Excavation

Date 29 July 1957 - 3 August 1957

Event ID 570591

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/570591

NS 7105 7605 Excavations in 1957 on Macdonald's line of the Military Way proved inconclusive. On the 'presumed route' there were just a few 'trial cuttings' made in an area just NE of a circular enclosure through the N section of which Macdonald (1934) had suggested that the road passed. A gravel surface emerged in two of the small trenches, gravel again being located in a third trench situated to the n of the first two. In this trench a number of stones were discovered below the gravel, but these seemed to become thinner at the N 'end of the trench.' Beneath this was a 15cm layer of soil, and then another 'layer of hard-packed gravel covering a stone bottoming.' This layer also appeared to terminate in the trench and neither layer emerged in another trench which had been cut a little further N. It appears, therefore, that there were two roads, dug at sufficient intervals apart for a layer of soil to accumulate, but further excavation is necessary before conclusions should be drawn (Keppie and Breeze 1982).