The Antonine Wall lay at the very extremity of the Roman world. For a
generation, in the middle of the second century AD, it was the
north-west frontier of the Roman empire. Furthermore, it was one of only
three "artificial" frontiers along the European boundaries of the
empire: the other two are Hadrian's Wall and the German Limes. Although
the Antonine Wall fits into the general pattern of Roman frontiers, in
many ways it was the most developed frontier in Europe, with certain
distinct characteristics. Perhaps of greatest significance is the
survival of the collection of Roman military sculpture, the Distance
Slabs. These record the lengths constructed by each legion and their
relationship to the labour camps allow further conclusions to be made
about the work of constructing the Antonine Wall.