Archaeology Notes

Event ID 859982

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/859982

NX85NE 49 8810 5505

NX 8810 5505 (N site) A sixth season of excavation by volunteer diggers and students of the Stewartry Archaeological

Trust has continued on the N site at Newbarns. Previous work has been reported in DES 2003, 44 and 2005, 42.

By the end of the season a total of 18 prehistoric burial pits, the earliest having been dated to the Early Bronze Age, have

been identified and at least a further 5 are earmarked for future investigation. To the NE of the existing N cairn a further, smaller, satellite cairn was recovered from the peat covering the old loch bottom. On its northern perimeter there is evidence of burial in the form of a huge granite capstone sitting on granite cushion stones. There is no evidence of later, medieval, presence as there is on the other cairns being currently excavated, so it can be hypothesised that this feature was still beneath the waters of the then Barnhourie Loch during the later tenure of the cairns at Newbarns by the Colwen family who were Drengs from Workington in Cumbria.

The Neolithic passage grave was further excavated to reveal the 4.2m-long passage leading from the kerbed edge of the cairn to the entrance of the burial chamber. This has either been filled in after use when the monument was closed for posterity, or has been backfilled in medieval times and a timber building erected over it. Unfortunately subsidence into the passage has occurred. The cobbled floor of the building has tilted to the S and use would then have been untenable. A datable copper alloy pin head was recovered from this cobbled floor level. The huge capstone has been shifted off the level by violent tree root action, and some of the side stones of the passage have been identified and seem to have suffered a similar fate. These will be lifted next season. One flint tool was recovered from behind the burial chamber.

This was the fourth to be found in the immediate vicinity of this feature, which was so badly damaged in antiquity that one

might interpret it as a deliberate attempt to destroy this ancient monument. A large extent of cobbling level has been uncovered to the N of the passage grave and a number of postholes of varying sizes would indicate that a NE-facing rectangular timber building latterly stood on this part of the site. Speculation dates it to the medieval occupation of the cairn when it was in use as a bailey settlement.

Several round Late Bronze Age or Early Iron Age burials have been revealed, some of which contain two cremation

depressions and all are lined with granite and shale cobbling into which broken stone tools have been inserted. One contained a large shale anvil and the entire pit had been backfilled with small granite boulders before a small, flat capstone was set in position on top of the pit. A further series of pit-like features has been uncovered next to this burial and underneath a further layer of medieval backfilling. These await investigation. To the N of this feature a series of stakeholes have been found surrounding the cut of another large-stone filled pit.

NX 8810 5485 Due to the recent foot and mouth precautions and the strictures of DEFRA it has not been possible to carry on any excavation of the S site at Newbarns during 2007. It is hoped to remedy this in 2008.The Newbarns Project was selected as the 2007 competition prize by the Young Archaeologists Club and was won by Hannah from Glasgow who spent an enjoyable day on site.

Excavation will continue at Newbarns in 2008.

The archive is in the process of being deposited with Dumfries and Galloway Council and is lodged with the Stewartry Museum, Kirkcudbright.

Funder: The Council for British Archaeology, Barend Holiday Village, the Robert Kiln Trust.

Elizabeth and Alastair Penman, 2007.