BANNOCKBURN CEMETERIES METAL DETECTOR SURVEY AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION
Date 10 March 2007 - 20 March 2007
Event ID 558903
Category Recording
Type Metal Detector Survey
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/558903
During March 2007, Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division (GUARD) undertook a metal detector survey of two sites at Ladywell Park and New Line Road, Bannockburn, Stirling, both of which are proposed to be used as cemeteries. An archaeological evaluation was also undertaken at New Line Road. The work was carried on behalf of Stirling Council in order to fulfil a condition placed on the
proposed works by the Stirling Council Archaeologist. Both sites are within the area where it is suspected that the 1314 Battle of Bannockburn took place, and this resulted in the recommendation that a metal detector survey was to take place prior to any development to ensure that any significant artefacts relating to the battle were recovered from the topsoil.
An archaeological evaluation was also undertaken on the second site. There, a Roman Road is depicted on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1865-6, running across the proposed development area, and
the southern end of the site borders Milton Bog, where a series of ‘stakes’ were recovered in the nineteenth century and presumed to represent spikes placed at the bottom of pits which related to the
battle. The stakes, however, show no evidence of sharpening or burning and radiocarbon dates obtained from them put them in the Mesolithic, suggesting that they may not relate to the battle as was first
suggested (Pollard & Oliver 2003, 62).
All but one of the finds from the metal detector survey of the Ladywell Park site date to the very late nineteenth century and the twentieth century; most are coins. The only find of potential earlier date is a large pewter spoon head, possibly dating to the eighteenth century. None of the artefacts recovered can be assigned definitely to the Battle of Bannockburn.
The metal detector survey of the New Line Road site also recovered a series of nineteenth and twentieth century artefacts. In addition, a series of coins, buttons and two musket balls which may date to the
eighteenth century, were found. It is known that there was Jacobite activity in this area in 1746, relating to the siege of Stirling Castle and the battle of Falkirk. It is possible that these eighteenth-century artefacts recovered from the New Line Road site relate to this activity. None of the artefacts recovered can be
assigned definitely to the Battle of Bannockburn.
Twenty eight trenches, representing 8% of the total area proposed for development at New Line Road, were opened there and examined to establish whether or not significant archaeological remains were
present.
No features deemed to be of archaeological significance were located by the trial trenching, indicating that
the Roman road depicted on the first edition OS map represents a suggested route rather than a known one.
Given the absence of any archaeological sites of significance, GUARD would recommend that no further archaeological work is required on either of the two sites.
Information from OASIS Id: guard4-44556 (Sneddon, D.) 2007
