Archaeological Evaluation

Date October 2017

Event ID 1040306

Category Recording

Type Archaeological Evaluation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1040306

NJ 22340 69600 Kinneddar has one of the richest collections of Pictish and Early Chrisitian sculpture in northern Pictland, but only limited research has been conducted here. Kinneddar was one of the residences of the Bishops of Moray from the 11th century onwards and at its height of importance the bishop’s residence was a castle located to the N of the modern cemetery. Geophysical survey conducted in November 2015–6 covered a large area of the Glebe to the W of the modern cemetery and areas to the S and N and identified traces of a vallum ditch on the S and W sides.

During October 2017 a four day evaluation was carried out to test the features identified by geophysical survey as part of an archaeology course at the University of Aberdeen and the Leverhulme funded Comparative Kingship project. Six trenches were laid out. Trench 1 was located close to the southern graveyard wall of the modern cemetery. A series of clay floor layers with paving slabs was identified along with a series of large pits/postholes in the southern part of the trench. The pits/postholes curved around marking the edge of a possible circular structure. Trenches 2, 5 and 6 located nearby identified a small number of cut features. Trench 3 was laid over the vallum and identified a c3m wide vallum ditch that was around 1m deep. A possible smithing furnace was caught in section and a large piece of furnace base was identified. Pieces of slag were found throughout the ditch fill. A secondary ditch was found on the exterior side of the vallum ditch. Extensive modern disturbance truncated parts of the vallum in this area of the site. The upper part of the ditch contained frequent animal bone and a small number of glazed and unglazed pottery sherds. Trench 4 was located over an enclosing feature that extends southwards from the main vallum ditch. A series of shallow ditches or foundation trenches for some form of timber enclosing feature were found in Trench 4. These were cut by a later palisade or fence line. A small deposit of shell and bone was also found in one end of the trench.

Radiocarbon dating will clarify the chronology of the vallum and other enclosing ditches and will also establish the date of features in Trench 1.

Archive: University of Aberdeen

Funder: University of Aberdeen and Leverhulme Trust

Gordon Noble, James O’Driscoll and Edouard Masson-Maclean – University of Aberdeen

(Source: DES, Volume 18)