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Excavation

Date 16 April 2012 - 27 April 2012

Event ID 992291

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/992291

NJ 76393 39277 Following successful evaluations in 2010 and 2011 (DES 2010, 21 and DES 2011, 19) five trenches were excavated, 16–27 April 2012, to evaluate an area of the S lawn, prior to its possible use for marquees. The area is occupied by the S end of Seton's 16th-century gardens and the robber trenches for the red sandstone boundary wall were identified and sampled. Some had been completely robbed whilst others still had some stone foundations in situ. The linear stone features recorded in the garden probably represented borders between planting areas, but further excavation would be required to create a plan of these features.

The excavation of a linear anomaly on the resistivity plot (see entry above) revealed a line of large postholes supporting posts at least 0.8m in diameter, which may reflect the presence of fortifications. The pottery from one posthole indicates a 13th- or early 14th-century date. There are several royal connections with Fyvie during this period. William the Lion was here with the high officers of his court in 1211 or 1214, Alexander II granted a charter from here on 22 February 1222 and Edward I visited 'Fyuin Chastel' on 21 July 1296. These fortifications may have been constructed as part of the defence of the castle associated with one of these visits.

Archive: NTS and RCAHMS

Funder: The National Trust for Scotland

Alison Cameron, Cameron Archaeology and Shannon Fraser, The National Trust for Scotland 2012

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