Archaeology Notes

Event ID 669319

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/669319

NJ71NE 32.00 7939 1634.

(NJ 7939 1634) Castle Hill (NR) (Site of)

OS 6" map, (1938)

For Pictish symbol stones, see NJ71NE 32.01 and NJ71NE 32.02 respectively.

Not to be confused with Pictish symbol stones from Kintore, Churchyard (NJ 7930 1628), for which see NJ71NE 33.

For stone circles at Broomend of Crichie (NJ 7792 1967), Fullerton (NJ 7839 1797), Cairnhall (NJ 7850 1759) and Hill of Tuack (NJ 7957 1544), see NJ71NE 6, NJ71NE 14, NJ71NE 17, NJ71NE 27 respectively.

Fragments of urns, bones and lead, found in and near the Castle Hill, were presented to the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS) by Mr A Watt on April, 14th 1856. (No accession nos. were found)

Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1859.

Castle Hill was a conical mound about 30 feet in height and varying from 150 feet wide at the base of the east end to under 30 feet wide at the other. Evidence gained during recent destruction of the mound suggests that a circle of stones, connected by a wall, had formerly existed on the hill, and that they had been overthrown and covered over with earth to the depth of about 10 feet, so as to form the modern Castle Hill.

Two of the stones, inscribed, are in the possession of the writer. On the south and east sides of the hill and for several hundred yards to the eastward, small conical pits 3 to 4 feet long by 2 to 3 feet wide by 1 to 2 1/2 feet deep, containing burnt bones, charcoal etc have been found. One pit, covered by a stone contained a large urn in which was 'a damp substance like meal.' Some of the pits also contained fragments of iron 'and some round pieces of solid tin, about the thickness of small gas pipes. These were found firmly embedded round one of the pits in a vertical position, about eight feet below the surface.'

A Watt 1864.

The two symbol stones are held in the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS) under accession numbers IB 22-3.

J R Allen and J Anderson 1903; NMAS 1892.

The two Class I symbol stones recovered from the Castle Hill were associated with the remains of a recumbent-stone type of stone circle.

A Norman motte, visited by Edward 1 in 1296 was raised upon the site of the circle.

W D Simpson 1943; 1949.