94 Ancient Monuments of Gorebridge District. [Sess. 



herb-eating animals, and were not likely to have much dread 

 of the armed savage who intruded on their lairs. His arms 

 of offence were poor — rude axes of stone, and spear and arrow- 

 heads of flint and chert. Such have been found in the Gore- 

 bridge district. When the Celts came, they brought a higher 

 type of civilisation with them, the use of bronze implements 

 of war and husbandry. One such bronze spear-head was 

 turned up by the plough in the district some sixteen years 

 ago, and was pronounced by an expert to be not less than 

 25 00 years old. These remains of Celtic occupation have 

 been fairly numerous in our district. They consist of bronze 

 spear-heads, stone axes and hammers and querns, British 

 camps, earth-houses or weems, and hut-circles. In British 

 camps the district is fairly rich. There are at least two 

 in Heriot, two in Crichton, one in Newbattle parish, and 

 others appear to have occurred in Borthwick parish, but 

 all traces of their existence have been obliterated by the 

 plough. 



The finest of the British camps occurs in Heriot, and is 

 situated on the top of a grassy hill on Borthwick Hall 

 Estate. It is very large, and covers several acres of ground. 

 It has five ramparts, one within the other. Each rampart 

 consists of a ditch in front, with an earthen wall behind. 

 It has two entrances or exits. One looks towards Soutra 

 Hill, the other to the valley of the Leithen. Its great size 

 seems suggestive of a place of refuge as well as of a place 

 of defence. No doubt, on the approach of a powerful enemy, 

 the tribe to which it belonged hurried thither their cattle, as 

 well as their wives and children. This camp is still in a 

 good state of preservation. A very distinct example is the 

 camp, which occurs on Longfaugh, in the parish of Crichton. 

 It has long been known locally as ' The Eoman Camp,' but 

 it is not Eoman. It is of British origin and construction. 

 It is round, and all Eoman camps were square. It is, how- 

 ever, a beautifully-preserved specimen. Its ramparts are many 

 feet high ; one is still extant, but another has been partially 

 removed. 



The camp in Newbattle parish is situated east of Gore- 

 bridge. It has been long known as the Eoman Camp, and 

 the remains of a turf wall of square formation have been 



