse and basilica at Lancaster, during the Gallic empire of Postumous. The early third century altar from Weardale which records the hunting exploits of a commander of the unit, may have been placed when on secondment at the nearby Binchester fort, although the unit are known to have been active in the north during the third century, as shown by stamped tiles from Brough-under-Stainmoor.
This find fills in the blank in the unit's career - we now know, thanks to this find, that they were active in modern-day Scotland and North of England in the 2nd century. The chap himself may have been German. What a fantastic find!

Check out The Antonine Guard - a Roman Re-enactment society based in Scotland, promoting the Antonine Wall and Gask Ridge:

www.theantonineguard.org.uk

They will be please with this latest find!

6. Retiarius.
Did this unit serve at any time in Perthshire and in particular at Ardoch, Little Dunkeld?

8. As far as I am aware it hasn't been known as having operated north of Cumbria until now; the unit itself appears to have been in Britain for a very long time - possibly a century and more after this man died. I've seen the pic in the hard copy paper - no sign of the cavalryman riding down a Celt (a very common motif on cavalry grave stones) - but a "ridge" in the centre may be the blade of a cavalryman's spatha (longsword) in bas relief. I am dying to see more - not least to see what the Celt looks like too.

Why do you repeat the unproved Roman story about Mons Graupius? Just look at the facts.
1) The only account of the "victory" was by Tacitus, Agricola's son in law, who was no present at the battle, but repeated Agricola's account of it. Not an impartial source.
2) The Ninth legion who allegedly won the battle disappeared without trace.
3) Agricola was immediately ordered back to Rome in disgrace.
4) The Roman army left Scotland faster than anyone except Johnny Cope. They abandoned Antonine's wall, retreated beyond Hadrian's wall and never ventures north of it again.

Some victory!

With all the joy of the discovery, I do not see anywhere where there has been a search for the grave that might still be around where the stone was found. Even tho this gentleman has been dead for many many years it is sad that no one is even looking for his remains. But to just steal his stone to display without future research of the ares is just wrong is so many ways. A persons grave use to be a sacret place. But i guess that it is a different world and now it is ok to steal from the dead.
Just a Thought

No 12:

Come on man, this was 2000 years ago, and im sure his shade would be please to know thathe is remembered 2000 years later, rather than being forgotten.

There have been programmes on the Antonine Wall. Just not in the last two decades!

Thanks for all the comments, My main interest is in the fort and settlement at Ardoch which is larger than that at Hardknot in Cumbria and is quite a few miles North of the Antonine wall and also has several marching camps stretching further North. Can any one give me a site for further information?