Excavation

Date August 1995

Event ID 923497

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/923497

NO 2927 1324 The Trust was commissioned in August 1995 to carry out a small scale excavation at the site of the Newton Standing Stone. The stone was displaced at some time in the later part of 1994 and, following advice from the Stenhouse Conservation Trust, was to be re-erected on its original site by Historic Scotland.

An area 3m2 was opened by hand with the disturbed pit for the stone at the centre. At the surface of the pit were several large rounded cobbles, which represented uprooted packing around the base of the standing stone. The pit was sub-circular in plan with steep sides and a flat base cut into undisturbed coarse sand and gravel. The cut had a maximum diameter of 1.1m and depth of only 0.42m. A depression, representing a leverage slot, lay on the SW side of the pit. A single, homogeneous fill was contained within the cut.

It appears that the stone was erected by being levered into a pre-prepared pit and then soil and small pebbles chocked around the base to act as consolidation with larger cobbles inserted as packing. From the evidence encountered it is impossible to determine conclusively whether the stone was standing in its original position or whether it might have been moved to this site. No other archaeological deposits, features or artefacts were found.

Sponsor: Historic Scotland.

J R Mackenzie 1995.