120 The Broch of Torwoodlee. [Sess. 
as Roman-British fragments of culinary vessels ; and amphore, 
used for oil and water; whilst only two fragments of coarsely 
made native pottery were found. As the broch was situated 
within convenient distance of two Roman stations—Inveresk 
and Newstead—there need be no mystery as to where the 
Roman remains came from, either through pillage or barter. 
Besides, fragments of glass vessels of various colours were 
found, such as are always obtained at Roman sites. One 
small coin of the Emperor Vespasian (69 to 79 A.D.) was 
sifted out, as also some Celtic remains of a glass armlet and 
a bronze harness ring and button, some bits of rusty iron, a 
few shaped stones, and the bones of swine and oxen were also 
found. 
To sum up, the main relics indicated the possession, by the 
dwellers in the broch, of vessels, &c., having some connection 
with Roman civilisation, and to a lesser degree to native 
manufacture. Probably, however, some of the latter, being less 
well made and fired, may have crumbled away by age. 
The question now remains, Who constructed those brochs, 
and this broch in particular? Who occupied and were 
sheltered by them? On the construction of brochs generally 
two opposite opinions have been decidedly expressed—one, 
that they were built as refuges for defence by the native 
Celtic population—the Picts or Celts— who were known to be 
stone-builders and stone-workers; and the other, that they 
were constructed by the Norwegians or Vikings—the Norse 
robber kings—for aggressive purposes. The latter view is 
scarcely tenable, because the Norse invaders were accustomed 
in their own country to wood building, and not to stone 
building. The only support to the Viking view is the fact 
that the greater number of the brochs are found in the more 
northern parts on the sea-shore, or within easy access to the 
sea; but even this view has two sides, for every position which 
gave facilities for the sea invaders to land and occupy for 
pillage in the locality was necessarily also one which called 
for the native Celtz to erect the broch shelters for the 
defence of their territory and belongings. In the broch of 
Torwoodlee, which is similar in construction to all the other 
brochs either on shore or somewhat inland, we have an un- — 
doubted broch built away from the sea and the incursions 
