Building record MAB18200 - TUACH HILL

Remains of a stone circle and enclosure.

Remains of a stone circle and enclosure. It now consists of a scoop in the southwest facing hillside, overlooking a long burial mound, bounded by an enclosing ditch with external bank on all but the north portion. The central area now contains one earthfast stone, although Watt records there having been six stones along with a flat stone supported by smaller stones in centre. Dalrymple's excavation in the 19th century revealed nine cremation burials, (six located in pits against the inner edges of the monoliths). Three of these burials were associated with Cordoned Urns, Beneath a flat slab, possibly a cist cover, in the centre of the site there were another three unurned burials and a charcoal-filled pit. Two of the cremations were accompanies by small fragments of bronze. Excavation was carried out in 2011 to establish (a) the original plan of the stone setting, (b) the nature of the earthwork perimeter, (c) the character of any surviving deposits within the enclosure. The present monument differs significantly from its state in the mid 19th century, and the 2011 work indicated damage on several occasions, by Dalrymple's excavation which also appears to have encouraged rabbit activity, deliberate destruction resulting in the disappearance of substantial fragments of at least five of the six monoliths (possibly during a period of agricultural improvement), and by subsequent planting of trees over the site. From the excavation results it seems likely that the stone circle and earthwork 'henge' were conceived as a single design, probably in the later Early Bronze Age. It was directed to the southwest, and the structure appears to have been aligned on the flank of Midmill long cairn (NJ71NE0024). Two further burials, one in a collared urn, were found near the centre of the site. One contained a bronze razor, with surviving residues suggesting that it was originally inside an animal hide sheath. Smaller amounts of bone were found in a series of pits in the same part of the site. The combination of 'henge' and stone circle at Tuach has no precise parallel among excavated monuments in Britain.

Period Notes
Radiocarbon dates from the 2011 excavation: five from features inside the stone circle: SUERC-56457, cremated bone in Urn 1, 3406+/-38BP, calibrated to 1873-1617 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-56458, cremated bone, 3383+/-38, calibrated to 1870-1566 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-36749, cremated bone, 3500+/-30BP, calibrated to 1906-1743 ca; BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-37076 cremated bone, 3405+/-30 BP, calibrated to 1862-1622 cal BC; SUERC-36750 cremated bone, 3420+/-30 BP, calibrated to 1873-1632 BC at 2 sigma. Three dates for small pieces of charcoal on the surface of the buried soil beneath the bank: SUERC-36753 2805+/-30 BO, calibrated to 1046-855 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-36751 3670+/-30 BP, calibrated to 2139-2038 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-36752 3750+/-30BP, calibrated to 2282-2038 BC at 2 sigma.

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

URNS

DALRYMPLE, CE, 1857, PSAS 2(1854-7) 431-2, 306, 429 (Bibliographic reference). SAB346.

URNS

WATT, AA, 1864, EARLY HISTORY OF KINTORE, 152-3 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2013.

URNS

DONATIONS & PURCHASES, 1874, PSAS 10(1872-4), 196 (Bibliographic reference). SAB394.

URNS

DALRYMPLE, CE, 1884, PSAS 18(1883-4) 319-25, 323 (Bibliographic reference). SAB347.

URNS

Author unknown, 1892, CAT OF NMAS., 183 (Bibliographic reference). SAB265.

URNS

COLES, FR, 1901, PSAS 35(1900-01) 187-248, 192-6, FIG 5-7 (Bibliographic reference). SAB231.

URNS

KEILLER, A, 1927, INTERIM REPORT UPON SUCH OF THE STONE CIRCLES OF ABERDEENSHIRE AND KINCARDINESHIRE AS HAVE BEEN SCHEDULED AS ANCIENT MONUMENTS, 10 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1033.

MOW, 1962, A.M'S SCOT., 8 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1204.

URNS

BRADLEY, R, 2011, EXCAVATIONS ON THE HILL OF TUACH, KINTORE, 2011 (Bibliographic reference). SAB3757.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2012, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND. NEW SERIES, VOLUME 12, 2011, pp.22-3 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5536.

BRADLEY, R, 2016, THE USE AND REUSE OF STONE CIRCLES: FIELDWORK AT FIVE SCOTTISH MONUMENTS AND ITS IMPLICATIONS (Bibliographic reference). SAB3816.

Apr 1 1919 , AB 2555, AB 2555 (Ground Photograph). SAB20063.

Apr 18 2011 , P1010004-9, P1010004-9 (Ground Photograph). SAB20835.

Aug 11 1998 , DC 44511 Plans, DC 44511 Plans (Photograph). SAB20065.

Aug 11 1998 , DC 44512 Tree Survey, DC 44512 Tree Survey (Photograph). SAB20066.

Jan 1 1903 , AB 2657, AB 2657 (Ground Photograph). SAB20064.

Jan 1 1983 , AAS/GR/83/CT08, AAS/GR/83/CT08 (Ground Photograph). SAB32603.

Record last edited

Oct 16 2020 11:39AM