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Edinburgh Castle, Dury's Battery

  • Details
  • Collections
  • Images

Graffiti (Period Unassigned), Animal Remains (Period Unassigned), Cannon Ball(S) (Period Unassigned), Slag (Period Unassigned)

Site Name Edinburgh Castle, Dury's Battery

Classification Graffiti (Period Unassigned), Animal Remains (Period Unassigned), Cannon Ball(S) (Period Unassigned), Slag (Period Unassigned)

Canmore ID 130014

Site Number NT27SE 1.44

NGR NT 2514 7343

NGR Description Centred NT 2514 7343

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/130014

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Digital Images

Excavation photograph : area N - posthole 978, in mixed mortar and clay 976, and slot 982 cutting 989.
Excavation photograph : area N - posthole 978, in mixed mortar and clay 976, and slot 982 cutting 989.Excavation photograph : area N - detail of metre 302/303.8 of dog bones.Excavation photograph : area N - lower dark layer with rubble 971 with bricks 955 above.Excavation photograph : area N - f963.Excavation photograph : area N - straight sided and flat bottomed clay cut ditch.Excavation photograph : area N - slot cut through 988 with posthole 990 in base.Excavation photograph : area N - French prison vaults - detail of wall footing on bedrock.Excavation photograph : area N - south facing W-E section - W half.Excavation drawings : area N - section of east facing cut 936 cutting 971, sealed by 955 and 973.Excavation photograph : area N - detail of small paving 929 in SW corner of area.Excavation photograph : area N - construction slots for wall 908 emptied, feature 930 fully excavated.Excavation photograph : area N - partially excavated dog pit without numbers.Excavation photograph : area N - excavation of dogs.Excavation photograph : area N - detail of cannonball 282.Excavation photograph : area N - slabs sloping forwards, french prison and section across dog pit 947.Excavation photograph : area N - baulk of 937 left on top of 943? on S half of trench, slope 959 to E.Excavation photograph : area N - f948/956 further excavated with another dog skeleton 278.Excavation photograph : area N - lower dark layer with rubble 971 with bricks 955 above.Excavation photograph : area N - lower dark layer with rubble 971 with bricks 955 above.Excavation photograph : area N - general view of completely excavated linear cut under wall 908.Excavation photograph : area N - general view of completely excavated linear cut under wall 908.Excavation photograph : area N - working shot of rubble in/under 971.Excavation photograph : area N - ?posthole cut through 976 against edge of cut 963.Excavation photograph : area N - slot cut through 988 with posthole 990 in base, from above.Excavation photograph : area N - overview of 'completed' excavation showing features cut through 976 and 992.Excavation photograph : area N - overview of 'completed' excavation showing features cut through 976 and 992.Excavation photograph : area N - detail of north area showing slot along section excavated to bedrock.Excavation photograph : area N - gravelly soil showing detail of artefacts including clay pipe in NE corner.Excavation photograph : area N - wall with layers 910 and 913 on either side.Excavation photograph : area N - large rubble? sealed by cobbling 928.Excavation photograph : area N - well packed pink clay with mortar layers exposed after removal of 932.Excavation photograph : area N - detail of cannonball 282.Excavation photograph : area N - fully revealed slates sloping down in bottom of slumps with dogs.Excavation photograph : area N - fully revealed slates sloping down in bottom of slumps with dogs.Excavation photograph : area N - general view of completely excavated linear cut under wall 908.Excavation photograph : area N - straight sided and flat bottomed clay cut ditch.Excavation photograph : area N - brown clay and mortar over bedrock at base of 963.Excavation photograph : area N - north part of running section.Excavation photograph : area N - overview of 'completed' excavation showing features cut through 976 and 992, from NW.Excavation drawings : area N - section through building slots of wall 908; east facing section through 935; west facing section through pit 947 (reversed to fit drawing 122); east facing section, south part of trench; section through north part of trench running section 122 layer 966; section through posthole 978.Excavation photograph : area N - large rubble? sealed by cobbling 928.Excavation photograph : area N - f948/956 further excavated with dog skeleton 278.Excavation photograph : area N - completely excavated 4 dog and 1 unidentified animal.Excavation photograph : area N - two cannonballs in 971.Excavation photograph : area N - posthole 978, in mixed mortar and clay 976, and slot 982 cutting 989.Excavation photograph : area N - overview of 'completed' excavation showing features cut through 976 and 992.Excavation drawings : area N - plan of area N trench showing E-W wall 908 and burnt area 916 with mortar spread 915 and stones 911.Excavation drawings : area N - plan of area showing distribution of bones in pit 947.Excavation drawings : area N - plan of area showing mortar layer 964.Excavation drawings : area N - plan of area showing cut 963 and wall 908.Excavation photograph : area N - general view of wall 908 with surfaces 910 to N and 917 to S.Excavation photograph : area N - detail of small paving 929 in SW corner of area.Excavation photograph : area N - partially excavated dog pit with numbers.Excavation photograph : area N - mottled red clay lapping over dog pit 948.Excavation photograph : area N - fully revealed slates sloping down in bottom of slumps with dogs.Excavation photograph : area N - overview of 'completed' excavation showing features cut through 976 and 992.Excavation drawings : area N - plan of area showing wall 908, stones 111.Excavation drawings : area N - detailed plan showing location of dogs 278, 285, 283, 284, and cat? 287.Excavation photograph : area N - view of wall 908 with detail of wall disturbance 918 to E, wall construction trench on S side.Excavation photograph : area N - soil layers 938 and 939 below rubble 928.Excavation photograph : area N - pit with dogbones cut into rubble midden 946.Excavation photograph : area N - detail of dogbones within 947 (and cannonball) after cleaning.Excavation photograph : area N - detail of dog bones within 948 before half section, from N.Excavation photograph : area N - detail of metre 302/303.6 of dog bones.Excavation photograph : area N - general view of completely excavated linear cut under wall 908.Excavation photograph : area N.Excavation drawings : area N - plan of area showing brick deposit.Excavation drawings : area N - south facing section of trench.Excavation photograph : area N - detail of dog bones within 948 before half section.Excavation photograph : area N - baulk of 937 left on top of 943? on S half of trench, slope 959 to E.Excavation photograph : area N - completely excavated 4 dog and 1 unidentified animal.Excavation photograph : area N - completely excavated 4 dog and 1 unidentified animal, with slates 954 to W and under dogs.Excavation photograph : area N - fully revealed slates sloping down in bottom of slumps with dogs.Excavation photograph : area N - detail of linear cut 963 excavated, sealed by 955 brick layer.Excavation photograph : area N - general view of completely excavated linear cut under wall 908.Excavation photograph : area N - detail of f992.Excavation photograph : area N - south facing W-E section - E half.Excavation drawings : area N - plan of cobbles 929 in feature 919 and lower levels 923.Excavation drawings : area N - plan of trench.Excavation drawings : area N - elevation of French Prison's Wall 914, east side of trench.Excavation drawings : area N - north facing elevation of wall 908.Excavation photograph : area N - stone and mortar spread 907.Excavation photograph : area N - two cannonballs in 971.Excavation photograph : area N - f963.Excavation photograph : area N - working shot of rubble in/under 971.Excavation photograph : area N - posthole 978, in mixed mortar and clay 976, and slot 982 cutting 989.Excavation photograph : area N.

Administrative Areas

  • Council Edinburgh, City Of
  • Parish Edinburgh (Edinburgh, City Of)
  • Former Region Lothian
  • Former District City Of Edinburgh
  • Former County Midlothian

Archaeology Notes

NT27SE 1.44 centred 2514 7343

Area N. Dury's Battery. This exhibited similarities to the excavation on Mill's Mount - both being outlying areas of the original castle, associated with industrial activities, and surviving as well-sealed, deeply stratified areas.

This was excavated to over 2m in depth, down to earliest levels associated with the construction of the Vaults c1500. Here a timber revetted cellar had been built against the west facing wall of the Vaults. This was demolished at some time in the 17th century and rapidly infilled with a 1m thick dump of domestic refuse. Ten stone cannonballs were found in the fill. Slight evidence for gun founding in this vicinity was represented by pieces of bronze and iron slag along with a dump of furnace bricks.

The top of the infilled cellar was dished and here in excess of 14 articulated dog skeletons were found, again 17th century in date.

Following this, the Castle Governor's carriage shed was built here in the 1680s. This was demolished to make way for the French prisoner's yard, the surface of which was exposed.

P Yeoman, 1988a

NT 251 734 A watching brief was undertaken in September 2002 during the excavation of a service trench across the cobbled area to the N of Dury's Battery, near the entrance to the vaults under the Queen Anne Building. A portion of this trench included part of the previously excavated area (DES 1998, 35). Part of a substantial wall, over 0.9m wide and surviving to a height of over 0.5m, was recorded, mostly in the S section of the trench.

Archive to be deposited in the NMRS.

Sponsor: HS

G Ewart and A Radley 2002

NT 251 734 Vaults and Dury's Battery. Further to the programme of survey and recording in the Vaults (DES 2001, 40-41), a more detailed examination was undertaken in October 2002 of the varied graffiti seen both around the Vaults and Drury's Battery. Detailed close-up photographs were taken. Descriptions were made and a typology devised.

Archive to be deposited in the NMRS.

Sponsor: HS

G Ewart 2003

Further Details

Activities

Standing Building Recording (14 October 2002)

NT 251 734 Two of the upper vaults below the Queen Anne Building and Great Hall retain archaeological traces of timber fittings associated with barrack and prison accommodation. The elevations and floors of these rooms were drawn in order to record potential evidence of the bed structures in particular, over three main periods of use:

- Mid-tolate 17th-century occupation (Cromwellian barracks)

- Early 18th-century occupation (Hanoverian barracks)

- Mid-to-later 18th-century occupation (prisoners of war)

Contemporary plans and specialist analysis of surviving timber work suggest that tiered bunks for barrack use had been replaced with a single platform arrangement, possibly complemented by the use of hammocks, for the prisoners of war.Graffiti on wooden doors and masonry was also recorded,with particular reference to names and initials, which apparently reflect the successive occupation of those vaults.

G Ewart, S Coulter, & A Hollinrake 2002

Sponsor: Historic Scotland

Kirkdale Archaeology

Further Details

Watching Brief (2 September 2002 - 11 October 2002)

Under the terms of its P.I.C. call-off contract with Historic Scotland, Kirkdale Archaeology was asked to undertake a programme of archaeological monitoring during excavations for the installation of new services running from the manhole just to the W of the Vaults’ W wall to the top of the steps to the S of the Military Prison, at the far W end of Dury's Battery. Part of a substantial wall, over 0.9m wide and surviving to a height of over 0.5m, was recorded, mostly in the S section of the trench.

Sponsor: Historic Scotland

G Ewart and A Radley 2002

Kirkdale Archaeology

Further Details

References

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