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Excavation
Date 3 September 2012 - 23 October 2012
Event ID 1034430
Category Recording
Type Excavation
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1034430
Under the terms of its PIC call-off contract with Historic Scotland, Kirkdale Archaeology was asked to undertake an archaeological watching brief during the installation of new spotlights at Stirling Castle (Fig.1). This comprised the direct replacement of in situ relict lights. The existing spotlights consisted of a metal housing with an internal light fitting, each light joined to the next by electrical cable. These housings were susceptible to water penetration and many were shown to be full of water (therefore the lights had failed).
The watching brief has shown that despite massive disturbance in terms of services having been installed, mainly in the 19th and 20th centuries, there are still relict remains of historic levelling layers, albeit in a truncated form. These layers could be seen around the N and E sides of James V’s Palace, and along the E front of the King’s Old Building. Further areas of interest were flagged up in the trenches on the ramp on the SW and SE of the Forework entrance arch, where historic infilling could seen and, in the case of Trench 19, a possibly pre- southern outworks dressing of the bedrock was noted. Stirling Castle retains high archaeological potential, and watching briefs like this one continue to inform our knowledge of its developmental sequence.
G Ewart 2012
Sponsor: Historic Scotland
Kirkdale Archaeology