Excavation

Date 19 October 2010 - 24 November 2010

Event ID 964765

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/964765

NN 924 098 An excavation was undertaken 19 October–24 November 2010 on a cropmark enclosure to the S of Auchterarder. An area of this scheduled ancient monument had partly been removed during the creation of a borrow pit. When stripped of topsoil the site was seen to contain a sub-oval enclosure, a number of scattered features, two souterrains and at least two long cists. The souterrains were very well preserved and contained extensive deposits showing evidence of burning and potentially of the storage of crops. One souterrain had the remains of a lintel stone in situ, and it was therefore felt appropriate to stop excavation and backfill the structure, leaving it largely unexcavated. The other souterrain was excavated down to basal deposits, although the stone lining of the structure was left in place. No radiocarbon dating has been undertaken, but the deposits within the structures seem to point to a medieval rather than prehistoric date. The cists identified are thought to be of Early Christian date. One contained a relatively well preserved skeleton, while the other had the remains of what might be a log coffin along its base. The cists are likely to be contemporary with a nearby standing stone, which has carved Pictish symbols.

Archive: RCAHMS (intended). Reports: PKHT and RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: I and H Brown

Headland Archaeology Ltd, 2010