The #Trimontium Stone:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ "Here once stood the #Fort of Trimontium built by the troops of #Agricola in the first Century AD abandoned at least twice by the #Romans and ultimately lost by them after fully one hundred years of frontier warfare"⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Erected & unveiled in 1928.

St Andrews Day - Andrew was a disciple of Jesus, crucified in the city of Patras (Patræ), Achaea. Legend states that several of his #relics came to #StAndrews #Scotland, to the Pictish King Óengus mac Fergusa. He is #PatronSaint of Scotland, Barbados, Georgia, Greece, Russia, Cyprus & Ukraine.

#Roman legionaries enlisted for 25 years service & undertook a range of roles. They were fighters, builders, policemen and administrators. On retirement they received a grant of land or cash. 📷 Slab showing three #legionaries. NMS Legionary helmet, #Trimontium Museum

Disciplina was #Roman Goddess of Discipline which covered education, training, self control, determination & an orderly way of life. She was popular with soldiers on the frontier - This altar to her is from #Birrens in Dumfriesshire, #Scotland - part of National Museums Scotland collection.

The Roman camps at #Pennymuir in the #ScottishBorders in the snow. The camps are located near Jedburgh and on the Roman road, Dere Street. Camps A & B are among the best preserved in Scotland. The scene is from Trajan's column & shows soldiers in a camp. #RomanFortThursday

#OTD AD450 Farewell to Galla Placidia, daughter of Theodosius I &a most influential women of the late #Roman Empire. She lived through the sack of Rome, married the Visigothic king Ataulf, & served as Regent of the West for her son Valentinian III. Her star-lit “Mausoleum” still amazes.

#Cramond Roman Fort on the River Almond, near #Edinburgh. 1st period of occupation - c140-170AD, during the building of the #AntonineWall . 2nd period of occupation during the Severan campaign 208-211AD. It housed 1000 soldiers.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The Cramond Lioness was found there. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Fancy a #grasshoppers on a ring? The #Romans did. Between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD, grasshoppers seem to have been pretty fashionable amongst the subjects carved on #intaglios.

14.5 cm in diameter, this #Roman Iron flask was found at #Trimontium in the #ScottishBorders . It dates to AD140-180 & is a very rare example of a metal #flask from this period. This would have been issued to a soldier who was stationed at the fort over 1,800 years ago. @National Museums Scotland

Happy Brumalia!!!✨A #Roman winter #solstice festival for Saturn, Ops & Bacchus, celebrated with feasting, drinking & offerings of goats, pigs, & wine, asking for a kind winter. From the Latin 'bruma'-shortest day. The festival lasted from Nov 24 to Dec 25th. Said to have been introduced by Romulus.

🌿✨ We’re over the moon — #Trimontium has won the National Thistle Award for Innovation in Tourism! Huge thanks to our amazing team, volunteers, supporters, & community. This one’s for all of you. Here’s to more creative adventures ahead! 🌟 📷 1) By Connor Mollison

Did you know that the Romans are thought to have introduced carrots to Britain? Although grown primarily for the seed & foliage, the root was also cooked & eaten. Most likely purple, white or yellow, it is uncertain as to whether it was actually a carrot or a parsnip. #roman

#WorldPhilosiphyDay Was philosophy loved or hated by the Roman Emperors? On the one hand, Domitian and Vespasian banished the philosophers from Rome due to their political opposition. On the other hand, Nero, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, and Julian the Apostate held philosophy in high esteem.

20 Nov AD284 #Diocletian was proclaimed emperor. Born in Dalmatia, he succeeded Numerian, after defeating Carinus at the Battle of the Margus. His reforms ended the Crisis of the 3rd C. & reshaped the empire. He abdicated in 305 — the 1st #emperor to do so — retiring to grow cabbages at his palace.

#IronAgeWednesday - the Pitalpin Armlet, found in Angus. Bronze. Decorated with a ribbed pattern & “X-shaped” motifs. The ends evoke the head of an animal with stylized eyes, ears & snout. 1st - 2nd C AD. This type of #armlet is solely found in north-eastern #Scotland . @nationalmuseumsscotland

#WorldToiletDay so of course we need to talk #Roman toilets. Public latrines were social hives in Ancient Rome, where you could meet, gossip & do your business...& some business with fellow citizens. Watch this for an idea of what it was like! zurl.co/8OGV

#Spearheads found at #Trimontium ranging in shape & size, from 14" to 4¼". 80-180AD. Image 4 shows one particular example featuring a punctured inscription. #Roman soldiers often marked objects with their names to prove ownership. #romanweapons #romanscotland

The 18th-20th November marks the Mercatus Plebeii - the #Roman people's market. Following Ludi Plebeii, it was an opportune time for those selling everyday goods & exotic items from the furthest provinces. Roman market illustration credits: zurl.co/RjDCV#Roman #romanholidays #romanfestival #Romanruins

Happy Birthday to #Emperor Vespasian! 🎂 Vespasian was born #OTD AD 9 in Reate (Rieti) to the north west of Rome. He was Rome's 9th Emperor & founder of the Flavian dynasty. He stabilised the Empire after a period of civil wars & began a vast building programme in Rome, including the Colosseum.

Today marks the end of the Ludi Plebeii. The festival included chariot races, athletic contests & theatrical acts to entertain Rome’s common people. 📷 1) c.250CE Mosaic of victorious charioteer, Trier, Rheinisches Landesmuseum 2) Jupiter Intaglio from Trimontium, on display #TrimontiumMuseum

Happy #NationalFastFoodDay! Did you know ancient Romans had their own version of fast food? Thermopolia were street-side stalls offering ready-to-eat meals like meats, olives, & even fried dough! Customers grabbed takeout in clay bowls—Pompeii had over 90! #Trimontium

Harry the Roman visits Tomen y Mur, a late 1st‑c. fort in Gwynedd. “Agricola had a talent for dramatic landscapes… this feels like Trimontium!” He marveled at the LiDAR view & the Julius Perpetuus stone, now in the National Museum of Wales. #RomanBritain #TomenyMur #History

The Newbridge Chariot Burial - this #IronAge #chariot is the 1st found in #Scotland & was buried intact, following Continental La Tène traditions. Dating to the 5th century BC, it predates the Yorkshire chariot burials & highlights strong European links in Iron Age Scotland. A remarkable find! 🐎

🐎 On Nov 14th, the Romans celebrated Equorum probatio—a grand cavalry parade! As the largest military force at #Trimontium, the cavalry left behind hundreds of horse-related artefacts, many unearthed from James Curle’s pits. Could they have raced here too? #MysteryofthePits

An #IronAge weaving comb from the Scottish Crannog Centre made of whale bone. The 'teeth' of the comb were used to push the weft (the horizontal threads that run across the width of a woven piece of fabric) to create a tighter weave. #AncientTools #TrimontiumTrust

⭐️#Trimontium Quiz is back!!⭐️27 Nov - 7pm - Marmion's Wynd Theatre. Go Christmas shopping in Melrose, then grab your team & come along to pit your wits against the other teams. Raffle & Quiz proceeds go to supporting the work of the museum: creating new visual experiences, outreach programmes & more!

The Deskford carnyx - shaped like the head of a boar, AD80-250. Made of brass & bronze - a wind instrument of the Iron Age Celts, used in warfare & ritual. 📷 Deskford Carnyx / Replica / Gundestrup cauldron More about the Celtic Warrior - do not miss today's Trimontium Talk zurl.co/g0Vmy

Long ago these peaceful fields echoed with the sounds of a bustling Roman fort, densely packed with buildings & sites of intense activity. Trimontium Fort site aerial view & digital reconstruction. Illustration of buildings in the vicus at Housesteads Roman Fort © Historic England (Peter Urmston)

For #HillfortsWednesday - Dunagoil & Little Dunagoil on the Isle of Bute Scotland. These are vitrified forts or duns, where the ramparts have been melted by intense heat, although some of the vitrified stone was later reused showing long occupation and evolving defences on this ancient coastal site.

In the early 2nd century AD the #Romans built a #lighthouse tower in #Dover to guide the Roman ships to the port below. The view from the top of the tower has been angled in order to communicate with the lighthouse on Western Heights & with the one on the French coast, by means of burning braziers.

10 Nov 1925 celebrated actor #RichardBurton was born. During his career, Burton played a #Roman several times, most notably as #MarkAntony in the 1963 film, #Cleopatra . During the filming, he began an affair with the leading actress, Elizabeth Taylor, who later became his wife. Twice!

Felicitas was the #Roman Goddess of good luck & fortune & of peace and prosperity. Unlike Fortuna, who could bring both good and bad luck, Felicitas was always positive. Her name is from the Latin word felix, meaning fruitful, blessed, happy, lucky". She often appeared on coins.

Departed Comrade! Thou redeemed from pain Shall sleep the sleep that kings desire in vain….. Tears for the mourners who are left behind Peace everlasting for the quiet dead. Lucretius (Ancient #Roman Poet) #RemembranceDay2025

For this #SundayintheBorders why not take a walk in the footsteps of #Romans & explore one of several walks passing close to #Trimontium Fort site as detailed in Paths Around #Melrose, available from the museum. Trimontium Fort site Old bridge near #Leaderfoot Leaderfoot Viaduct

Today we say happy birthday to the #Roman #Emperor, Marcus Cocceius Nerva, born on Nov 8th, 30AD in the village of Narni, near Rome. Following the assassination of Domitian, #Nerva was declared emperor by the Senate, in 96AD. He served as emperor only for 15 months & died of natural causes.

The #Romans opened the Mundus—a sacred pit to the Underworld—on 24 Aug, 5 Oct & 8 Nov - harvest days with offerings to the Manes. Mundus Patet — “the Earth is open.” A Roman festival of the dead when the living paused, the veil between worlds grew thin, and even temples fell silent. ⚱️ #RomanHistory

Which roads would you have taken to go from Dover to Trimontium in Roman Britannia? 1) Watling Street from Dover to London; 2) Ermine Street from London to York passing by Lincoln; 3) From York to Corbridge along an extention of the previous; 4) From Corbridge to Trimontium Fort - Dere Street.

This lovely #IronAge bracelet comes from Ken Hill, #Norfolk. It is hollow & made from a sheet of gold-alloy. It was discovered in 1950 as part of a small hoard of Iron Age artefacts including 'The #Snettisham Great torc 50-150BC © The Trustees of the British Museum

A powerful earthquake struck #Constantinople on 6th #November AD447, destroying 57 towers of the famous walls. The City was threatened with disease in the aftermath. This was during the reign of #Theodosius II & in a major feat of engineering the walls were rebuilt in 60 days.

#November marks a month long celebration of non-fiction #books by the Federation of Children's Book Groups & this year the theme covers history & archaeology. We stock a range of fascinating, fun books for children of all ages so why not bring your youngsters in for a browse? #museumshop #romans

Julian (later the Roman Emperor often known as Julian the Apostate), was elevated to the rank of Caesar in the West by Emperor Constantius on 6th November AD355. Julian was also married to Helena, sister of Constantius and then despatched to Gaul, where he was to be based.

Looking for a new challenge? Our friends at @Historic Environment Scotland have forthcoming open days for opportunities in the #SottishBorders. Pop along and find out more about working at these fantastic properties.

For our #hillfort clip this week, we travel over to the Isle of Bute and Barone Hill, overlooking Rothesay. With stunning views , it has two lines of enclosure, representing separate phases of construction and some facing stones that once dressed the walls can still be seen. #HillfortsWednesday

Many grinding bowls were found at Trimontium. This ceramic one is a mortarium, used between 80-180AD. It has a moulded rim for gripping & contains grits on the inside to aid grinding. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Our word, mortar, comes from the latin, mortarium.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ @nationalmuseumsscotland

#OTD the Ludi Plebeii festival started & ran from the 4th of #November to the 17th. Festivities included the Epulum Iovis feast, theatrical comedies by #Plautus & chariot races in the Circus Maximus. The #festival is considered one of the oldest, celebrated since 220 BC #RomanFestival

Bacchus travels on a cart pulled by leopards that are the symbol of his power and his strong connection with the wild. Leopards were represented not only in mosaics or paintings but they were also perfect to create jewellery. The image below shows a brooch in the shape of a leopardess.

#OTD the #Roman Festival of #Isis concluded with Hilaria. Practical jokes, games, dressing up & general amusements took place #onthisday. Hilaria was inspired by the #Egyptian myth of Isis & Osiris whereby Isis resurrected Osiris from the dead after Seth played a bad joke on him that ended badly...

#NationalAuthorsDay - two must-haves related to Trimontium & Roman Scotland. 🌟"The Eagle and the Bear" by Dr. John Reid, Chairman of the Trimontium Trust. Available in our online shop zurl.co/SY3tP  🌟 The new Trimontium Guide Image 4 is James Curle's excavation report, published in 1911.

🌙✨ Happy Kalends of November! In ancient Rome, #November was dedicated to #Diana, goddess of the hunt, the moon, forests, & the Underworld. A month of protection, rituals, & celebration, it also marked the Plebeian Games & festivals for #Isis, whose cult was popular in the Imperial period.🏛️🌿

Romulus Augustulus, often described as the last Western #Roman Emperor, was declared Emperor #onthisday 31st October AD475. He was around 15 when he became #Emperor with his father Orestes the real power behind the throne. Odoacer overthrew him in September 476 but did not kill him.