Trimontium Trust & Museum
banner
trimontiumtrust.bsky.social
Trimontium Trust & Museum
@trimontiumtrust.bsky.social
A unique museum dedicated to Roman & Iron Age Scotland.
🌟Thistle Awards Winner
Melrose, Scottish Borders

🔗https://linktr.ee/trimontiumtrust
#WorldToiletDay so of course we need to talk #Roman toilets. Public latrines were social hives in Ancient Rome, where you could meet, gossip & do your business...& some business with fellow citizens. Watch this for an idea of what it was like! zurl.co/8OGV
November 19, 2025 at 8:32 AM
#Spearheads found at #Trimontium ranging in shape & size, from 14" to 4¼". 80-180AD. Image 4 shows one particular example featuring a punctured inscription. #Roman soldiers often marked objects with their names to prove ownership.

#romanweapons #romanscotland
November 18, 2025 at 10:43 PM
The 18th-20th November marks the Mercatus Plebeii - the #Roman people's market. Following Ludi Plebeii, it was an opportune time for those selling everyday goods & exotic items from the furthest provinces.

Roman market illustration credits: zurl.co/RjDCV

#romanholidays #romanfestival #Romanruins
November 18, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Happy Birthday to #Emperor Vespasian! 🎂 Vespasian was born #OTD AD 9 in Reate (Rieti) to the north west of Rome. He was Rome's 9th Emperor & founder of the Flavian dynasty. He stabilised the Empire after a period of civil wars & began a vast building programme in Rome, including the Colosseum.
November 17, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Today marks the end of the Ludi Plebeii. The festival included chariot races, athletic contests & theatrical acts to entertain Rome’s common people.

📷
1) c.250CE Mosaic of victorious charioteer, Trier, Rheinisches Landesmuseum
2) Jupiter Intaglio from Trimontium, on display #TrimontiumMuseum
November 17, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Happy #NationalFastFoodDay! Did you know ancient Romans had their own version of fast food? Thermopolia were street-side stalls offering ready-to-eat meals like meats, olives, & even fried dough! Customers grabbed takeout in clay bowls—Pompeii had over 90! #Trimontium
November 16, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Harry the Roman visits Tomen y Mur, a late 1st‑c. fort in Gwynedd. “Agricola had a talent for dramatic landscapes… this feels like Trimontium!” He marveled at the LiDAR view & the Julius Perpetuus stone, now in the National Museum of Wales.

#RomanBritain #TomenyMur #History
November 15, 2025 at 4:30 PM
The Newbridge Chariot Burial - this #IronAge #chariot is the 1st found in #Scotland & was buried intact, following Continental La Tène traditions.
Dating to the 5th century BC, it predates the Yorkshire chariot burials & highlights strong European links in Iron Age Scotland. A remarkable find! 🐎
November 15, 2025 at 8:30 AM
🐎 On Nov 14th, the Romans celebrated Equorum probatio—a grand cavalry parade! As the largest military force at #Trimontium, the cavalry left behind hundreds of horse-related artefacts, many unearthed from James Curle’s pits. Could they have raced here too? #MysteryofthePits
November 14, 2025 at 8:30 PM
An #IronAge weaving comb from the Scottish Crannog Centre made of whale bone. The 'teeth' of the comb were used to push the weft (the horizontal threads that run across the width of a woven piece of fabric) to create a tighter weave. #AncientTools #TrimontiumTrust
November 14, 2025 at 4:30 PM
⭐️#Trimontium Quiz is back!!⭐️27 Nov - 7pm - Marmion's Wynd Theatre. Go Christmas shopping in Melrose, then grab your team & come along to pit your wits against the other teams. Raffle & Quiz proceeds go to supporting the work of the museum: creating new visual experiences, outreach programmes & more!
November 14, 2025 at 12:27 PM
The Deskford carnyx - shaped like the head of a boar, AD80-250. Made of brass & bronze - a wind instrument of the Iron Age Celts, used in warfare & ritual.

📷 Deskford Carnyx / Replica / Gundestrup cauldron

More about the Celtic Warrior - do not miss today's Trimontium Talk zurl.co/g0Vmy
November 13, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Long ago these peaceful fields echoed with the sounds of a bustling Roman fort, densely packed with buildings & sites of intense activity.

Trimontium Fort site aerial view & digital reconstruction.
Illustration of buildings in the vicus at Housesteads Roman Fort © Historic England (Peter Urmston)
November 12, 2025 at 4:30 PM
For #HillfortsWednesday - Dunagoil & Little Dunagoil on the Isle of Bute Scotland. These are vitrified forts or duns, where the ramparts have been melted by intense heat, although some of the vitrified stone was later reused showing long occupation and evolving defences on this ancient coastal site.
November 12, 2025 at 8:31 AM
In the early 2nd century AD the #Romans built a #lighthouse tower in #Dover to guide the Roman ships to the port below. The view from the top of the tower has been angled in order to communicate with the lighthouse on Western Heights & with the one on the French coast, by means of burning braziers.
November 11, 2025 at 4:30 PM
10 Nov 1925 celebrated actor #RichardBurton was born. During his career, Burton played a #Roman several times, most notably as #MarkAntony in the 1963 film, #Cleopatra . During the filming, he began an affair with the leading actress, Elizabeth Taylor, who later became his wife. Twice!
November 11, 2025 at 9:50 AM
Felicitas was the #Roman Goddess of good luck & fortune & of peace and prosperity. Unlike Fortuna, who could bring both good and bad luck, Felicitas was always positive. Her name is from the Latin word felix, meaning fruitful, blessed, happy, lucky". She often appeared on coins.
November 10, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Departed Comrade! Thou redeemed from pain
Shall sleep the sleep that kings desire in vain…..
Tears for the mourners who are left behind
Peace everlasting for the quiet dead.

Lucretius (Ancient #Roman Poet) #RemembranceDay2025
November 9, 2025 at 4:30 PM
For this #SundayintheBorders why not take a walk in the footsteps of #Romans & explore one of several walks passing close to #Trimontium Fort site as detailed in Paths Around #Melrose, available from the museum.

Trimontium Fort site
Old bridge near #Leaderfoot
Leaderfoot Viaduct
November 9, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Today we say happy birthday to the #Roman #Emperor, Marcus Cocceius Nerva, born on Nov 8th, 30AD in the village of Narni, near Rome. Following the assassination of Domitian, #Nerva was declared emperor by the Senate, in 96AD.
He served as emperor only for 15 months & died of natural causes.
November 8, 2025 at 4:30 PM
The #Romans opened the Mundus—a sacred pit to the Underworld—on 24 Aug, 5 Oct & 8 Nov - harvest days with offerings to the Manes.
Mundus Patet — “the Earth is open.” A Roman festival of the dead when the living paused, the veil between worlds grew thin, and even temples fell silent. ⚱️ #RomanHistory
November 8, 2025 at 10:32 AM
Which roads would you have taken to go from Dover to Trimontium in Roman Britannia?

1) Watling Street from Dover to London;
2) Ermine Street from London to York passing by Lincoln;
3) From York to Corbridge along an extention of the previous;
4) From Corbridge to Trimontium Fort - Dere Street.
November 7, 2025 at 4:30 PM
This lovely #IronAge bracelet comes from Ken Hill, #Norfolk. It is hollow & made from a sheet of gold-alloy. It was discovered in 1950 as part of a small hoard of Iron Age artefacts including 'The #Snettisham Great torc 50-150BC

© The Trustees of the British Museum
November 7, 2025 at 8:30 AM
A powerful earthquake struck #Constantinople on 6th #November AD447, destroying 57 towers of the famous walls. The City was threatened with disease in the aftermath. This was during the reign of #Theodosius II & in a major feat of engineering the walls were rebuilt in 60 days.
November 6, 2025 at 6:00 PM
#November marks a month long celebration of non-fiction #books by the Federation of Children's Book Groups & this year the theme covers history & archaeology. We stock a range of fascinating, fun books for children of all ages so why not bring your youngsters in for a browse?

#museumshop
#romans
November 6, 2025 at 4:30 PM