This rather unremarkable pasture near the River Tay in Scotland joins together Ancient Rome and the legacy of the Atomic Age in a surprising way.
Let's talk about the Roman legionary fort at Inchtuthil and how it affects nuclear waste storage around the globe.
Let's talk about the Roman legionary fort at Inchtuthil and how it affects nuclear waste storage around the globe.
December 6, 2025 at 10:51 PM
This rather unremarkable pasture near the River Tay in Scotland joins together Ancient Rome and the legacy of the Atomic Age in a surprising way.
Let's talk about the Roman legionary fort at Inchtuthil and how it affects nuclear waste storage around the globe.
Let's talk about the Roman legionary fort at Inchtuthil and how it affects nuclear waste storage around the globe.
A tiny fragment of painted wall plaster found at the Roman fortress of Inchtuthil in Perthshire. Planned as the nerve centre of the conquest of northern Britain, Inchtuthil was constructed c. 83 AD but was abandoned before it was even finished. #FrescoFriday #FindsFriday
April 4, 2025 at 8:18 AM
A tiny fragment of painted wall plaster found at the Roman fortress of Inchtuthil in Perthshire. Planned as the nerve centre of the conquest of northern Britain, Inchtuthil was constructed c. 83 AD but was abandoned before it was even finished. #FrescoFriday #FindsFriday
It's #RomanFortThursday !
#Inchtuthil is the site of a #Roman legionary fortress in #Perth and #Kinross.
The fortress was built in 82 or 83 CE as the headquarters of the army of Gnaeus Julius Agricola, during his campaign against the #Caledonians.
#Inchtuthil is the site of a #Roman legionary fortress in #Perth and #Kinross.
The fortress was built in 82 or 83 CE as the headquarters of the army of Gnaeus Julius Agricola, during his campaign against the #Caledonians.
September 17, 2026 at 7:30 AM
It's #RomanFortThursday !
#Inchtuthil is the site of a #Roman legionary fortress in #Perth and #Kinross.
The fortress was built in 82 or 83 CE as the headquarters of the army of Gnaeus Julius Agricola, during his campaign against the #Caledonians.
#Inchtuthil is the site of a #Roman legionary fortress in #Perth and #Kinross.
The fortress was built in 82 or 83 CE as the headquarters of the army of Gnaeus Julius Agricola, during his campaign against the #Caledonians.
The Roman fortress of Inchtuthil was established in the early 80s AD. Planned as the nerve centre of the invasion of northern Britain, it housed c. 5000 soldiers. In the end, it was abandoned before it was completed, and this ditch is now one of the few visible remains #RomanFortThursday.
April 17, 2025 at 7:19 AM
The Roman fortress of Inchtuthil was established in the early 80s AD. Planned as the nerve centre of the invasion of northern Britain, it housed c. 5000 soldiers. In the end, it was abandoned before it was completed, and this ditch is now one of the few visible remains #RomanFortThursday.
The earthworks at Inchtuthil Roman Fortress, Perth and Kinross, Scotland
February 21, 2026 at 9:35 PM
The earthworks at Inchtuthil Roman Fortress, Perth and Kinross, Scotland
Drone survey of the eastern ditch and surrounds at Inchtuthil Roman legionary fortress in Perthshire, Scotland #Roman #archaeology #RomanEmpire #history #Scotland
December 11, 2024 at 6:28 PM
Drone survey of the eastern ditch and surrounds at Inchtuthil Roman legionary fortress in Perthshire, Scotland #Roman #archaeology #RomanEmpire #history #Scotland
*clears throat* Nine Inchtuthil Nails
The Inchtuthil Nail Hoard
buff.ly/g8rYmvc
In 1959 during excavation of the legionary fortress at Inchtuthil near Dunkeld headed by Sir Ian Richmond, archaeologists uncovered a singularly remarkable haul of a single kind of artefact.
buff.ly/g8rYmvc
In 1959 during excavation of the legionary fortress at Inchtuthil near Dunkeld headed by Sir Ian Richmond, archaeologists uncovered a singularly remarkable haul of a single kind of artefact.
The Inchtuthil Nail Hoard | ScottishHistory.org
In 1959 during excavation of the legionary fortress at Inchtuthil near Dunkeld headed by Sir Ian Richmond, archaeologists uncovered a singularly remarkable haul of a single kind of artefact. Located…
buff.ly
May 7, 2025 at 3:41 PM
*clears throat* Nine Inchtuthil Nails
Lidar image of the Roman fortress at Inchtuthil with the defences showing up very nicely.
August 1, 2026 at 8:18 AM
Lidar image of the Roman fortress at Inchtuthil with the defences showing up very nicely.
And came out in *surprisingly* good shape.
We think the outer layer created a barrier, conditioned the ground water.
So now we have evidence of how iron objects in ~deep earth react over 1800 years, which could be useful data points for how barrels filled with nuclear waste would act.
We think the outer layer created a barrier, conditioned the ground water.
So now we have evidence of how iron objects in ~deep earth react over 1800 years, which could be useful data points for how barrels filled with nuclear waste would act.
The Inchtuthil Nail Hoard
In 1959 during excavation of the legionary fortress at Inchtuthil near Dunkeld headed by Sir Ian Richmond, archaeologists uncovered a singularly remarkable haul of a single kind of artefact. Located i...
www.scottishhistory.org
December 6, 2025 at 10:51 PM
And came out in *surprisingly* good shape.
We think the outer layer created a barrier, conditioned the ground water.
So now we have evidence of how iron objects in ~deep earth react over 1800 years, which could be useful data points for how barrels filled with nuclear waste would act.
We think the outer layer created a barrier, conditioned the ground water.
So now we have evidence of how iron objects in ~deep earth react over 1800 years, which could be useful data points for how barrels filled with nuclear waste would act.
A 3D photogrammetry image of the Easter ditch of the Roman fortress at Inchtuthil in Perthshire, Scotland
January 22, 2026 at 1:14 PM
A 3D photogrammetry image of the Easter ditch of the Roman fortress at Inchtuthil in Perthshire, Scotland
The famous Roman general Agricola reached Inchtuthil in Scotland by AD82, and started a fort there. But just 4 years later the Romans hurriedly abandoned Scotland, along with the unfinished Inchtuthil.
Among the things left behind were 875,000 iron nails!
The Romans did nothing halfway.
Among the things left behind were 875,000 iron nails!
The Romans did nothing halfway.
August 24, 2024 at 1:25 AM
The famous Roman general Agricola reached Inchtuthil in Scotland by AD82, and started a fort there. But just 4 years later the Romans hurriedly abandoned Scotland, along with the unfinished Inchtuthil.
Among the things left behind were 875,000 iron nails!
The Romans did nothing halfway.
Among the things left behind were 875,000 iron nails!
The Romans did nothing halfway.
A lonesome birch tree sways a spectral dance in the wind and rainswept interior of the short-lived and prematurely abandoned legionary fortress of Inchtuthil on the banks of the Tay in Scotland.
Can anyone hear the whispering of Latin in the rustling leaves?
Can anyone hear the whispering of Latin in the rustling leaves?
May 29, 2026 at 9:12 PM
A lonesome birch tree sways a spectral dance in the wind and rainswept interior of the short-lived and prematurely abandoned legionary fortress of Inchtuthil on the banks of the Tay in Scotland.
Can anyone hear the whispering of Latin in the rustling leaves?
Can anyone hear the whispering of Latin in the rustling leaves?
Pterōtón Stratópedon, 'Winged Camp', on a 13th-century Byzantine map(ping of Ptolemy) of Scotland. Suggested identifications have included Burghead and Inchtuthil. The visualization of the fortifications are something else!
May 28, 2026 at 8:42 PM
Pterōtón Stratópedon, 'Winged Camp', on a 13th-century Byzantine map(ping of Ptolemy) of Scotland. Suggested identifications have included Burghead and Inchtuthil. The visualization of the fortifications are something else!
Two phases of timber buildings shown during excavations at Inchtuthil legionary fortress, north of the River Tay in Perthshire, Scotland. #RomanFortThursday
www.romansociety.org/Imago/Image-...
#ClassicsBluesky #Archaeology 🏺
www.romansociety.org/Imago/Image-...
#ClassicsBluesky #Archaeology 🏺
October 16, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Two phases of timber buildings shown during excavations at Inchtuthil legionary fortress, north of the River Tay in Perthshire, Scotland. #RomanFortThursday
www.romansociety.org/Imago/Image-...
#ClassicsBluesky #Archaeology 🏺
www.romansociety.org/Imago/Image-...
#ClassicsBluesky #Archaeology 🏺
Inchtuthil is the site of a #Roman legionary fortress situated on a natural platform overlooking the north bank of the River Tay southwest of Blairgowrie, Perth and Kinross, #Scotland (Roman Caledonia).
#RomanFortThursday
#Archaeology #History
#RomanBritain
#RomanFortThursday
#Archaeology #History
#RomanBritain
November 6, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Inchtuthil is the site of a #Roman legionary fortress situated on a natural platform overlooking the north bank of the River Tay southwest of Blairgowrie, Perth and Kinross, #Scotland (Roman Caledonia).
#RomanFortThursday
#Archaeology #History
#RomanBritain
#RomanFortThursday
#Archaeology #History
#RomanBritain
#RomanFortThursday
Inchtuthil is the site of a #Roman #legionary #fortress situated on a natural platform overlooking the north bank of the River Tay southwest of Blairgowrie, Perth and Kinross, #Scotland (Roman Caledonia).
#Archaeology
#History
#AncientBluesky🏛️
Inchtuthil is the site of a #Roman #legionary #fortress situated on a natural platform overlooking the north bank of the River Tay southwest of Blairgowrie, Perth and Kinross, #Scotland (Roman Caledonia).
#Archaeology
#History
#AncientBluesky🏛️
June 19, 2025 at 2:43 PM
#RomanFortThursday
Inchtuthil is the site of a #Roman #legionary #fortress situated on a natural platform overlooking the north bank of the River Tay southwest of Blairgowrie, Perth and Kinross, #Scotland (Roman Caledonia).
#Archaeology
#History
#AncientBluesky🏛️
Inchtuthil is the site of a #Roman #legionary #fortress situated on a natural platform overlooking the north bank of the River Tay southwest of Blairgowrie, Perth and Kinross, #Scotland (Roman Caledonia).
#Archaeology
#History
#AncientBluesky🏛️
A hoard of Roman nails found at Inchtuthil, Perth and Kinross, Scotland, 87 AD. After the Roman army abandoned their forward fortification on the site they buried 875,400 iron nails on the site to prevent the enemy Caledonian tribes reforging the iron for weapons.
#archaeohistories
#archaeohistories
December 9, 2025 at 5:32 AM
A hoard of Roman nails found at Inchtuthil, Perth and Kinross, Scotland, 87 AD. After the Roman army abandoned their forward fortification on the site they buried 875,400 iron nails on the site to prevent the enemy Caledonian tribes reforging the iron for weapons.
#archaeohistories
#archaeohistories
The Inchtuthil Nail Hoard
buff.ly/g8rYmvc
In 1959 during excavation of the legionary fortress at Inchtuthil near Dunkeld headed by Sir Ian Richmond, archaeologists uncovered a singularly remarkable haul of a single kind of artefact.
buff.ly/g8rYmvc
In 1959 during excavation of the legionary fortress at Inchtuthil near Dunkeld headed by Sir Ian Richmond, archaeologists uncovered a singularly remarkable haul of a single kind of artefact.
The Inchtuthil Nail Hoard | ScottishHistory.org
In 1959 during excavation of the legionary fortress at Inchtuthil near Dunkeld headed by Sir Ian Richmond, archaeologists uncovered a singularly remarkable haul of a single kind of artefact. Located…
buff.ly
May 7, 2025 at 3:23 PM
The Inchtuthil Nail Hoard
buff.ly/g8rYmvc
In 1959 during excavation of the legionary fortress at Inchtuthil near Dunkeld headed by Sir Ian Richmond, archaeologists uncovered a singularly remarkable haul of a single kind of artefact.
buff.ly/g8rYmvc
In 1959 during excavation of the legionary fortress at Inchtuthil near Dunkeld headed by Sir Ian Richmond, archaeologists uncovered a singularly remarkable haul of a single kind of artefact.
The legion was recalled to cover Southern England as replacement troops during an invasion in the Balkans that mobilized closer legions.
So they dug a 3.6 m deep hole at Inchtuthil & filled it with nails.
And not just a few: 6 tons of square iron nails, 875,400 in total, plus other iron fixtures.
So they dug a 3.6 m deep hole at Inchtuthil & filled it with nails.
And not just a few: 6 tons of square iron nails, 875,400 in total, plus other iron fixtures.
December 6, 2025 at 10:51 PM
The legion was recalled to cover Southern England as replacement troops during an invasion in the Balkans that mobilized closer legions.
So they dug a 3.6 m deep hole at Inchtuthil & filled it with nails.
And not just a few: 6 tons of square iron nails, 875,400 in total, plus other iron fixtures.
So they dug a 3.6 m deep hole at Inchtuthil & filled it with nails.
And not just a few: 6 tons of square iron nails, 875,400 in total, plus other iron fixtures.
No need to make nails. Just figure out where the Romans buried them.
www.scottishhistory.org/articles/the...
www.scottishhistory.org/articles/the...
The Inchtuthil Nail Hoard
In 1959 during excavation of the legionary fortress at Inchtuthil near Dunkeld headed by Sir Ian Richmond, archaeologists uncovered a singularly remarkable haul of a single kind of artefact. Located i...
www.scottishhistory.org
February 25, 2026 at 3:12 PM
No need to make nails. Just figure out where the Romans buried them.
www.scottishhistory.org/articles/the...
www.scottishhistory.org/articles/the...
Interesting work: "Through twenty-four semi-structured interviews & questionnaires w/ private collectors & institutional representatives the study traces how these artefacts have circulated globally & acquired new meanings beyond their archaeological contexts." 👍
Open access: tinyurl.com/32z344fk
Open access: tinyurl.com/32z344fk
June 6, 2026 at 7:48 PM
Interesting work: "Through twenty-four semi-structured interviews & questionnaires w/ private collectors & institutional representatives the study traces how these artefacts have circulated globally & acquired new meanings beyond their archaeological contexts." 👍
Open access: tinyurl.com/32z344fk
Open access: tinyurl.com/32z344fk
While not a perfect analog, this is one of a handful of historical finds that give us framing for the way that soil & metal react on extremely long time scales.
And all because the Ancient Romans were the kind of people who would rather bury ~a million nails than let the locals have them.
And all because the Ancient Romans were the kind of people who would rather bury ~a million nails than let the locals have them.
Longevity of steel containers for radioactive waste: Roman legionary nails from Inchtuthil, Scotland
NAWG, the Natural Analogues Working Group was set up by a group of individuals working for or in national waste programs. NAWG focuses on the topic of natural a
www.natural-analogues.com
December 6, 2025 at 10:51 PM
While not a perfect analog, this is one of a handful of historical finds that give us framing for the way that soil & metal react on extremely long time scales.
And all because the Ancient Romans were the kind of people who would rather bury ~a million nails than let the locals have them.
And all because the Ancient Romans were the kind of people who would rather bury ~a million nails than let the locals have them.
wait til he hears about Inchtuthil
Discussing the price of nails on good Friday feels mildly blasphemous.
March 29, 2024 at 10:31 AM
wait til he hears about Inchtuthil
But Agricola was forced to withdraw from forward positions he has established in Scotland, supposedly because of Domitian's jealously about his successes. Later the Romans advance their frontier to the Antonine wall, and then recede back to Hadrian's wall.
Roman Ireland isn't in the cards.
Roman Ireland isn't in the cards.
March 17, 2026 at 2:36 PM
But Agricola was forced to withdraw from forward positions he has established in Scotland, supposedly because of Domitian's jealously about his successes. Later the Romans advance their frontier to the Antonine wall, and then recede back to Hadrian's wall.
Roman Ireland isn't in the cards.
Roman Ireland isn't in the cards.
Visit Vindolanda, that charming B&B, on your way to your tour of the Antonine Wall, the Gask Ridge near Bertha, and Inchtuthil.
December 12, 2024 at 8:30 AM
Visit Vindolanda, that charming B&B, on your way to your tour of the Antonine Wall, the Gask Ridge near Bertha, and Inchtuthil.