Caerlaverock
Unidentified Pottery
Site Name Caerlaverock
Classification Unidentified Pottery
Canmore ID 330112
Site Number NY06NW 51
NGR NY 02440 65830
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/330112
- Council Dumfries And Galloway
- Parish Caerlaverock
- Former Region Dumfries And Galloway
- Former District Nithsdale
- Former County Dumfries-shire
Archaeological Evaluation (18 March 2009)
A watching brief was carried out during the excavation of six small test pits in the field just to the north of the visitor centre at Caerlaverock Castle. In addition, four slightly larger holes were excavated archaeologically. These excavations were intended to enable engineers to assess the suitability of the field for the construction of a new car park for the site. A geophysical survey undertaken prior to these works had identified some possible features, but the test pits were located to avoid these. There were deposits of uncertain date between the plough soil and underlying natural layers. Amongst these were found a fragment of modern china and a chert flake. There is the potential for archaeologically significant features to have remained intact beneath the ploughed soil. In none of the trenches did the modern plough soil reach the sub soil, indicating that archaeological features may well survive elsewhere. The chert flake, although very probably re-deposited, is a reminder of the potential for early sites along a relic coastline.
Information from OASIS ID: kirkdale1-249662 (D Murray) 2009
Excavation (28 March 2011 - 7 April 2011)
NY 0244 6583 (centred on) A series of trenches was excavated 28 March–7 April 2011 in a field to the N of the visitor centre to assess the potential impact of a new car park. The trench locations were guided by an earlier geophysical survey. In addition to a modern service trench, a number of archaeological features were recorded. These consisted of a combination of linear slots and ditch-like features plus a series of discrete pits of various sizes. Archaeological features were located in all of the trenches. Only one of these features was fully excavated, the rest being revealed after the machine removal of topsoil. The features revealed towards the S edge of the site were generally more extensive and better preserved than those towards the N of the site, where the plough soil was shallower. The features are thought to mainly represent prehistoric activity across the whole site. A ditch and pit complex, noted in Trench 9, was partly excavated and prehistoric pottery was retrieved from the pit, with part of an edge of pottery also recorded in the ditch. The upper fill of the southern of two ditches in Trench 5 was partly excavated, exposing an underlying stone-rich fill.
Archive: RCAHMS (intended)
Funder: Historic Scotland
Kirkdale Archaeology 2011
Information also reported in Oasis (kirkdale1-122353) 2 April 2013