Long Knowe

NY29NW 1 21927 99949

(NY 2192 9994) Enclosure (NR)

OS 6" map (1965)

This enclosure is visited at over 1000 ft (305m) OD on the haunch of the hill overlooking the valley of the Monkingshaw (Monkenshaw) Burn more than 100 ft (30.5m) below. It is oval in form, measuring 180 ft (54.9m) by 140 ft (42.7m) and has been surrounded by a stony bank some 7 ft (2.1m) broad at the base and now reduced to a height of about 2 ft (0.6m). The interior is very uneven, and on the N the rock is very near the surface. There are two entrances: one at the S end about 8 ft (2.4m) wide opening on to a hollow but faced with higher ground in front of it. The site is on a plateau at the edge of a steep slope and quite unnoticeable from below.

RCAHMS 1920, visited July 1912.

Published survey (25") revised.

Visited by OS (WDJ) 30 August 1962

This enclosed settlement ('farmstead enclosure of quasi-defensive function') is situated on a spur at an altitude of 338m OD, forms an irregular oval on plan and measures about 0.6 acres in extent within its low stony bank, which is broken by entrance-gaps on the S and NE; on the W and NW there is an outer ditch, which is at least partially waterlogged. The surface of the monument has been sealed by a substantial layer of peat and the possibility that there was an appended stock-annexe on the W could not be excluded, although no evidence for associated cultivation could be identified. Contour survey suggested that the interior might be divided into three areas: two lower areas behind the entrances and a slightly elevated platform between these and along the western margin.

Excavation was carried out in June and July 1976, after considerable disturbance (and localised destruction) had been caused by forestry ploughing in 1972, while a roadstone-quarry (which was apparently of recent date) impinged upon the SE side. The extent of the ditch was demonstrated by probing (on the N and S) and it was shown by trenching (on the NW) to be of V-sectioned form and to measure up to 1.1m deep. It had apparently been reinforced (at least in part) by an inner bank which measured no more than 1.5m high, showed no evidence of rebuilding and probably served to support a palisade; there was also a slight outer (counterscarp) bank. Simple gate-structures were found at each of the two entrances, that on the S comprising a gate-passage with a possible suspended gate between thickened bank-terminals. A layer of what was possibly compressed dung was found beneath the peat and behind the S entrance.

Within the interior, there were found the foundation-slots of at least ten ring-groove houses, five of which displayed evidence of more than one phase of construction; they could not have all have seen continuous occupation and at least seven phases of house-construction were identified, within each of which two houses may have co-existed. In the final phase, however, there were five houses of diminished size. No evidence was found for any method of house-construction which would serve to retain domesticated animals, and the occurrence of paving within or at the entrance to most of the huts indicates that these at least were for human occupation, and possibly also for storage. In most cases the house-entrances were placed to face away from the yards on the S and E of the enclosure, possibly to discourage intrusion by animals.

The layer of black peat (varying between 0.3 and 0.8m in thickness) that sealed all but the northernmost part of the site had apparently started to accumulate soon after the abandonment of the settlement, possibly in consequence of climatic change.

A small quantity of bone (mainly sheep) was found in the waterlogged primary silt of the ditch but no hearths were identified and no pottery, quernstones or other culturally-indicative artifacts were recovered. The wood recovered from the ditch was found to comprise willow, birch, alder and hazel; some of the twigs had been cut at one end with a sharp metal implement, possibly in woodworking. The following radiocarbon determinations were obtained: alder wood from immediately above the primary ditch silt (also cited as 630) 585 +/- 135 bc (GU-1130) and birch charcoal from immediately above the primary ditch silt (also cited as 300) 290 +/- 60 bc (GU-1131). The excavator considered GU-1131 to be a more credible estimate for the age of the site.

R Mercer 1981.

Scheduled as 'Long Knowe, settlement 905m SW of Monkenshaw...'

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 13 March 2010.