Archaeology Notes

Event ID 712371

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/712371

NT26NW 11 2446 6828.

Two large cairns were destroyed during road construction in the 18th century; they are said to have contained 'various sepulchral stone inclosures in which were deposited urns with dead men's ashes and divers warlike weapons used by the Romans'.

T Whyte 1792

During the 19th century two iron spearheads from the site were said to be preserved by Mr Trotter of Mortonhall; these suggest that not all the burials in these cairns were of second millennium BC date.

'Stone coffins with human bone' are also said to have been found during road works near the Caiystane. The Ordnance Survey Name Book records 'At or about Fairmilehead House numbers of human carcases were dug out some few years ago, and many were enclosed in stone coffins'.

Name Book 1852