EAB3699 - Earth Resistance Survey and Magnetometry Survey - MAINS OF ROTHIEMAY

A geophysical survey was undertaken using earth resistance and magnetic methods in 1998. At first sight the results of the survey are unrevealing. The earth resistance plot shows the expected 'white-out' in the vicinity of the southernmost stones. There are, however, significant, isolated, high resistance anomalies surrounding a high resistance horse-shoe shaped plateau. these anomalies are characteristic of stone or dry-earth structures. Also, as expected, the magnetic survey proved to be very noisy with a scatter of isolated magnetic 'highs' and 'lows' superimposed on an apparently random background. The magnetic nature of the stones of the circle was confirmed by strong positive and negative signals immediately surrounding them. The south-east stone in particular shows an extended area of magnetisation to its south, suggesting an area of extensive burning. Unfortunately this area is masked by water in the earth resistance survey. Also of interest is a broad, approximately linear feature coinciding, in part, with the horse-shoe of high resistance.