Cochno Hill

Cochno Hill NS 482 748 NS47NE

At a height of 250m OD on the S slopes of Cochno Hill there is a roughly oval mound of stones measuring 17m by 15.5m and standing to a maximum height of 1.8m.

RCAHMS 1978, visited November 1977

NS 48086 74789 229m

NS 48281 74807 242m on top of the cairn

This site is recorded in the WoSAS SMR and the NMRS and is identified as

WOSASPIN 7855 and NMRS number NS47SE 49.

The WoSAS Sites and Monuments Record (SMR) states there is an annotated map in the WoSAS SMR. This was not supplied with the SMR extract. The summary SMR details are as follows:

‘NS 482 748. Cairn. Cochno Hill. At a height of 250m OD on the S slopes of Cochno Hill there is a roughly oval mound of stones measuring 17m by 15.5m and standing to a maximum height of 1.8m (RCAHMS 1978, visited 1977) Visited by Strathclyde Archaeology Service 1994, noting the cairn is located at NS 4830 7479’ Further comments in the SMR are ‘This cairn is supposedly upstanding to a height of 1.8m, and it measures 17 x 15.5m in extent. It is oval in shape, and this might explain why it has not been securely categorised as a Bronze Age funerary monument. However,

the feature may have been later augmented by field clearance, or truncated by cultivation. If this should prove to be a prehistoric monument, then it may be undisturbed and potentially informative. It should therefore be visited to establish whether or not is possible to assess its likely date and function’.

It is the view of the 2008 survey that this is definitely a Bronze Age burial cairn. It appears to be largely undisturbed though there is some evidence on its W side that previous excavation may have taken place and the suggestion of either an excavation baulk c. 1m wide with excavation to the N and S of it or the continuation of the field boundary dyke Site 29f across it although the latter suggestion seems unlikely. The cairn itself has been incorporated into the field boundary bank system at the end of bank 29f. The cairn has possibly been robbed on its S side where the stone make up is exposed though it is also slightly eroded by sheep. The exposed stones are c.0.4m x 0.3m x 0.2m on average. It seems unlikely that it has been largely added to by field clearance as there are actually very few clearance cairns associated with the Site 29 field system and it seems most of the stones that would have been cleared from the fields have been used to construct the dykes. It is perhaps more possible that stones have been

robbed to construct the field dykes. The cairn is disturbed, but is generally intact, and the NW interior is quite deflated and may have been robbed. A possible kerb c. 0.9m wide can be traced around the N, NE and NW sides but this is tumbled and spread to c. 1.8m wide and is not clearly defined.

The cairn is tumbled and does not have clear neat edges and was measured as 18.5m N-S x 18m E-W and given its tumbled nature it is impossible to say if it oval or circular. GPS readings at the base and on the top of the cairn indicated it is 4m high at its highest point. While GPS elevations are not 100% reliable the cairn does stand higher than the previously recorded 1.8m. Although there is some disturbance and sheep erosion this cairn is largely intact and is likely to contain burial remains. There may be satellite burials represented by Sites 31, 32 and 33.

AP – The aerial photograph shows the dyke 29f continuing around or over the cairn to the west, this was not visible on the ground. In fact none of the banks to the W of Sites 30, 31 and 32 were visible except 29i and 29a. The AP also shows further circular patches of disturbance in the vicinity of the cairn and Sites 31 and 32 and suggests a small cairnfield might be present. One other bump was dismissed on the ground as not quite convincing enough but according to the AP it probably was a real feature. The AP also shows the probable kerb identified on the ground.

Firat 2008

NS 47767 75109–NS 48205 74757 As part of the University of Glasgow field school, from 2–30 August 2021, work was conducted on Cochno Hill, with permission from Forestry and Land Scotland. This season students surveyed archaeological features and excavated a series of evaluation trenches. This work is one element of a longer University of Glasgow project investigating the rock art, historical archaeology, and antiquarian history of the area of Duntocher, Faifley and Cochno.

Most of the features targeted during the 2021 season had been identified through a previous survey conducted by FIRAT in 2008, in advance of planting by the then Forestry Commission. Our investigations sought to aid the classification of features and define their character in more detail. In the first two weeks we explored a shieling cluster on the western end of Cochno Hill (Canmore ID: 88768). Two shielings were surveyed using the plane table (F01 and F03). One shieling hut and three other possible shielding mounds were explored in four trenches (F02, F03, F10, F11). We also carried out some walkover survey and site recording round it, mainly focusing on a rectangular enclosure on the hill’s western flank.

In the second two weeks our attention shifted to a group

of mounds surrounding a probable prehistoric burial cairn (CANMORE ID: 43305) lower down the hill. Six test-pits were excavated to investigate four sites (F26, F31, F32 and F33) W of cairn (F30).

Enclosure and Structures

NS 47767 75109 As part of a day of reconnaissance survey, we recorded an enclosure and associated structures that had been noted by the FIRAT survey but not visited. The enclosure lies across a sloping bench left by the Carboniferous lava flows that constitute Cochno Hill. Its long sides run along the base of the talus on the E and along a cliff edge on the W, downhill side. It measures roughly 60–65m N/S and 40m E/W. It is clearly identifiable on the satellite and LIDAR images. The banks are composed of large, very overgrown stones, clearly taken from the talus deposit at the base of the cliff on its E.

There are small structures inside the NW and NE corners. The N side of the northwestern one is composed of the enclosure wall, and there may have been an open side facing E into the enclosure; it measures 1.6 x 3.9m. The structure in the NE corner is free standing, built of basalt fragments from the talus, measuring c3.5 x 6.0m. These may have been shelters or stores for the herders using the enclosure for controlling their stock during summer pasture.

Shieling Hut

NS 47960 75232 A shieling hut was investigated in a T-shaped trench with one arm measuring 8 x 2m and the other 3 x

1.5m. Two main phases of activity were identified during the excavation of half of the interior of this structure, and slots through the surrounding exterior mound. The first stage was a large roughly oval shieling hut, constructed of large boulder foundations and upper walls of drystone and turf, with an internal hearth nearby a possible entrance. Directly above the western end of this earlier structure a smaller circular structure was constructed with a significantly raised floor level. This second phase of activity may represent a dairy hut, or a subdividing of the space within the shieling hut at a later phase. The dividing wall for this structure lay over the interior floor of the earlier space, sitting above a corner of the hearth. Within this circular feature two floor layers were identified. Significant finds from this trench were limited to a worked quartz blade and two scrapers, which are likely, relate to an earlier prehistoric phase of activity within this landscape incorporated with the turf-built elements of the shieling.

Shieling Mound

NS 47930, 75263 A linear trench measuring 8 x 1.5m was cut across a possible shieling mound. A rubble bank of stones

1.8m was interpreted as the possible wall foundations for a structure defining a small sunken internal space. Roughly arranged stones within the interior may have defined divisions of space and an entrance facing the N. Thick deposits of soil with evidence of decomposing organics such as turf filled the interior. No clearly defined anthropogenic deposits or hearth material were recorded. Therefore, it cannot be concluded whether the site is a shieling.

Cochno Hill, Mounds

NS 48106 74751 A 1 x 2m test-pit was excavated at the southern slop of site F26, with a SE–NW orientation. Two deposits were identified with a total depth of 0.20m above the S sloping bedrock. Both deposits seemed that they were naturally formed. No evidence of any archaeological features identified.

NS 48267 74798 Two 1 x 1m test-pits were excavated at the S, SE and NW sides of site F31. In the NW test-pit, three deposits were identified with a total depth of 0.24m above bedrock. All three deposits seemed to be naturally formed. No evidence of any archaeological features were identified.

NS 48259 74785 Investigation started with a 1 x 1m test-pit but was extended to cover an area of 7m2 to explore a deposit of stones. The majority of the stones were concentrated around and below a large exposed stone and above a natural ditch. The ditch was most likely formed due to water activity. All deposits seemed to be naturally formed. No evidence of any archaeological features were identified.

NS 48205 74757 Two 1 x 1m test-pits were excavated at the S side and the centre of the possible mound. No archaeological features were identified in either of the test-pits in this area. All deposits seemed to be naturally formed soils on top of the bedrock.

Archive: NRHE (intended) Funder: University of Glasgow

Tessa Poller, Michael Given, Aris Palyvos, Eddie Stewart, Rebecca Younger – University of Glasgow

(Source: DES Volume 23)