Field Walking
Date January 2011 - March 2011
Event ID 961740
Category Recording
Type Field Walking
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/961740
NO 7466 9597 and NO 7526 9602 Further fieldwalking was carried out at 2m intervals in January–March 2011 on two fields bordering the N bank of the River Dee. This is a continuation of the survey started in 2008 to discover the full extent of the flint scatter in Crathes. The first field was located between Nether Mills West (DES 2008, 16–17) and the two fields comprising Nether Mills East (DES 2009, 16), mainly along the river terrace common to both sites. The second field (Milton Cottage) was in the next field to the W of the four Nether Mills fields. Flints had been previously reported in this field by Dr John Grieve in 1973. GPS co-ordinates were recorded for each find, typically accurate to 2 3m. Distribution figures were calculated on the basis of flint numbers per 10 x 10msq. The material has been briefly assessed but not examined in detail.
Milton Cottage The majority of almost 500 flints were recovered from along the W end of the riverside area, with a concentration on an area of higher ground. The finds continued further back in the field and linked up with the assemblage at the NW end of the Nether Mills site. Flints were also found in the area bordering the football pitches, which now occupy the W part of the original field. No flints were found in the sandy E riverside area. Other areas, looked at less intensively, yielded very few flints.
A number of diagnostic microliths were found, including a large wide-based triangle (Early Mesolithic), two typical of the Late Mesolithic, and one smaller isosceles triangle, possibly an intermediate form. Cores, mainly single platform, scrapers and debitage from all stages of raw material preparation and tool production were also recovered.
This flint scatter is vast. It extends for c1.75km over five fields along the N bank of the River Dee and could extend further, through the football pitches to the Coy Burn, on the W border of the original Milton Cottage field and entering the River Dee at the SW corner.
Nether Mills West Almost 500 flints were collected from along the terrace. These were mostly located towards the edge and increased in concentration at the W end. This scatter is presumably part of the intensive site in the field to the W. The assemblage contains all stages of production, from the preparation of raw material to finished tools. No microliths were found this year, but scrapers, cores (mainly single platform) and debitage were recovered. Other areas of the field (the steep bank to the N, and the sandy lower area to the S) were walked less intensively, and the few flints recovered came from close to the terrace.
My thanks go to the late James B Kenworthy for his assistance and support.
Archive: Aberdeenshire SMR and RCAHMS (intended)
OFARS 2011
