Excavation

Date July 2013

Event ID 993839

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/993839

NT 6135 6860 The final season of the research excavation was carried out by volunteers and professionals during July 2013. The work consisted of further topographic, vegetation and erosion surveys, plus six trenches.

The excavation expanded upon two of the trenches (33 and 34) in the NW entrance. This work confirmed the presence of posts, suggesting these represent formal gateways rather than cattle breaches, and ties in with the track which circles the site on the W side and then joins with the main entrance track.

Trench 40 resolved into a platform, which had been cut into the inner rampart scarp and over the ditch filled with rubble from a dry stone wall revetment of the upper rampart bank. No structures were recognised, suggesting this was an open area rather than a hut platform.

Trench 39 over the external ditch and bank showed that collapse had take place in a number of phases, suggesting the collapse of a deteriorating site. OSL sequencing was carried out on the ditch fill.

Trench 41 confirmed the presence of a turf wall structure with heather matting which may have been a shepherd’s shelter.

Trench 42 over the mound at the entrance had been placed to test a theory that it may have been a deliberate mound over a cist cemetery. No revetment or kerb stones were found, although there were two substantial postholes associated with the mound indicating that it may have formed part of an alternative entrance.

Further post-excavation and research is ongoing to provide a full interpretation.

Archive: RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: Rampart Scotland

Murray Cook and David Connolly, Rampart Scotland, 2013

(Source: DES)