Archaeology Notes

Event ID 831621

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/831621

NJ16NW 88.01 10839 69178

Coastguard Lookout [NAT]

OS 1:2500 map, 1967.

NJ 109 691 At Burghead Fort, excavations were undertaken between February and April 2002, and a watching brief was conducted during further construction works between April and July 2002 in advance of the proposed construction of an interpretation centre within the 19th-century coastguard lookout. This lookout is set at the N end of the fort on top of the rampart which separates the upper and lower wards. The lookout is specifically excluded from the Scheduling of the fort.

The excavation of deposits within the lookout demonstrated that it had been built on top of extant rampart core material with little resultant disturbance of the rampart beneath. A section excavated through the rampart at this point demonstrated that it was stone-built of dump construction with no evidence for timber-lacing. The body of the rampart consisted of a mixture of large waterworn stones and apparently quarried sandstone with pockets of large beach pebbles, within a sand matrix. Fragments of sandstone were present throughout. There appeared to be little organised structure to the rampart's construction, although some variation could be seen within the rampart core; for example, pockets of beach pebbles were locally prevalent. Larger stones were visible towards the base of the section, with more voids present, perhaps indicating that a layer of basal stones had been laid on the ground surface initially to mark out the line of the rampart and/or provide a firm foundation for the rampart. The section of rampart excavated measured 8m wide (max.) and 3.00-3.25m high (max.). The excavation within the lookout did not extend through the inner or outer faces of the rampart due to the constraints imposed by working within the confines of that building. No artefacts were recovered.

Sealed beneath the rampart was a sequence of well-preserved organic deposits. Further excavation of these deposits showed that there were two old land surfaces separated by windblown sand, with relict dune sands beneath. These land surfaces were organic-rich and contained charred plant remains. No features were noted within these deposits.

Data Structure Reports deposited in the NMRS.

Sponsor: Moray Council for Burghead Headland Trust.

M Johnson 2002.