The effect of Roman occupation on local population is considered in SESARF Iron Age. The settlements developed in the lee of Roman military strongholds are primarily annexes — often equated with small vici — attached to forts in the SE of Scotland such as at Newstead (Hunter and Keppie 2012). Unlike their counterparts on or south of Hadrian’s Wall, vici in Scotland were generally smaller and very often defended by ditches and ramparts, suggested by some authors to be due to the unstable nature of the northern frontier (Sommer 2006). One notable exception to this is the large area of settlement to the SE of the Antonine period fort at Inveresk (Thomas 1988, Bishop 2002).
Roman forts and fortlets themselves were mainly situated in response to strategic requirements of Roman command and control of the major indigenous centres of authority (for example Trimontium’s relationship to Eildon Hill North) or to key routes and river crossings. There was a need to guard and supervise Roman supply routes serving more northerly garrisons. There is a natural relationship therefore between the siting of Roman military development and pre-existing concentrations of indigenous power and settlement. A notable exception to this appears to be the complete absence of Roman military sites on the East Lothian plain, particularly within a 20 km radius of the major tribal centre of Traprain Law (Haselgrove 2009). This may reflect Roman respect for an established client kingdom — or incomplete modern survey with failure to identify Roman sites, particularly campaign camps, in the area.