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Townfoot Farm, Glencaple
Pit (Period Unassigned), Site (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Townfoot Farm, Glencaple
Classification Pit (Period Unassigned), Site (Period Unassigned)
Canmore ID 66087
Site Number NY06NW 20
NGR NY 003 683
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/66087
- Council Dumfries And Galloway
- Parish Caerlaverock
- Former Region Dumfries And Galloway
- Former District Nithsdale
- Former County Dumfries-shire
NY06NW 20 003 683.
NY 003 683. An Early Bronze Age fire pit was excavated in 1965-6 by Maj-Gen Scott-Elliot. It was first reported by the farmer of Townfoot as a large black patch which appeared after ploughing, on a large shelf, between 50 ft and 100 ft OD.
Excavations showed that the site comprised a pit, 12 ft by 5 ft with an average depth of 1 ft 2 ins; to the S and W is a heavily metalled track. Outside this to S and W is a stone-cobbled floor with possibly the footing of a small wall outside it again. The track curves round N of the pit and may continue through N and E to join up with the part to the S. The pit was filled with a great quantity of wood ash, mixed with stone chips (1 1/2 - 2 ins in size). Two stone pounders and a stone hammer, also a pot stone, were found in it. A radio-carbon date of BC 1980 +/- 90 was obtained from a sample, low in the pit. It is suggested that the site was used for roasting deer, or human cremation.
J Scott-Elliot 1972
