Building record MAB21528 - BALBITHAN WOOD

Cairns and hut circles recorded across the wood, including a cluster (NJ81NW0003) northeast of Woodside Farm.

Cairns and hut circles recorded across the wood, including a cluster (NJ81NW0003) northeast of Woodside Farm. Various hut circles, cairns, and clearance cairns were identified by OS and RCHAMS. Sample excavation of two hut circles and two cairns were carried out by M Cook in 2005. An extensive programme of survey and evaluation was carried out between 2011 and 2016, as part of the Kintore Landscapes Project, to characterise the remains in the wood. Walkover surveys carried out by C Shepherd (FCS) and NESARS in 2013 increased the number of identified prehistoric features. A walkover survey was carried out by CHC in 2015 to reassess and further record the 269 cairns (and hut circles) previously recorded by FCS. Of the cairns, 47 could not be located, and five were found to be either natural or a hollow way. A total of 181 were less than 5m in diameter, clustered in a way that suggests they are clearance cairns. Thirty-one are between 5m and 10m in diameter, mostly located close to the smaller cairn clusters. Four cairns are between 10m and 20m in diameter. Over the six seasons of fieldwork by M Cook a total of 31 trial trenches and 87 test pits investigated nine possible hut circles, six cairns and an enclosure. Of the eight sampled ‘hut circles’, seven were dated to the Middle Bronze Age, the other undated. Three were thought to be non-domestic structures, one and possibly a second being a ring cairn variant. The domestic hut circles ranged between 11.5m and 18m internally, all with ring ditches present, but few objects were recovered. The majority of the cairns appear to be small featureless clearance cairns less than 5m in diameter. Two of the sampled cairns were not clearance cairns: Cairn 103 was dated to the Early Neolithic, Cairn 271 undated but covered a cache of lithic cores which could date from Neolithic to BA. The enclosure investigated comprised a reverse ‘C’ shaped bank measuring 22m east-west and 20m north-south, located on a small knoll. It was assumed to originally be a complete circle before impacted by post-medieval settlement and forestry. It was not clear if Neolithic material from the interior is contemporary or residual, and also unclear if this was a small settlement enclosure, substantial hut circle or disturbed ring cairn. A total of 320 lithics and fragments from 93 pottery vessels recovered from the investigations, those from trenches/test pits in the vicinity of a number of structural features producing the bulk of the assemblage (268 pieces), those associated with excavation of cairns yielding 43 items, and the enclosure eight. Assemblage is dominated by flakes, with only a small number of blades (five) recorded, along with a significant quantity of fragments and chunky indeterminate waste. Amongst the flaked lithics flint is the dominant material. Blades and flakes subject to secondary modification are dominated by scrapers which have Neolithic/Bronze Age technological affinities. One definite hammerstone and three rubbers were also found. The evidence indicates the presence of at least five Mesolithic to Middle Bronze Age lithic scatters. Prehistoric pottery was recovered from six of the 15 sampled structures (three hut circles one cairn and the enclosure). Radiocarbon dates indicate two main clusters of activity in the Neolithic and the MBA. Bulk of the Neolithic dates are from charcoal within soils associated with cairns. See also NJ81NW0210, NJ81NW0212, NJ81NW0004, NJ81NW0214. FLS reported 2024 loss of archaeological features in significant areas of the wood that had been subject to windblow.

Period Notes
Radiocarbon dates; SUERC-36866 hut circle 5 hearth feature, 2990 +/-30 BP, calibrated to 1513-1414 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-36871 hut circle 5 pre bank layer, 3315 +/-25 BP, calibrated to 1669-1522 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC- 9498 hut circle 13 hearth feature, 3230 +/-35 BP, calibrated to 1620-1450 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-9502 hut circle 13 hearth feature, 3265+/-35 BP, calibrated to1630-1450 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-9503 hut circle 13 hearth feature, 3270+/-35 BP, calibrated to 1630-1450 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC- 36870 pit outside hut circle 13 3190 +/- 30 BP, calibrated to 1513-1414 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-36872 hut circle 17 hearth feature, 3190+/-30 BP, calibrated to 1513-1414 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-49519 hut circle 18, 3235+/-29 BP, calibrated to 1607-1434 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-49520 hut circle 18, 3241+/-29 BP, calibrated to 1608-1440 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-42990 hut circle 19, 3127+/-27 BP, calibrated to 1491-1316 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-42994 hut circle 19, 2975+/-20 BP, calibrated to 1368-1091 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-42988 hut circle 28, 3281+/-27 BP, calibrated to 1626-1496 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-42989 hut circle 28, 3186+/-27 BP, calibrated to 1540-1413 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-57510 hut circle 29, 3288+/-28 BP, calibrated to 1626-1503 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-57511 hut circle 29, 3321+/-28 BP, calibrated to 1684-1527 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-49521 clearance cairn 105, 4497+/-29, calibrated to 3346-3096 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-49518 clearance cairn 105, 1766+/-330, calibrated to 139-378 AD at 2 sigma; SUERC-57509 clearance cairn 103, 4799+/-29, calibrated to 3605-3523 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-57512 clearance cairn 103, 5111+/-28 BP, calibrated to 3879-3602 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-65805 clearance cairn 103, 4784+/-30 BP, calibrated to 3642-3521 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-65804 enclosure, 4859+/-30 BP, calibrated to 3704-3632 BC at 2 sigma.

DICKSON, A, , BALBITHAN 2011 LITHIC ASSESSMENT, not dated (Bibliographic reference). SAB4069.

COOK, M, 2012, BALBITHAN PREHISTORIC LANDSCAPE PROJECT SEASON 1 DATA STRUCTURE REPORT (Bibliographic reference). SAB8698.

CONNOLLY HERITAGE CONSULTANCY, 2016, BALBITHAN FOREST CAIRN SURVEY, KINTORE ABERDEENSHIRE, Survey report (Bibliographic reference). SAB7985.

COOK, M, 2021, BALBITHAN WOOD, KINTORE, ABERDEENSHIRE: THE EVALUATION OF PREHISTORIC LANDSCAPES. (Bibliographic reference). SAB8226.

Aug 14 2014 , AAS-GR-14-08-312 - 314, AAS-GR-14-08-312 - 314 (Ground Photograph). SAB35361.

Record last edited

Aug 26 2025 10:24AM