Deers Den

Deers Den is an archaeological site at Kintore, Scotland in Aberdeenshire. The site has mesolithic remains, Iron Age artefacts and is a known Roman Camp. This 120 acre site is partially disturbed and developed by the western part of Kintore itself. The site is associated with the Severan invasion, ca 200 CE. Deers Den is one of a chain of Roman Camps generally strung in a north to south alignment to support the invasion and exploration of northern Scotland by the Romans. The chain includes Ardoch, Strageath, Inchtuthil, Battledykes, Stracathro and Raedykes, then proceeds via Elsick Mounth and Normandykes to the northerly camps of Ythan Wells (Glenmailen), and Deers Den.

The site was excavated by Murray Cook of Rampart Scotland http://www.rampartscotland.co.uk/ and remains one of the largest ever excavations in Scotland. The marching camp recovered more internal features than any other camp in the Roman Empire. Other superlatives include more roundhouses than have ever been excavated in any one locations in Scotland and more Neolithic pottery than had been previously excavated in Aberdeenshire (Cook & Dunbar 2008).

Deers Den was occupied by the Romans on at least two occasions: in the late first century AD during Agricola's invasion, and in the late 2nd or early 3rd centuries AD during the rule of either Commodus or Septimius Severus.