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XX. — On Skulls of Horses from the Roman Fort at Newstead, near Melrose, 

 with Observations on the Origin of Domestic Horses. By J. 0. Ewart, M.D., 

 F.R.S., Regius Professor of Natural History, University of Edinburgh. (With 

 Three Plates and Six Text-figures.) 



(Read November 19, 1906. Issued separately May 9, 1907.) 



Introductory. 



Archaeologists and students of Roman Scotland have long known that somewhere in 

 the neighbourhood of Newstead, near Melrose, lay the site of a Roman settlement. 



Excavations which have recently been undertaken by the Society of Antiquaries of 

 Scotland, under the direction of Mr James Curle, F.S.A., of Priorwood, Melrose, have 

 been successful in ascertaining, to the east of the village of Newstead. the exact posi- 

 tion of a large fort, which occupied a commanding position within sight of the Eildon 

 Hills. 



During the excavations, in addition to a cavalry helmet, armour, wheels, bridle-bits, 

 fragments of leather, and numerous articles of various kinds made use of by the 

 Romans, a considerable number of bones of wild and domestic animals have been found, 

 with the result that the fort at Newstead promises to prove almost as interesting to 

 biologists as to antiquaries. 



At the request of Mr Curle I visited the Newstead fort early in 1906, with a view 

 to reporting on the collection of horse bones. 



Hitherto when bones of horses have been met with during excavations, it has 

 generally been deemed sufficient to record as accurately as possible the number of 

 animals they represented, and to indicate at what level and under what conditions 

 they were discovered. But now that the multiple origin of the domestic breeds of 

 horses is considered probable, it occurred to me that a careful study of the bones from 

 Newstead might shed fresh light on the origin of our modern breeds, as well as add to 

 our knowledge of the Roman war-horse and of the small fleet horses the ancient Britons 

 yoked to their war-chariots. I accordingly arranged for all horse bones unearthed at 

 Newstead being sent to Edinburgh, and I now propose to submit to the Society the 

 conclusions arrived at from a comparative study of the skulls. 



For the following information as to the finding of the skulls, I am indebted to Mr 

 Curle : — Thirteen horse skulls were found in pits outside the fort, two in a pit in the 

 outer courtyard of the prsetorium, and two others in a pit within the fort a little to the 

 north of the east gate. In every case the skulls and other bones lay in a dark deposit 

 having a peculiar odour, and crowded with twigs and small fragments of wood. Of the 

 pits outside the fort, one (the Horse pit) which lies to the south of the defences was 



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