Excavation
Date 1993
Event ID 927869
Category Recording
Type Excavation
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/927869
Excavations were conducted prior to the construction of environmental improvements on the summit of Dundee Law. It has long been recognised that traces of a rectilinear fortification survived on the summit, which has been variously dated to the Iron Age, the 14th century and the 17th century. Before the excavation, archival work brought to light a mid 19th-century map, which revealed that formerly there were clearly-defined bastions at the corners of the fortification. These plans did not fully resolve the question of date, but seemed to cast doubt on the reports of the presence of a vitrified fort. The problem was compounded by the fact that the southern end of the fort including its original entrance in the SE corner, is now obscured by the War Memorial (NO33SE 32.01) and the modern road, while the earthworks are evidently much less sharp than they were last century.
Two trenches were excavated in February, both of them being on the summit and in areas where the improvements would encroach upon the scheduled area. In addition, the opportunity was taken to make a plane table survey of the earthworks which are not as regular as is represented on any of the published plans.
The E trench was located just N of the point where the modern road reaches the summitt. Here the eastern bank, which survives as an earthwork, was exposed and the threatened portion was removed. It proved to be mostly composed of earth. On the inner side of the bank, a linear setting of stones may represent the foundations of a revetting feature. Quantities of stone rubble were found spread over the interior, including two linear stone features set at approximately right angles to the line of the bank. These linear features may relate to entrance structures. A metre-wide slot was excavated through the stony spread of the interior to a depth of approximately 0.3m. The deposits were not bottomed and no further excavation was undertaken, but rather measures were taken to ensure that the archaeological deposits were not disturbed during the construction works. No finds which might have helped to date the earthworks were recovered, but within this trench a rectangular pit was excavated, which contained large quantities of vitrified stones mixed with modern debris. The pit is probably a soak-away drain dug at the time of the construction of the War Memorial. The vitrified stone confirms earlier reports, but had no link with the defences that were revealed in this area. It must be presumed that they were recovered from the area now occupied by the War Memorial.
The W trench provided an opportunity to completely section the western earthwork bank. Here again, it was composed largely of earth with a moderate fraction of small stones. Upon clearing the bank away, areas of intense burning were revealed. The natural subsoil had been scorched red and traces of structural remains were also apparent at this lower level. In order to pursue this level further, a further period of excavation and a watching brief were arranged, which was undertaken during July. This extension revealed an area of rough paving sealed by a layer of charcoal and ash, which is likely to be the same burnt deposit seen in the original excavation. The burnt materials slumped into an irregular oval pit which had been cut through the paving. Within the burnt deposits, three fragments of terra sigillata and a whale vertebra were recovered.
It now seems probable that the site does indeed contain a vitrified fort, which was occupied, if not constructed, in the 1st to 2nd century AD. The earthwork defences which are visible today apparently represent a refortification in the medieval or early modern period, but no artefacts were recovered to shed light on this problem. Radiocarbon dates are awaited which should help to date the demise of the Iron Age fort and might provide a clue as to the construction of the later fort.
Sponsors: Dundee District Council, Scottish Enterprise Tayside.
S T Driscoll 1993
