Geophysical Survey

Date 11 October 2012 - 12 October 2012

Event ID 992654

Category Recording

Type Geophysical Survey

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/992654

As part of The Rise and Fall of the Picts: Survey and Excavation at the Early Power Centres and Symbol Stones of Northern Pictland Project an open area evaluation excavation was carried out, 11–12 October 2012, at Monboddo. This site is considered to be of regional significance and aerial photographs taken since 1982 show what appears to be a timber hall and circular enclosure. The site has appeared in many reviews of early medieval settlement. However, the site appears as a circular plantation on the 1st Edition OS map of 1868 and in the same source the knoll upon which the site is located is named ‘Barn Knap’.

A geophysical survey of the site revealed few of the features which are identifiable on the aerial photographs. The survey did identify some concentrated metal signatures on the western part of the site which the excavation area targeted. The machine excavated evaluation trench measured 15 x 20m and covered almost all the western half of the site. The evaluation quickly established that the ‘timber hall’ was the foundation remains of a brick-built post-medieval structure. Four slots were dug through the enclosure ditch and one of these slots produced post-medieval ceramic building material and mortar throughout the profile, suggesting that the enclosure is also a late feature, and probably the remains of the plantation enclosure marked on the 1st Edition OS map. One pit in the enclosure was also half-sectioned revealing a posthole with brick fragments and mortar traces throughout the profile.

Consequently, the Monboddo ‘timber hall’ and enclosure can conclusively be shown to be post-medieval in date and not part of an early medieval or prehistoric tradition of timber halls and enclosures.

Archive: University of Aberdeen (currently)

Funder: British Academy and Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland

G Noble, University of Aberdeen

O Sveinbjarnarson,

C Hatherley,

J Fallgren,

2012