Excavation

Date 6 June 2015 - 13 June 2015

Event ID 1025886

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1025886

NO 1387 6376 The fourth season of fieldwork, 6–13 June 2015, saw excavation of a series of evaluation trenches over a complex of at least three adjacent longhouses located to the E of a ring cairn and two other longhouses that formed the focus of excavations over 2012–14. The complex exhibits many of the characteristics of the classic ‘Pitcarmick type’ with rounded ends, an external oval enclosure attached to one external wall and signs of at least some slightly sunken internal areas. A total of six trenches were opened and these focused on evaluating the character and preservation of the building walls and internal areas. Trenches also evaluated the oval enclosure attached to the SW side of one longhouse and the external area to the S of the longhouses. The walls of the structures appeared, in general, to be constructed from a combination of turf and stone, although well preserved turf layers in the wall of the

northernmost building appear to show a wall composed of an inner and outer skin of turf with an earthen core. A series of internal features and deposits were also uncovered including substantial layers of stone work in the centre of one of the buildings, postholes and burnt layers. One of the most distinctive features encountered was a substantial pit in the centre of the oval enclosure containing a series of distinctive fills, including turf layers. Artefacts recovered included fragments of flint, corroded iron pieces, small pottery fragments and a spindle whorl with incised markings. A series of samples have been recovered for radiocarbon dating which will improve our understanding of early medieval turf longhouses in the area.

Archive: National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE)

Funder: The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, The Gannochy Trust and Historic Scotland Glenshee

David Strachan and David Sneddon – Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust and Northlight Heritage

(Source: DES, Volume 16)