Archaeology Notes

Event ID 680631

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/680631

NO02NE 31 c. 09 26

Eight pits were discovered in the 18th century near Bertha (NO 09 26) and on the (?left) bank of the River Almond; they were noted by Pennant.

The discovery resulted from a large urn being seen projecting from the riverbank. The pits stood about 10ft apart, and one or more vessels were found at the bottom of each. All the vessels appear to have contained ashes, mixed, in one instance, with charred pieces of oak. It appeared that when the pits were dug the urn or urns had been placed at the bottom and the pit then filled with dark alluvial soil which had been tightly pressed down. In 1774 a two-handled urn resting on a tablet of brick was round at the bottom of one of the shafts. Nearby lay the remains of a helmet, a socketed spearhead and, beneath these, an oblong bar of lead.

A Ross 1968; T Pennant 1772.