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Ardachuple, Colintraive
Cairn (Period Unknown), Charcoal Burning Platform(S) (Post Medieval), Platform(S) (Medieval), Rotary Quern (Period Unknown)
Site Name Ardachuple, Colintraive
Classification Cairn (Period Unknown), Charcoal Burning Platform(S) (Post Medieval), Platform(S) (Medieval), Rotary Quern (Period Unknown)
Alternative Name(s) Ardentraive
Canmore ID 40461
Site Number NS07NW 8
NGR NS 015 785
NGR Description Centred NS 015 785
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/40461
- Council Argyll And Bute
- Parish Inverchaolain
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Argyll And Bute
- Former County Argyll
NS07NW 008 centred 015 785
A group of 20 platforms (centred NS 015 785) are contained within an area of approx 1km by 0.5km set on a steep hillside rising to 125m OD. They are some 7m in diameter. One platform, at NS 013 788, was excavated in July 1979. The front bank was revealed with large stones and the rear of the platform was cut into the slope. Several post-holes on the platform indicated an indeterminate structure. There were no finds.
A second platform, at NS 015 790, was excavated in December 1979. A small, rectangular, stone built structure was uncovered, apparently consisting of two rooms, one of which contained a small stone hearth. A rotary quern was found amongst paving in the N part. It is probably of a later date than the previously-excavated platform. Charcoal has been submitted for C14 dating.
Adjacent to one of the platforms at NS 015 790 is a circular pile of stones 3m diameter and kerbed around 270o of the circumference. There is an abundance of quartz chips amongst the stones.
J Kendrick 1979; 1980; E B Rennie 1981.
Field Visit (November 1988)
No. 228 Charcoal-burning stances, Ardentraive, NS 103 788
Situated on the hillside overlooking the Kyles of Bute to the N of Ardentraive there are at least thirty circular platforms ranging from about 6m to 9m in diameter. One platform was excavated in advance of road-building by Miss J Kendrick in 1979 and a second was examined in 1988 in the course of the programme of research undertaken by Miss E B Rennie.
The first was found to be about 7m in diameter with large stones forming a downslope revetment; several post-holes were also discovered, but the character of the structure they represented was indeterminate. No artefacts were recovered. Two radiocarbon dates were obtained, the earlier providing a ‘terminus post quem for the construction of the platform’, ad 305 ± 65 (GU-1590), and the later suggesting the date ‘of the overlying layer on which the platform was built’, ad 835 ± 60 (GU-1589) (DES 1979, 33).
The second excavation revealed a platform measuring some 10m by 8.5m with an arc of well-preserved stone revetment on the downslope side. There was clear evidence of charcoal-burning, but this overlay features including a hearth and sockets for upright timbers which appear to be earlier. There were no small finds but a radiocarbon date was obtained (DES 1988, 23).
RCAHMS 1992, visited November 1988
