Monument record MAB18193 - BROOMEND OF CRICHIE

Remains of a Class II henge consisting of a flat area surrounded by a ditch within an encircling bank.

Remains of a Class II henge consisting of a flat area surrounded by a ditch within an encircling bank. The ditch is crossed north and south by earthen embankments. Within the ditch stood a concentric circle of six stones with cremation burials at the bases. Other cremations and urns were found within the circle. There are now two stones and a Class I Pictish symbol stone (NJ71NE0005). Excavation carried out in 1855 by Dalrymple who found three separate deposits in front of the northwest stone: a decorated sandstone battle axe, a small circular cist and a cordoned urn. In the centre, burnt bones overlay a conical pit within which was a cist containing both inhumation and cremation. In 2001, a series of geophysical surveys and small scale trial excavation was undertaken by R. Bradley. An area to the south of the henge, measuring 120 x 60m, was surveyed using magnetometry. A series of anomalies were recorded including the sites of possible stone holes of the avenue. The henge was surveyed using resistivity at a spacing of 25cm. No anomalies that could represent a timber or stone circle were observed. Two trenches were excavated: Trench 1 (2 x 2m) was excavated on the south side of the remaining avenue monolith in order to establish the nature of its socket. The base of the stone itself appeared to be flat, and the whole monolith had been set into a relatively shallow socket. No artefacts were recovered from this trench. Trench 2 (3 x 3m) was excavated about 30m south of the henge, around the central point of a magnetic anomaly. This proved to be a stone socket similar in nature to that recorded in Trench 1: shallow with steeply cut sides and flat-bottomed. A large piece of stone was recovered from below the turf that may be part of a broken monolith, and a retouched flint blade came from the base of the plough soil. R. Bradley carried out three seasons of excavation at the site between 2005 and 2007. The 2005 and 2006 excavations revealed that the henge was more irregular than the 19th century site plan suggested - the interior is oval, not circular, measuring circa 16 x 21m. The perimeter ditch was over 5m wide and 2-3m deep. It was accompanied by an external bank which must have been unusually high and narrow. The earthwork would have screened most of the interior from anyone outside it. The ditch was of a single phase and cut steeply into the natural gravel. It is clear that the entire earthwork was unstable and that the bank had collapsed soon after it had been built. No artefacts were associated with the earthwork, but charcoal found on the surface of the buried soil should provide a terminus post quem for its construction. The excavations also located the positions of four stone sockets, three of which were completely excavated. The stone settings represent an arc of monoliths spaced at roughly equal intervals, with two large portal stones to their north. Remains of cremation burials, in the form of cremated bone, were also found within the area contained by the monoliths, along with the remains of four urned cremations. A final season of excavation under R. Bradley (undertaken as part of Northern Scottish Henges Project) was carried out in September-October 2007, and investigated an area immediately outside the south entrance. It identified the position of one stone socket, which probably belonged to the southern avenue of the monument complex, and which confirms the course of the avenue postulated by James Ritchie in the 1920s. Away from the monument were occasional postholes and a single pit, all without associated artefacts. Immediately outside the entrance was an almost circular setting of post pits circa 8.5m in diameter. No artefacts were found but charcoal samples associated with the post pipes will be submitted for radiocarbon dating. The five key observations which resulted from the 2005-7 programme of excavation are: (1) the earthwork of the henge has a different orientation from the stone setting inside it, (2) all the finds of artefacts and cremated bone are associated with the stone settings and none is directly associated with the structural features of the henge or with the timber structures found outside it, (3) the shaft grave excavated by Dalrymple in 1855 is offset from the centre of the stone setting, but is located in the middle of the henge on the axis leading between its entrances, (4) the henge seems to have been associated with a line of massive posts leading between the entrances and extending around the eastern edge of the shaft grave, quite distinct from the orientation of the stone setting, (5) the timber setting outside the southern entrance is located on the long axis of the henge monument. Its position does not seem to respect that of the internal stone setting and impinges on the course of the southern avenue.

P 2745, P 2745 (Ground Photograph). SAB12311.

PR 10S, PR 10S (Ground Photograph). SAB12308.

STUART, J, 1856, SCULPTURED STONES OF SCOTLAND, XX (Bibliographic reference). SAB1800.

DONATIONS & PURCHASES, 1857, PSAS 2(1854-7), 306 (Bibliographic reference). SAB364.

DALRYMPLE, CE, 1884, PSAS 18(1883-4) 319-25, 319-325 (Bibliographic reference). SAB347.

STONE HAMMER

COLES, FR, 1901, PSAS 35(1900-01) 187-248, 219-225 (Bibliographic reference). SAB231.

DONATIONS & PURCHASES, 1902, PSAS 36(1901-2), 561-2 (Bibliographic reference). SAB390.

RITCHIE, J, 1920, THE STONE CIRCLE AT BROOMEND OF CRICHIE. PSAS 54(1919-20) 154-72, 154-172 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1531.

STONE HAMMER

CLARK, G, 1936, PPS 2(1936) 1-51, 42 (Bibliographic reference). SAB269.

SIMPSON, WD, 1943, PROVINCE OF MAR (Bibliographic reference). SAB1676.

MOW, 1962, A.M'S SCOT. (Bibliographic reference). SAB1204.

FEACHEM, RW, 1963, PREHISTORIC SCOTLAND, 64 (Bibliographic reference). SAB503.

SHEPHERD, IAG, 1979, EARLY GRAMPIAN, 29 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1636.

THOM, A, 1980, BAR 81, 216-7 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1922.

BURL, HAW, 1981, RITES OF THE GODS, 189-92,179 (Bibliographic reference). SAB112.

HARDING, A F, 1987, HENGE MONUMENTS AND RELATED SITES OF GREAT BRITAIN. BAR 175, pp 355-6 (Bibliographic reference). SAB4404.

SHEPHERD, IAG, 1988, THE PREHISTORIC SOCIETY SUMMER CONFERENCE 1988: ABERDEEN AND NORTH EAST SCOTLAND, 9-10 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1744.

BRADLEY, R., 2002, BROOMEND OF CRICHIE, p11 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2280.

SURVEY /EXCAVATION

BRADLEY, R, 2002, EXCAVATIONS AT RECUMBENT STONE CIRCLES AND RELATED SITES IN ABERDEENSHIRE 2001: INTERIM REPORT, Interim rep (Bibliographic reference). SAB3763.

BRADLEY, R, 2005, Excavations at the henge Broomend of Crichie 2005, REPORT (Bibliographic reference). SAB3715.

EXCAVATION

BRADLEY, R, 2007, DES VOL7, 2006, p.19-20 (Bibliographic reference). SAB3714.

excavation

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2007, DISCOVERY & EXCAVATION SCOTLAND, p.26 (Bibliographic reference). SAB4029.

BRADLEY, R, 2007, EXCAVATIONS AT BROOMEND OF CRICHIE 2005-7: INTERIM REPORT, Interim report (Bibliographic reference). SAB3723.

BRADLEY, R, 2011, STAGES AND SCREENS: AN INVESTIGATION OF FOUR HENGE MONUMENTS IN NORTHERN AND NORTH-EASTERN SCOTLAND (Bibliographic reference). SAB3750.

MILLICAN, K, 2016, THE TIMBER MONUMENTS OF NEOLITHIC SCOTLAND, P. 106 (Bibliographic reference). SAB7307.

Apr 17 1985 , EH 5-9, EH 5-9 (Ground Photograph). SAB12310.

Aug 2 1974 , BRD 34-35, BRD 34-35 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB12299.

Aug 28 1988 , HQ 10-11, HQ 10-11 (Ground Photograph). SAB33555.

Aug 31 1984 , CU 30-37, CU 30-37 (Ground Photograph). SAB12309.

Dec 2 2019 , AAS-GR-19-12-029 - 045, AAS-GR-19-12-029 - 045 (Ground Photograph). SAB35183.

Jan 1 1917 , AB 2902-3 PO, AB 2902-3 PO (Ground Photograph). SAB20489.

Jan 1 1976 , AAS/GR/76/CT194, 205, AAS/GR/76/CT194, 205 (Ground Photograph). SAB32456.

Jan 1 1985 , AAS/GR/85/CT406,411,415, AAS/GR/85/CT406,411,415 (Ground Photograph). SAB32660.

Jan 1 1985 , AAS/GR/85/CT50-51,396,400, AAS/GR/85/CT50-51,396,400 (Ground Photograph). SAB32649.

Jan 1 1997 , AB 5990 CN, AB 5990 CN (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB20487.

Jul 1 1992 , AAS/92/02/S4/1-8, AAS/92/02/S4/1-8 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB14370.

Jul 1 1992 , AAS/92/2/CT2-4,8-10,12,14, AAS/92/2/CT2-4,8-10,12,14 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB19546.

Jul 1 2009 , AAS/92/2/CT16, AAS/92/2/CT16 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB19549.

Jul 8 1988 , AAS/88/04/CT14,38, AAS/88/04/CT14,38 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB19806.

Jul 15 1958 , XD 10-13, XD 10-13 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB12300.

Jul 15 1959 , AAF 49-51, AAF 49-51 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB12301.

Jul 15 1959 , AAF 51, AAF 51 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB12304.

Jul 16 1992 , AAS/92/04/G1/3, AAS/92/04/G1/3 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB34504.

Jul 18 2006 , AAS/06/2/CT19, AAS/06/2/CT19 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB19268.

Jul 23 1964 , AKD 20-21, AKD 20-21 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB12302.

Jul 23 1964 , AKD 21, AKD 21 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB12298.

Jul 23 1993 , LG 10-15, LG 10-15 (Ground Photograph). SAB33888.

Jul 25 1991 , NJ 16, NJ 16 (Ground Photograph). SAB33438.

Jul 26 1975 , BVD 038, BVD 038 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB12305.

Jul 26 1975 , BVD 82-83, BVD 82-83 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB12306.

Jul 30 1970 , BEB 8-9, BEB 8-9 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB12303.

Jun 1 1904 , AB 2658, AB 2658 (Ground Photograph). SAB20488.

May 1 1995 , AAS/GR/95/CT146, AAS/GR/95/CT146 (Ground Photograph). SAB32923.

May 21 2012 , AAS-GR-12-05-047 - 064, AAS-GR-12-05-047 - 064 (Ground Photograph). SAB13389.

Nov 1 2005 , DP 011657-9, DP 011657-9 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB20486.

Nov 1 2014 , AAS-GR-14-11-14, AAS-GR-14-11-14 (Ground Photograph). SAB35372.

Oct 4 2007 , AAS/07/2/DG1756-811, AAS/07/2/DG1756-811 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB19245.

Oct 18 2005 , GR/05/05/CT186-203, GR/05/05/CT186-203 (Ground Photograph). SAB18396.

Sep 4 1980 , Untitled Source (Ground Photograph). SAB12307.

Sep 6 1984 , AAS/84/14/S6/2-25, AAS/84/14/S6/2-25 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB12297.

Sep 7 2005 , AAS-GR-05-09-037 - 038, AAS-GR-05-09-037 - 038 (Ground Photograph). SAB36119.

Sep 12 2005 , AS-GR-14-06-050 - 052, AS-GR-14-06-050 - 052 (Ground Photograph). SAB20969.

Sep 13 2006 , DSCN1762-67, DSCN1762-67 (Ground Photograph). SAB20729.

Sep 26 2006 , Nos. 9835-9897, Nos. 9835-9897 (Ground Photograph). SAB13293.

Sep 28 2007 , AAS-GR-07-09-004 - 008, AAS-GR-07-09-004 - 008 (Ground Photograph). SAB36181.

Record last edited

Apr 7 2026 10:37AM