EAB12046 - Excavation - AIKEY BRAE STONE CIRCLE, PARKHOUSE HILL

Undertaken by R. Bradley and C. Ball in 2001 as a continuation of the investigations at the Tomnaverie stone circle in the Howe of Cromar, Deeside. One trench was excavated at the Buchan-type recumbent stone circle at Aikey Brae. The trench was laid out on the west side of the monument between two monoliths of the stone circle and straddled in the wall of rubble about 1 m wide that surrounds the site. This wall was found to be edged by kerbstones, some up to 1 m high. The colours of the stones alternated between red and white. The kerb was bedded into a trench and charcoal samples were recovered from the base of one part of the cut. Given the excellent state of preservation of the rubble wall, this part of the structure was not removed. The socket of the southern monolith had been cut through the rubble wall and was set on its outer edge. The northern monolith was set into the centre of the wall, again cutting through the rubble. It was supported by a displaced kerbstone on its outer side. Artefacts recovered include a few worked flints and broken and flaked quartz. As seen in the recent excavations at Tomnaverie, and Cothiemuir Wood, a recumbent stone circle appears to have been imposed on an earlier monument.