Inscribed Roman Stones of Dumfriesshire. ill 



a part of the central portion. Various devices, some of them of 

 an ornamental, some of a significant, character, enrich the different 

 parts of the altars, while on one side may sometimes be seen the 

 sacrificial axe and knife, on the other the i/fceits, or jug-, for hold- 

 ing the libation-wine and the saucer-like patera, with or without 

 a handle, for receiving it when poured out. Of those in this list 

 the most tasteful in design is No. 24, while the most interesting, 

 both on account of its inscription and its ornamentation is the Dis- 

 ciplina altar, No. 23. Much interesting information regarding 

 all of them will be found in Professor Baldwin Brown's pai^er 

 already referred to. 



More Roman inscribed stones have been found in Dumfries- 

 shire than in any other county of Scotland ; but they all probably 

 belong to one locality — Birrens. In the present paper the letters 

 of the inscriptions will be printed in plain capitals, without liga- 

 tures, and always with a space after each word or part of a 

 word, no attempt being- made to show peculiarities of lettering. 

 The known facts in the history of the stones, and any points of 

 interest regarding their ornamentation or inscriptions, will be briefly 

 noted. Those who may wish for fuller details will find them in 

 a paper printed in vol. xxxi. of the Proceedings of the Society of 

 Antiquaries of Scotland, of which what follows is little more 

 than an abstract. The volume just mentioned contains special 

 reports by members of the Birrens committee on the excavations 

 recently carried on there at the expense of the National Society, 

 in the course of which important additions were made to the 

 inscribed stones of Dumfriesshire.* It is understood that Mr 

 James Barbour will read a notice of operations that were so 

 fruitful in results at a subsequent meeting of this society. Any 

 further reference to them here in connection with the discoveries 

 then made is thus rendered unnecessary. 



* Account of the Excavation of Bikeens, a Roman station in 

 Annandale, undertaken by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 

 IN 1895 : (1) General History of the Place and of the Excavations, and 

 Description of the Defences. By D. Christison, M.D., Secretary. (2) 

 The Interior Buildings at Birrens. By James Barbour, F. S.A.Scot., 

 Dumfries. (3) The Inscribed Stones. By James Macdonald, LL.D., 

 Vice-President. (4) The General Structure and Ornamentation of the 

 Altars. By Professor Baldwin Brown, F. S.A.Scot. (5) The Pottery, 

 Bronze, &c., found at Birrens. By Joseph Anderson, LL.D., Assistant- 

 Secretary and Keeper of the Museum. 



