Powmyre Quarry

NO 3365 7502 To satisfy a condition of the planning consent, a watching brief was maintained 20 June-27 July 2007, during topsoil stripping in advance of sand and gravel extraction. Within the vicinity of the site there are a number of identified prehistoric crop marks. However, a previous 2% evaluation of the site undertaken in 2004 had not identified any archaeological features within the development area, with the exception of a modern field boundary.

An area of 280 x 180m was stripped during phase one operations on the quarry and several groups of archaeological

features were recorded. This included three groups of long cists, a short cist, a cremation, and four posthole groupings.

A total of eight E/W aligned long cists were excavated comprising both adult and child burials. These were constructed

either of locally available sandstone slabs or a combination of sandstone slab and large sub-rounded cobbles. The majority were poorly preserved and had been almost completely ploughed away with the exception of two adult burials, where the remains had survived relatively intact. No grave goods were found associated with these burials

The Bronze Age short cist burial, aligned NE/SW, was constructed of very large sandstone slabs with the capstone still in

place. It contained the partially preserved remains of a crouched adult male burial with the fragmented remains of an Early Bronze Age beaker vessel. No other grave goods were associated with the burial.

Four groups of postholes and pits were excavated; the largest group consisted of several recognisable structures, including a roundhouse and four- and eight-post structures. Pottery recovered from this area may date to the Late Bronze Age or early Iron Age. Two smaller groups of postholes had no recognisable structure and may not be contemporaneous with the settlement.

Pottery from one of these groups may be mid-Neolithic, and the other contained undated prehistoric pottery. The final group was a group of four undated linear-aligned pits; no finds were recovered from these. Several isolated features were excavated including a probable cremation burial found in a small pit and three pits, two of which contained Bronze Age pottery and lithics. With the exception of the group of linear aligned pits, all groups of pits and postholes contained charcoal, charred cereal grain and charred nutshell.

Report deposited with Aberdeenshire SMR and RCAHMS.

Funder: Aggregate Industries UK.

Edward Bailey, 2007.

A watching brief was maintained during topsoil stripping in advance of extraction at Powmyre Sand and Gravel Quarry, Glamis in order to satisfy a condition of the planning concent. This was performed as additional works to Phase 1 of the quarrying operations. An area of 120 x 180 x 100m was stripped during the additional works to Phase 1. A total of nine archaeologically interesting features were recorded. These consisted of three NE-SW aligned pits that continued a sequence recorded in previous work, two groups of pits and postholes and some isolated features.

Funder: Aggregate Industries UK

Headland Archaeology Ltd

NO 3646 5023 A watching brief was maintained 21–25 April 2008 during topsoil stripping in advance of extraction. An area 150 x 50m was stripped during this phase of work. A total of three isolated archaeological features were identified. These consisted of a posthole, a hearth and a probable trough filled with material characteristic of a burnt mound. Two of the features contained fragments of prehistoric pottery and lithics and these add to the growing record of prehistoric and early historic remains discovered during earlier phases of monitoring.

Archive: RCAHMS

Funder: Aggregate Industries UK Ltd

Jamie Humble (Headland Archaeology Ltd), 2008

NO 3368 5025 A watching brief in July 2007 (Bailey, DES 2007) prior to Phase 1 of sand and gravel extraction

recorded archaeological features including a roundhouse, a possible cremation pit and a short cist, all probably Bronze Age, as well as a small group of long cists of probable early Christian date.

A second watching brief was undertaken over two separate periods in March and May 2009 during topsoil stripping of a 300 x 250m area in advance of Phase 2 of extraction works. A total of 18 archaeological features were recorded. These were mainly isolated and interpreted as pits/postholes. A number of flint flakes and a significant amount of prehistoric pottery including Grooved Ware were collected from several of the features. One pit contained an abundant amount of domestic plum stones and blackthorn/sloe seeds, as well as apple pips, and must be much later in date. Post-medieval furrows, plough scars and tree-throw hollows were also

observed, along with a modern field boundary.

Report: Aberdeenshire SMR and RCAHMS. The results from Phase 1 are currently being prepared for publication.

Funder: Aggregate Industries UK

Alistair Robertson – Headland Archaeology Ltd