Northern Picts Project Craig Phadrig Geophysical Survey

Date July 2013 - December 2013

Event ID 1013483

Category Project

Type Project

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1013483

NH 6400 4527 As part of the Northern Picts Project surveys and excavations have been undertaken in an area stretching from Aberdeenshire to Easter Ross targeting sites that can help contextualize the character of society in the early medieval period in northern Pictland. Two short seasons of geophysical survey in July and December 2013 were conducted on Craig Phadrig Fort where important Iron Age and early medieval phases to the vitrified fort have been identified.

During the July survey magnetometry was attempted on the interior of the fort, but the vitrification and geology rendered the results unusable. Survey shifted to resitivity and four 20 x 20m grids in July and eight further grids in December covered the interior and lower citadel of the fort. The survey grids were recorded with dGPS.

The survey has shown the potential for geophysical survey to reveal details on the internal layout of forts such as Craig Phadrig. Possible features identified included potential circular structures in the southern end of the upper citadel and activity areas in the lower citadels. The most intriguing features are two linear low resistance features with a bowed end (features 9 and 10 on interpretative plot). These features may be the

remains of an internal palisade or large structure within the northern end of the upper citadel. A possible entrance to this structure is on the northern end where the linear anomalies curve towards one another.

Archive: University of Aberdeen

Funder: University of Aberdeen Development Trust in partnership with the Tarbat Discovery Centre and Forestry Commission Scotland

Gordon Noble, Matt Ritchie and Oskar G Sveinbjarnarson – University of Aberdeen and Forestry Commission Scotland

(Source: DES)