Tarland, Waulkmill

NJ40SE 26 4757 0495.

Four stone slabs, accompanied by a pennanular silver brooch (possibly of the latter half of the 2nd century A.D.), 11 stone, glass or paste buttons or gaming counters, a small cylindrical piece of glass, two or three pieces of steel or wrought-iron, and some small bones, were found in a sandpit near the stone circle at Waulkmill (NJ40SE 4) in 1898.

Some of the buttons are in the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS).

In 1899 "a number of silver articles were found in the same sand-pit but were taken away by the finder.

Some time after the first discovery a cast bronze miniature cauldron of Santon type (Belgic affinities), probably 2nd century AD., was found in the same sand-pit. It contained a human tooth: twelve quartzite pebbles were also found. The cauldron was bought by J G Callander.

F R Coles 1905; J G Callander 1915; J Curle 1932; S Piggott 1955

The most likely findspot is a sand and gravel pit at NJ 4757 0495, otherwise no further information.

Visited by OS (R L) 17 October 1968.

Roman finds include 12 possibly 3rd-4th century playing men (6 of quartzite, 4 of dark blue glass and two of mosaic glass); a possibly Roman globular studded bronze cup, possibly a model of late-Celtic cauldron; and a small silver penannular brooch.

A S Robertson 1970.