Archaeology Notes

Event ID 720798

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/720798

NT68SW 3 6030 8483.

(NT 6030 8483) The Gegan (NAT)

OS 6" map (NG)

Foundations of an ancient building, and its accompanying kitchen-midden were found on a detached rock jutting out from Seacliff Bay, known locally as the Ghegan.

The foundation wall was built of uncemented stones. Its lower part, 22-23' above HWM, running E-W was traceable for about 39': on its E side it turned N for 12-15' at right angles, then disappeared. On the W it turned N for 26' 8" then NE for c.15' then disappeared. A rude pavement and drain occupied the centre of the area. A few human bones and a great number of animal bones were found within and around the walls. Other finds included:- bone needles, bone awls or arrow points, arrow heads, combs, chisels and knives: fragments of rude pottery,including one small vessel entire; fragments of ware of superior manufacture, resembling Roman workmanship; several 'pot-boilers', and a very primitive quern.

J W Laidlaw 1871

Relics associated with Romano-British sites were found among the foundations of a building and kitchen midden of the Ghegan. They were not later than Roman in age and possibly earlier.

R Munro 1899

A building with an associated midden were excavated here in 1870. There are now no traces of the building or midden.

Site recorded by GUARD during the Coastal Assessment Survey for Historic Scotland, 'The Firth of Forth from Dunbar to the Coast of Fife' 26th February 1996.

'Ghegan Rock, Seacliff, Whitekirk; Kitchen-midden. In 1870, excavation brought to light the foundation-walls of a building and a kitchen-midden. Animal bones were found in large numbers, as well as a few human bones. The relics include a number of objects of bone, needles, pins, a dress-fastener, a comb with decoration recalling the crescent and the spectacle symbols characteristic of early sculptured stones in Scotland, one playing-man of a greenish serpentine, coarse native pottery, and part of the neck and handle of a Roman amphora. There appears to be a cave a few hundred yards to the south of the rock.

J Curle 1932

No trace of these building foundations, nor kitchen midden were seen. At the approximate location is a disturbed area now turf covered, and between this area and Sea cliff Harbour at the edge of the cliff face, is an area of recent excavation.

Visited by OS (WDJ) 13 November 1962

The serpentine playing man is Roman and the amphora fragment is 1st or 2nd century. Both are in the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland [NMAS].

A S Robertson 1970