res) 
IJ.—On the supposed Upheaval of Scotland in its Central Parts since the time of 
the Roman Occupation. By Davip MILNE Home, Esq. (Plate I.) 
(Read 20th January 1873.) 
_ Sir Cuarzes Lye 1, in the 3d edition of his “ Antiquity of Man,” published 
in 1863, makes the following statement :— 
“ Until lately, it was confidently assumed, that no alteration had occurred 
in the relative levels of land and sea, in the central district of Scotland, since 
the construction of the Roman or Pictish wall (the wall of ANnTonINE), which 
reached from.the Firth of Forth to that of the Clyde.” 
“But Mr Gertz has lately shown, that a depression of twenty-five feet on 
the Forth, would not lay the eastern extremity of the Roman wall at Carriden 
under water ; and he was therefore desirous of knowing, whether the western 
end of the wall would be submerged by a similar amount of subsidence. Anti- 
quaries have sometimes wondered, that the Romans did not carry the wall 
farther west than Chapel Hill. But Mr Gerxie now suggests, in explanation, 
that all the low land at present intervening between that point and the mouth of 
the Clyde, was, sixteen or seventeen centuries ago, washed by the tides at high 
water.” : 
“The wall of ANTONINE, therefore (adds Sir CHARLEs), yields no evidence 
~ in favour of the land having remained stationary, since the time of the Romans ; 
but, on the contrary, appears to indicate, that, since its erection, the land has 
actually risen.” 
Sir CHARLEs, after stating the facts pointed out by Professor GErIK1E to show 
this rise, proceeds thus :— 
“On a review of the whole evidence, geological and archeeological, afforded 
by the Scottish coast line, we may conclude that the last upheaval of twenty-five 
feet took place not only since the first human population settled in the island, 
but long after metallic implements had come into use ; and there seems even a 
strong presumption in favour of the opinion, that the date of the elevation may 
have been subsequent to the Roman occupation.” 
The opinion expressed .by Professor GEIKIE, and to a certain extent adopted 
by Sir Caries LYELL, attracted considerable attention. Several geologists 
went to examine the section of strata near Leith, which had led Professor 
GEIKIE to his remarkable conclusion. Amongst others, the late Mr ALEXANDER 
Bryson of Edinburgh and Mr Carrutuers of the British Museum wrote papers 
VOL, XXVIL PART I, L 
