Hoprig, Dean Dykes

NT77SE 8 c. 758 707.

In May 1919 in a field on Hoprig Farm a plough came into contact with a large stone which proved to be a grave slab covering human remains buried in a doubled-up position characteristic of the Bronze Age. This was the prelude to the unearthing of six more sepulchres of a similar description in a comparatively limited area. No urns or implements were found. One or two pieces of hematite were lying about. The remains showed no signs of incineration and were in a fair state of preservation.

The site forms part of a dry gravelly ridge in a field known as Dean Dykes. At two other places on the same farm interments have been found: on a ridge called the Birny Hills (Berwick 4 NW 4) and in Cliftonhill Field, which adjoins Dean Dykes (Berwick 1 SW 5).

Reporting on these earlier discoveries, Dr Hardy writes: 'Short graves have at various periods been ploughed up on the gravelly knoll on Cliftonhill which intervenes between the main road to Cockburnspath and Dunglass Dean' (J Hardy 1890).

In April 1924 another grave was unearthed a little to the west of those previously found. The cist, the slabs forming which had collapsed, was oriented E-W and measured 40" by 24" by 24". In the earth which it contained were found two implements of grey flint. The larger of these was a horse-shoe scraper 1 1/8" by 1 1/16"; the smaller, measuring 7/8" by 3/4", appears to have been broken, and was probably of the same type. No bones or relics were found.

There is no data to fix the period of these interments; they may however be referred to the Bronze Age, and conjecturally to the middle or food-vessel division of that period.

G Taylor 1925

Dean Dykes Field, Hoprig: seven cists with bones and hematite found on the south shoulder of a ridge, about 200 yards north-east of Kirklands.

J H Craw 1923

In April 1925, while ploughing along the top of a dry gravelly ridge in Dean Dykes Field, Hoprig, 'at no great distance' from the site of the discovery of the Bronze Age cists in the same field in 1919 and 1924, a stone grave was discovered. Excavations were at once carried out by Messrs George Taylor and J H Craw, and these led to the uncovering of a further five such graves. Subsequently it was found that the whole of the ridge contained similar graves, a further seven rows of them being found.

They were formed of rough sandstone slabs, varying from 3" to 6" thick, four or five of them being set on edge to form the sides, with a single slab at each end. In some cases they were both paved and covered with slabs, while in others there were no covers and the paving was incomplete.

Details of the first six graves discovered are as follows:-

1) 4' long by 15"-18" wide. Said to have contained bones and a skull at either end.

2) Disturbed by the making of (3). Situated about 20' to the east of (1). 5'1" long. Contained skull and thigh and arm bones.

3) 5'4" long, 15"-19" wide, and 9" deep, containing a fragment of bone and a little charcoal.

4) 1'6" to the east of (3). 5'4" long by 12" to 16" wide and 14" deep. Contained a skull, bones, and a little charcoal.

5) 12" to the east of (4). 6'2" by 12"-18", and 14" deep. Contained skull and bones.

6) 8" to the east of (5). 5'4" long by 18"-20" wide, and 10" deep. Nothing found.

The full length of these graves, and their E-W orientation, suggest that they were early Christian burials.

G Taylor 1925

Dean Dykes was identified as the field centred at NT 759 709 by Mr J M Dunlop, the tenant and former owner, who also stated that a human jaw and a stone graver were found in the same field in 1950, but are now lost. The position given by Craw - 200 yards north-east of Kirklands - falls in this field.

Visited by OS (CJP) 26 September 1956

Dean Dykes field consists mainly of a gravelly soil and has several gravelly ridges within its walls. The most prominent of these ridges runs approximately SW from c. NT 7591 7074 to the edge of the field, above Kirklands. The NE end of this ridge is particularly prominent and extremely gravelly. This would appear to be the most likely area for these finds.

Visited by OS (WDJ) 5 April 1966