Excavation
Date August 2021 - 11 September 2022
Event ID 1163007
Category Recording
Type Excavation
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1163007
NJ 1090 6914 The first two seasons of the HES funded Citadel project at Burghead were carried out over four weeks in total, excavation in August/September 2021 and 2022. Burghead Fort on the Moray Coast of Scotland is the largest and most complex early medieval promontory fort known in Scotland, one of fewer than 20 early medieval forts identified in Scotland and one of only three Pictish coastal promontory forts of this period, with the best-preserved defences of its type in Britain and Ireland. Yet significant parts of this site have been lost to development and now through coastal erosion. The Citadel project aims to mitigate further loss through rescue-led excavations on the eroding upper citadel of the fort in tandem with research- led excavations in the lower citadel and scientific analysis to provide unparalleled insights into the development and demise of an early medieval centre.
In both seasons of excavation, areas of the upper citadel
were targeted for 100% excavation in the areas that Alan Small excavated in the 1970s. In 2021, the upper citadel rampart was found to have completely collapsed into the sea in the area selected for excavation just to the W of the Coastguard Station cottages. However, areas of metalworking, postholes and settlement middens were found within the interior. Significant finds included a copper/alloy and iron composite bell – one of only around 20 found in Scotland to date, and 9th-century coins from Northumbria. In the lower citadel, in 2021, an area near the northern rampart was evaluated revealing partly truncated buildings, very extensive deposits of animal bone and working areas within the fort. Finds from the lower citadel included well-preserved bone pins, comb fragments, and a range of iron finds.
In 2022 the area of the upper fort excavated was located to
the N of the 2021 trench and uncovered a c5m stretch of the inner wallface of the rampart partly preserved, but right on the erosion edge. Almost 3m high of wallface was revealed including well-preserved evidence of the timber-lacing, the upper traces of which showed extensive evidence for destruction by fire. Within the interior further areas of midden and metalworking were found and notable finds included an iron spearhead and a stone- working chisel. In the lower citadel in 2022 excavations moved closer to the wallface of the northern rampart, and revealed much better preservation with the outline of one large sub-rectangular building with two hearths identified at the centre of the trench. At least two further structures were also revealed though walls were heavily disturbed and difficult to trace and/or mainly turf-built and thus not well represented. Finds in the lower citadel again included a range of well-preserved bone objects. Faunal remains were also very well preserved and included large deposits of fish bone and shell.
Archive: University of Aberdeen and NRHE (intended)
Funder: Historic Environment Scotland
Information from G Noble; J O’Driscoll; E Masson-MacLean and C MacIver – University of Aberdeen
(Source: DES Volume 23)
OASIS ID: universi5-436415; universi17-517932
