Monument record MAB12000 - HILLHEAD, BLACKHILLS

Remains of a cairn, possible hut platforms and worked flint recorded by field survey.

Remains of a cairn, possible hut platforms and worked flint recorded by field survey. An archaeological fieldwalking survey was carried out by NESARS in 2013 following forestry felling of the area around what is now known to be the remains of a recumbent stone circle (NJ50NW0056 - at the time of survey thought to be a hut circle). The area had been open moorland until the trees were planted in the mid 20th century (possibly the late 1960s). A total of circa 12 ha were fieldwalked, the area around the stone circle walked intensively in 20m grids, the rest in transects every 10m. The intensive survey recorded a high density of worked quartz and flint, but four sherds of Beaker pottery and a barbed and tanged arrowhead were also recovered. Fieldwalking of the transects recorded a circular feature comprising four large boulders linked by stone construction ('walls') at NJ5099807066. There is also a cairn closed to the summit of the hill (NJ 5106 0725) Several pieces of worked flint were found across the area, of mixed size and function. Other finds included a possible quernstone fragment, possible stone bowl fragments, cup-marked stone, hammer stone. Topographic survey of the circular feature revealed a platform circa 18 m in diameter. Subsequent excavation in June 2014 revealed the full extent of a revetted platform with an internal structural feature (possibly a hut circle) of later Bronze Age date (NJ50NW0096). Further walkover surveys have also now identified at least seven potential hut platforms. A possible circular feature has been identified in the area of NJ5080007214, where an intensity of worked quartz and flint was recorded by the 2013 fieldwalking.

Period Notes
Radiocarbon dates: SUERC-56971 (GU35762), alder charcoal - 2801 +/-29, calibrated to 1026-850 BC (2 sigma, OxCal 4.2 run 05/01/15); SUERC-56972(GU35763), alder charcoal - 2721+/-29, calibrated to 918 - 812 BC (2 sigma, OxCal 4.2 run 05/01/15).

CURRIE, G, 2007, DES VOL7, 2006, Fieldwalking report (Bibliographic reference). SAB1340.

CONNOLLY HERITAGE CONSULTANCY, 2014, HILLHEAD (BLACKILLS) EVALUATION. TARLAND, ABERDEENSHIRE, DSR (Bibliographic reference). SAB6693.

ARCAHEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2015, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND. NEW SERIES, VOLUME 15, 2014, p.36 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5542.

NESARS, 2015, HILLHEAD 2015 - NEW CIRCULAR FEATURE INVESTIGATION (Bibliographic reference). SAB1349.

Record last edited

Mar 16 2026 12:49PM