EAB3042 - Excavation 2000 - WEST GRANGE OF CONON

As part of the Edinburgh University Summer Field School in September 2000, a series of trenches were placed at the site to identify the exact position of the souterrain, graves, and associated paving described by Jervise and to assess their condition. A programme of geophysics was conducted prior to excavation, but the results proved ambiguous due to the underlying bedrock. The souterrain had been cut into the upper slope of a rocky hillcrest. Topsoil in the area was shallow and contained a high percentage of eroding bedrock. The souterrain itself was exposed in excellent condition in three trenches as a long-hooked chamber of thick drystone walls with an entrance facing northwest. The roofing slabs had been removed, and the chamber infilled with loose stones. Despite much recent alteration to the surrounding subsoil surface by ploughing, the walls of the souterrain had not been damaged and seemed in a stable condition. Vegetation was removed from around the protruding top of a corbelled beehive chamber situated at the end of a small passage to the northeast of the main souterrain chamber. This had been used as a receptacle for field stones, and a cairn of stones had built up upon its roof. The lintel and doorway to this passage could be partially seen through loosely backfilled stones in the main chamber. Two areas of paving identified by Jervise proved to be either natural bedrock platforms, or had been removed after discovery. In two places narrow trenches had been cut through the bedrock and backfilled with loose stones. It is unclear whether these features date to the 1859 excavation or are associated with the souterrain. The graves were not identified and are presumed to lie outwith the excavated areas. It may be that plough disturbance has now removed any trace of the graves. To the southeast of the souterrain, a much-disturbed area showed evidence of two slots that had been partially cut into the bedrock and partially built up with stone. These appear to represent substantial structural traces towards the crest of the hill lying above the souterrain. No datable artefacts were recovered, but two small agate marbles, similar to those found by Jervise around the graves, were retrieved from the bedrock surface around these slots. Similar finds have been found at Hawkhill, and at Tarland and Monquhitter in Aberdeenshire.