Earth Resistance Survey

Date October 2013

Event ID 994180

Category Recording

Type Earth Resistance Survey

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/994180

NJ 1884 5758 and NJ 1868 5761 Two phases of geophysical survey was conducted at Manbean to contextualise the landscape location of a Pictish symbol stone as part of the Northern Picts: Archaeology of Fortriu project. In October 2013 a resistance survey was conducted in the immediate vicinity of the symbol stone, but few features are identifiable on the survey other than a modern fence line and track. Geophysical survey was also conducted at a nearby rectilinear cropmark enclosure (NJ15NE 41) which surrounds a bog at Upper Manbean. The enclosure measures c90 x 90m. The survey did not reveal any trace of the enclosure, but a series of evaluative trenches were excavated to establish its nature. One of these test trenches located the ditch on the W side of the enclosure. Here the ditch measured c2.5m wide and 0.6m deep. Four fills were identified and charcoal from the lowest fill was dated to 3635–3370 cal BC. There is, however, significant potential for this charcoal to be residual.

Archive: University of Aberdeen

Funder: University of Aberdeen

Gordon Noble and Oskar G Sveinbjarnarson, University of Aberdeen, 2013

(Source: DES)