Watching Brief

Date January 2006

Event ID 550724

Category Recording

Type Watching Brief

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/550724

NS 226 437 Topsoil stripping in January 2006 in advance of a housing development at Montfode, Ardrossan, was subject to a watching brief. The work followed earlier evaluations (James 1986; Stronach 2002) that had established the limit of ditches associated with a scheduled ancient monument (Montfode Mount). The ditches were, as far as possible, excluded from the development. The new access road into the site clipped the edge of the inner ditch associated with Montfode Mount, outside the scheduled area. A hand-excavated sondage into the ditch's primary fills recovered some charred cereal grain. The evaluations had established that a low density of truncated archaeological features was likely to survive elsewhere on the development site. Several groups of features were recorded as part of the monitored topsoil strip. The most significant were postholes and other features thought to be associated with a truncated roundhouse structure. Elsewhere pits, possible postholes and hearths were recorded. Two features were associated with probable Bronze Age pottery. The environmental remains from the site suggest a prehistoric date for all the features.

Archive and report to be deposited in NMRS. Report lodged with WoSAS SMR.

Sponsor: Mactaggart and Mickel.

A Dutton and S Stronach 2006