Blackhill Wood

Date August 1997 - August 1997

Event ID 569986

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/569986

NN 8452 1075 Excavation on the site at Blackhill Wood was commissioned in response to substantial damage being caused to the monument, principally by rabbit burrowing and tree roots. Surveys were undertaken to assess the level to which both of these agents had affected the remaining evidence. It was also hoped to supplement the information gained from Professor J K S St Joseph's trenches at the site, from 1974.

The site was defined by two concentric, sub-rectangular, V-shaped ditches with an external diameter of 25.2-26.3m. Associated with these were outer and medial banks of upcast material and an inner turf work. The inner ditch surrounded an area of 11.2-12.3m, which contained the inner turf work and the remains of a 4-post tower structure.

The ditches differed in size with the outer being the slighter (2.5-3.4m wide by 0.3-0.5m deep), while the inner measured 2-2.5m wide and 0.5-0.8m deep. Upon excavation it was confirmed that the outer ditch did not continue around the southern side of the site where the ground slopes off to the S. An oven, with a stone-paved base, was located cut into this slope. From the fill sequence it is difficult to say whether this was contemporary with the signal station or the temporary camp. The entrance to the signal station faced towards the Roman road which lay 30m away to the W.

Three post-holes were located with a fourth one assumed to lie under a large oak tree. They were fairly similar in size being over 1m in diameter, and 0.95-1.01m deep. The NE post-hole exhibited three phases of use. From this evidence the dimensions for the tower structure would appear to have been around 3.5m (SE-NW) by 3.7m (NE-SW).

Within the area bounded by the post-holes, ie the interior of the tower, paving was located on top of a levelled surface; repair to this paving was also evident.

A small amount of excavation was carried out on the defences of the temporary camp, to confirm St Joseph's observations about the relationship between the sites. The temporary camp was stratigraphically later than the signal station. The camp defences were a standard V-shaped ditch with an upcast inner rampart.

As with all Gask sites finds were rare. They include an unstratified sherd of coarse ware, a square-headed nail from within the area of the tower, and a stone incised with linear grooves from the sharpening of iron blades from the inner ditch of the signal station. There were no finds from the temporary camp.

B Glendinning and A Dunwell 1997.