David Woolliscroft

The Antonine Wall has been described as 'Rome's Last Frontier', as it was the Empire's most northern outpost. But the real outpost, about which excavations reveal more information, was the Gask Ridge in Perthshire. Based on research, this title provides an account of the Roman occupation of the north of Scotland.

Hadrian's Wall is Britain's premier and most visited Roman monument, and is now recognised as a World Heritage site. The archaeological remains are the best preserved and most intensely studied of their kind anywhere, and much has been written at academic and popular levels. Until now, however, there has not been a book on the substantial contribution made by aerial photography. The late Professor Jones spent 20 years taking aerial photographs of Hadrian's Wall. Not only do they illustrate the history, development, topography and surviving remains of the Wall (both the military works and the remains of civilian occupation), but they give an entirely new perspective that cannot be appreciated at ground level. In chapters on the Stanegate frontier, the history and development of Hadrian's Wall itself, the outposts and coastal defences, and an appendix detailing the anatomy of a Roman fort, along with a bibliography containing useful websites, the authors show a far more complex and fascinating history than has been traditionally envisaged - illuminated by over 120 superb photographs and maps, many in full colour.

The ingenuity and technology of the ancient world never ceases to surprise and signalling demonstrates both to the full. There has, however, never been a study of Roman signalling in English, nor has anyone previously tried to operate the techniques described in the classical manual. Dr Woolliscroft's study is in two parts: first he describes the signalling techniques pioneered by the Greeks and developed by the Romans; then he looks at the application of these principles to Hadrian's Wall and to the German Limes, as revealed by archaeological research. In each case he finds that, despite difficult terrain, the layout allows nearly all the small observation posts to see, and thus signal to, one of the main garrison forts. Since on occasion this caused marked tactical weaknesses in the line, it is clear that signalling was given high priority by the frontier designers. Similar results are now being found elsewhere in the Roman world, suggesting that all Rome's very different looking frontier systems may have an underlying uniformity With 80 illustrations and complete with an Appendix containing all the key classical references to signalling, this is a study that will be indispensable for anyone seriously interested in the Roman army or in frontier studies.