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Watching Brief

Date 29 September 2014 - 30 September 2014

Event ID 1034567

Category Recording

Type Watching Brief

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1034567

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 three lighting conductor mats and conductor strip at Broughty Castle, Dundee.

The findings of this exercise can be summarised as:

Disturbance and infill -

The excavation has confirmed the assumed high level of disturbance within the area immediately around the entrance to the tower. The general ground level is actually a terrace or platform, some 1m higher than the threshold of the tower entrance, and this in turn has been exploited to accommodate a wide range of power cables and services, some at least associated with the gun batteries themselves. No natural subsoil or buried ground surface was encountered during the recent excavation, suggesting that the extensive earthworks associated with the 19th - 20th century batteries have simply buried residual surfaces to a depth of at least 1m. At the depths exposed, there was no sign of a buried turf rampart associated with the 16th century fortification of the site.

Gun battery infrastructure -

The numerous heavy duty electrical cables which were revealed at various depths within the infill deposits are most likely part of the power supply to the batteries, and as such may date to the mid-20th century (possibly related to activity associated with WWII).

Less certain is the role of the inspection shaft (003); it was clearly abandoned and crudely backfilled suggesting it is not part of the current drainage arrangements for the site. The one rung exposed in the N wall of the shaft was not iron and may reflect attempts to minimise sparks by utilising white metal.

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