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Excavation

Date 27 November 2018 - 21 October 2019

Event ID 1109320

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1109320

NT 17399 74698 The project work for 2019 was to excavate, survey and draw the building known as ‘the offices’ (Canmore ID: 115197). The excavation programme took place every Monday between 27th November 2018 and 21st October 2019 except for the months of July and August.

Most of the excavation work consisted of removing the building rubble covering the internal space. This was piled up to 2m high over most of the internal structure. The E end of the structure was shown to be a dwelling with internal dividing walls of single brick, originally covered in thick plaster. A substantial, fine, flagged floor covered most of this area. A large quantity of finds was excavated from within the building rubble, mostly of a domestic nature, and those that could be dated had a late 19th century, early 20th century date. Hearthstones and fragments of fireplaces or ranges were found at the E and W ends of this room. A cupboard or alcove in the NE corner contained a quantity of nails and glass bottles. There was a passage-way from the east room to the centre room.

The central area of the structure has a very different range of finds. In the lower layers of the building rubble which has both grey slates and pantiles there has been found two sheets of corrugated iron, wooden remains, and animal bones. A hearthstone and fragments of a cast-iron grate or range was found at the E end. This area is still to be fully cleared.

The W end of the structure was again showing evidence of a domestic nature but here we found clay pipe fragments including two bowls, from the factory of T Whyte and Co (1832-64) and a silver shilling of Queen Victoria dated to 1865, as well as two pennies (George V and VI) and a wooden or bone chess piece. A fireplace was also found on the E side of the room and sleeper walls which may have supported a wooden floor. A stone and brick wall divided this room from the centre room. This area is also still to be fully cleared.

Archive: NRHE

Funder: Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society

Christine McPherson - Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society

(Source: DES Vol 20)

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References