Castle Law (Forgandenny Hillfort) Geophysical Survey

Date 16 February 2013 - 22 February 2013

Event ID 994246

Category Project

Type Project

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/994246

NO 0998 1554 A geophysical survey was carried out at Castle Law (Forgandenny Hillfort) prior to a programme of small-scale excavation. A geophysical survey, using both resistivity and gradiometry techniques, was undertaken 16–22 February 2013. Despite the influence of the underlying geology the data highlighted the variable physical character of the enclosures defining the fort. In particular, the banks appear to have been built using a variety of materials. On the summit of the hill several anomalies, which may be heat affected areas, were identified. Several distinct features were also recorded which appear to correspond to hut platforms recorded by the 2010 RCAHMS survey.

A total of five trenches were excavated, 25 March – 13 April 2013, in order to explore key features of the hillfort. Three trenches explored the massive stone walls of the enclosures on the summit of the hill, which had been previously excavated by the antiquarian Edwin Bell at the end of the 19th century. The stone walls consisted of stone facings with boulder cores. A variety of geological sources provided the material for the walls and distinct segments of construction could be identified. The walls were substantial, measuring >4m wide and the inner enclosure wall survived up to 1.2m high.

The fourth trench was positioned to investigate a possible hut platform and a portion of the bank enclosing the summit of the hill. The results revealed very ephemeral and unstructured traces of occupation within a low bank of chipped stone. The enclosing bank was composed of a core of possible metalworking debris and burnt bone, sealed by a stone cap.

The fifth trench examined an outer bank on the S side of the hill. The bank was largely composed of a mix of earth and stone, which had been excavated from an outer ditch. Thin lenses of burnt twigs and vegetation were recorded near the top of the bank.

Archive: University of Glasgow and RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: Historic Scotland, University of Glasgow

Tessa Poller, University of Glasgow, 2013

(Source: DES)