Portmahomack

NH98SW 38 91476 83842

See also Tarbat West Church (Tarbat Old Parish Church, at NH 91485 84020), for which see NH98SW 4.00.

In the mid-1980s Moray Air Surveys recorded a linear feature, 4m to 5m wide, some 150m to the S and W of Tarbat Old Church. It was interpreted as a ditch delineating two sides of an enclosure, but what it related to was not immediately evident. In June 1991, a small archaeological excavation was undertaken to investigate the nature of the ditch and date its fills. It was postulated that the feature recorded in the aerial photographs was part of a vallum surrounding an Early Christian settlement centred around Tarbat Old Church (NH98SW 4).

The probable location of the ditch was estimated and a narrow (0.7m wide) trench then dug by hand to confirm this. Having located the edges of the ditch, an area 4m by 10m was laid out and the modern ploughsoil (0.8m deep]) was removed manually.

The exposed surface was cleaned and the sectioning of the ditch was then considered, bearing in mind the safety implications of the height of the baulks. A long section 1.5m by 8.75m was excavated across the ditch. However, at a depth of 1.7m, the water table was reached. A pump was then used to remove the water from a small test pit. This enabled the recording of the depth of the ditch and the taking of samples of the organic rich layers at the bottom of the feature.

The ditch must have been an important feature in the lanbdscape for a considerable period. It had been recut on at least five occasions and the effort which went into such events, (in terms of manpower), must have been significant.

The section across the ditch produced no artefacts but the ploughsoil above contained post-medieval potsherds and other fragments. It is therefore presumed that the feature is pre-17th century. The organic-rich samples taken from the primary layers of the recuts should provide enough material for C14 dates.

The excavation produced no specific evidence to suggest that this linear feature could not be the bounds of an early Christian settlement centred around Tarbat Old Church.

Sponsors: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Ross and Cromarty District Council.

J Harden 1991f.

NH 915 839 The settlement is contained by a ditched enclosure discovered in 1984 (Jones & Keillar) and dated by C14 from a sample excavation by Jili Harden in 1991 to the early first millennium AD. The enclosure contains Tarbat Old Church (NH98SW 4), at which site several fragments of carved stones (8th-9th century) have been discovered including the famous Tarbat inscription (NH98SW 14-16). Evaluation took place in two seasons in 1994 and included contour and geophysical survey and the initial mapping of three sample areas each 8m by 32m. In the southemmost area were defined a circular building and an oven, which are expected to be contemporary with the enclosure, while adjacent to the church the sequence continues into later historic times with iron working and other activities. The evaluation is being used in the composition of a research strategy for the site and its region.

Sponsors: Tarbat Historic Trust, Ross and Cromarty District, Ross and Cromarty Enterprise, Highland Region, University of York.

M Carver and J Garner-Lahire 1994.

A number of new sites have been discovered in the Inverness, Nairn and Easter Ross areas during summer flying. Full catalogues have been lodged with the NMRS.

Portmahomack (Tarbat parish)

NH 9145 8391 Further details evident of the cropmark of the rectilinear ditched enclosure around Tarbat Old Parish Church.

Sponsors: RCAHMS, Highland Council, anon.

J Harden and J Bone 1996.