Carved slab (detail)

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This carved slab was found at Bridgeness in West Lothian. It commemorates building the most eastern part of the Antonine Wall around AD 142. This detail shows the scene on the right of the slab.

The scene shows the 'suovetaurilia', a ceremony undertaken before important campaigns or in this case before the wall was built. A man in a toga is depicted pouring a libation on an altar as a preliminary to animal sacrifice.

The man in the toga may be A. Claudius Charax, the commander of the Second Legion, whose flag is seen in the background.

Record details

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• Online ID: 000-190-001-203-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  X.FV 27
• Date: Around 142 AD
  
• Material: Sandstone
  Distance slab
  
• Dimensions: 890 mm H x 200 mm L x 2750 mm W
  
• What: Distance slab
  
• Subject:
• Who:
• Where: Scotland, West Lothian, Bo'ness and Carriden, Bridgeness
  
• Event:
• Description: Sandstone distance slab with a scene on the right hand side showing the pouring of a libation on an altar as a preliminary to animal sacrifice, from Bridgeness, West Lothian
  
• 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, pp 14-5. 
  • Phillips, E.J. 'The Roman Distance Slab from Bridgeness' The Proceedings of the Society of Antiquities of Scotland, 105 (1974), pp 176-82 
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