Summary

Heavy axehead of iron, for felling or shaping, inscribed 'BARRI COMPITALCI' (property of Compitalicus in the century of Barrus), from the Roman site at Newstead, 80 - 100 AD

Accession Number

X.FRA 236

Other references

Original description

NEWSTEAD COLLECTION. Axe, 10" long, weight 6 lbs., inscribed with centurial mark and "Barri," in the second line "Compitalici." "Rom. Fron. Post," p. 282, Pl. LXI, 4. Updated from SCRAN full data set, December 1998. [Mos description] Letters of authority. Literacy in Scotland - a weapon of the Roman state. Literacy among the soldiers. (27) Axehead, Newstead - BARRI COMPITALICI '(Property) of Compitalicus in the century of Barrus'. 80 - 100 AD. [Scran caption] This iron axehead was found at the site of the Roman fort at Newstead in Roxburghshire. It was used between 80 to 100 AD. The axehead was made by forging a solid piece of iron. It bears the punched-dot inscription 'BARRI COMPITALICI' which can be translated as 'Property of Compitalicus in the century of Barrus'. Roman soldiers were builders as well as fighters. On the march, they built temporary ramparts and ditches around their camps. Once an area had been conquered, the army built forts and permanent barracks of wood or stone. Date: Between 80 and 100 AD. Material: Iron. Dimensions: Length: 25.0 cm. References - Clarke, D.V., Breeze, D.J., and Mackay, Ghillean. The Romans in Scotland. An introduction to the collections of the National Museums of Antiquities of Scotland. Edinburgh: National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland, 1980, p 64.; Collingwood, R. G. & Wright, R. P. The Roman Inscriptions of Britain Vol. II.3 Oxford: University Press (no. 2428.4); Curle, J. A Roman frontier post and its people: the fort of Newstead. Glasgow: MacLehose, 1911, pp 282-3, Pl. XLI.

Associated person/people (e.g. excavator/former collection)

Newstead Collection

Discovery / field collection

Date of discovery

1905

Method (e.g. excavation)

Excavated

Place (i.e. location of discovery)

Newstead, Roxburghshire, Scotland, Northern Europe

Grid reference

Not recorded

Acquisition

Acquisition date

1915

Acquisition source (i.e. name of donor)

Unknown

Acquisition source role (e.g. donor)

Not recorded

Image