Sheriffside

NT 55505 67739 A single 22 x 1m trench was opened at Sheriffside Farm in May 2011 over the suspected ditch and bank of an enclosure identified by the RCAHMS during aerial survey in 1981. Features identified within the trench were excavated, recorded and surveyed. In addition, a geophysical survey was undertaken, which covered half of the known extent of the possible site.

The excavations revealed several artefacts including polishing stones, a hand thrown ceramic sherd, and charcoal. The excavations failed to confirm the presence of the putative cropmark enclosure, but did identify a terrace with associated platform and cut features, such as postholes and rock-cut channels. The charcoal retrieved from the fill of one of the rock-cut features dated to 2030 ± 30 or cal 110 – 50 BC at 1s (SUERC 35712).

Archive: RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: Peter Potter Gallery and Rampart Scotland

Rampart Scotland 2011

OASIS ID: connolly1-329722

NT 55505 67739 Geophysical survey.

Archive: RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: Peter Potter Gallery and Rampart Scotland

Rampart Scotland 2011

OASIS ID: connolly1-329722

NT 55505 67739 Investigations undertaken 7–10 October 2011, during the excavation of geotechnical test trenches, recorded a number of archaeological deposits and walls. The cartographic evidence suggests that these may relate to known structures. An additional rubble foundation in the NW of the site (test pit 2) could relate to an earlier structure.

Archive: RCAHMS (intended) and CHC

Funder: John Tod Associates (Architects)

Connolly Heritage Consultancy, 2011

NT 55505 67739 A second season of evaluation was undertaken in April 2012 on the cropmark enclosure at Sheriffside. Two trenches were opened and all the features identified were planned with a proportion excavated. The trenches contained a series of ditch features including a 9m wide by 2.8m deep ditch and postholes. Dates obtained from charcoal samples from the postholes ranged from the 7th century BC – 4th century AD.

A geophysical survey was undertaken in the field surrounding the trenches, completing the full resistivity record. The survey showed the full extent of the enclosure, and was notably different to the rectified aerial photograph from which the site was first identified.

Archive: RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: Rampart Scotland, and The Mackichan Trust

Murray Cook, Rampart Scotland

David Connolly, 2012

connolly1-329723

NT 55505 67739

A geophysical survey was undertaken in the field surrounding the trenches, completing the full resistivity record.

Archive: RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: Rampart Scotland, and The Mackichan Trust

Murray Cook, Rampart Scotland

David Connolly, 2012

connolly1-329723

NT 55505 67739 A third season of work at the cropmark enclosure at Sheriffside consisted of a major phase of evaluation. The work was carried out during July 2014 as part of a training fieldschool. A large, 23m N–S and 10m E–W, open area trench was opened, all features identified

were planned and recorded, and a proportion excavated. A geophysical survey had already been undertaken in the field surrounding the trench and topographic work was extended across the area.

The excavations re-examined a series of ditch features first located in 2012, including a 9m wide and 2.8m deep ditch at the extreme S of the trench. A cut feature identified and dated to cAD260 was shown to be a similar dimension and shape to the northern ditch, and measured 9m wide by 2.7m deep. Five palisade slots were located, corresponding to those found in previous seasons, though it was now possible to fully identify

a final palisade that crossed a backfilled northern ditch, making the putative date for this feature some point after the 5th century AD (given the late date recovered from the ditch in the 2012 season).

A number of sherds of prehistoric ceramics were recovered from a tip layer within the southern ditch, which may date to the 3rd century AD. Charcoal obtained from this layer is currently being radiocarbon dated.

Archive: RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: Rampart Scotland

Murray Cook and David Connolly – Rampart Scotland

(Source: DES)

connolly1-329785

Cropmarks on aerial photographs and subsequent invasive evaluations have located a fort or fortified settlement on the sloping ground above Sheriffside. Roughly circular on plan, it measures about 110m in internal diameter (0.95ha), and the results of invasive evaluations carried out 2013-15 have revealed a complex history in which at least four successive lines of palisading have been identified, and two ditches 6m and 7m broad respectively and up to 2.9m in depth in depth, the outer of which re-cuts a smaller ditch on the same line and may itself contain evidence of re-cutting. In the most recent report of the work the excavators have advanced a sequence of nine general periods of activity based upon stratigraphy and radiocarbon dates (Cook and Connolly 2015, 14), albeit that elsewhere in the data structure reports they also advance several caveats for the taphonomical relationship of the samples to the stratigraphical contexts. This sequence begins with two phases of palisading in the Early Iron Age, with a third phase possibly in the 3rd/4th centuries BC. The two ditches have produced three dates spanning the 1st-4th centuries AD, though none of these come from basal contexts and may bear little relationship to the dates at which the ditches were first cut; the earlier ditch recut by the outer is also completely undated. The fourth palisade trench, however is cut through the fill of the outer ditch and thus dates from after the 3rd/4th centuries AD. A date around the turn of the 1st millennium BC from a terraced feature on the SE, interpreted by the excavators as 'a scooped settlement' is more likely to be from a linear quarry scoop behind a rampart, though the only evidence of the rampart is a slight bleaching of the cropmarks in the SE quarter. The disjuncture between this date and those from the ditch fills highlights the problem of dating the construction of defensive circuits on limited data, but the date from the quarry scoop is possibly a more reliable guide to the chronology of the circuit of ramparts and ditches. Finds from the excavations include pottery, coarse stone tools and several polished stones.

Information from An Atlas of Hillforts of Great Britain and Ireland – 18 May 2016. Atlas of Hillforts SC3852

NT 55505 67739 A fourth season of work at the cropmark enclosure at Sheriffside comprised a major phase of evaluation. The work was carried out during July 2015 as part of a training fieldschool. One large open area trench, measuring 23m N/S and 10m E/W as opened, all features identified were planned and recorded, and a proportion excavated. A geophysical survey had already been undertaken in the field surrounding the trench and topographic work was extended across the area.

The excavations re-examined a series of ditch features first located in 2012 including a 9m wide and 2.8m deep ditch at the extreme S of the trench, a cut feature identified and dated to cAD260 was shown to be a similar dimension and shape to the northern ditch and was 9m wide and 2.7m deep. Five palisade slots were located, corresponding to those found in previous seasons, though it was now possible to fully identify a final palisade that crossed a backfilled northern ditch, placing the putative date to some point after the 5th century AD. A number of sherds of prehistoric ceramics were recovered from a tip layer within the southern ditch, which may date to the 3rd century AD, though charcoal was obtained and is currently being dated.

Archive: National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) intended

Funder: Rampart Scotland

Murray Cook and David Connolly – Rampart Scotland

(Source: DES, Volume 16)

connolly1-329803

NT 55505 67739 The fifth season of work at the cropmark enclosure at Sheriffside comprised a major phase of evaluation. The work was carried out during July 2016 as part of a training fieldschool. One large open-area trench, measuring 5m N/S and 16m E/W was opened, all features identified were planned and recorded, and a proportion excavated. A geophysical survey had already been undertaken in the field surrounding the trench and topographic work and a magnetometer survey were extended across the area.

The excavations re-examined a series of features first located in 2010, which were thought to represent platforms. A number of sherds of pottery, which may date to the 2nd century AD, were recovered as well as a broken beehive quern built into a platform structure. Charcoal was obtained during the excavation and is currently being dated.

Archive: NRHE (intended)

Funder: Rampart Scotland

Murray Cook and David Connolly – Rampart Scotland

(Source: DES, Volume 17)

connolly1-329806

NT 55505 67739 The final phase of evaluation at the cropmark enclosure at Sheriffside was undertaken in July 2017, as part of a training fieldschool. One large open-area trench, measuring 13.4m NE/SW and 10.25 x 10.30m NW/ SE, with a 18.8m (2m wide) extension to the NW was opened, all features idenitifed were planned and recorded, and a proportion excavated. A ground resistance survey and topographic survey had already been undertaken and a magnetometer survey was extended across the area to cover the enclosure space.

The excavations examined a series of features located in 2016, via the prior geophysical surveys, that seemed to represent an entrance. The work confirmed the large size of the platform settlement found in previous seasons on the SE slope, and a number of sherds of handmade pottery were recovered. A number of truncated post settings and an extensive mettled surface were uncovered, clearly contemporary with the platform settlement; however, no definitive trace of ditches or an entrance were discovered.

Archive: NRHE (intended)

Funder: Rampart Scotland

Murray Cook and David Connolly – Rampart Scotland

(Source: DES, Volume 18)

OASIS ID: connolly1-329808