Earthwork record MAB43100 - KNOCK OF ALVES

Remains of a hill fort.

Remains of a hill fort. The only surviving feature is an outwork consisting of a rampart with an internal quarry ditch which surrounds the west, north and east flanks of hill. It is reduced to a terrace towards its east end, where it has also probably been eroded by the main access route to the York tower and mausoleum (NJ16SE0092) at the summit of the hill. A track and quarry truncate it in the west. All that survives of inner wall is a mutilated scarp, only traced with any degree of certainty in the north and west. There is no sign of stonework. Of the 2nd and 3rd walls described by Feachem there is no definite trace, and the measurement of 126 m (415 ft) appears erroneous. There are two or three scrub and bracken covered scarps towards the west end of the fort, but these are too vague to identify positively as artificial. There is no trace of defence along the steep, boulder strewn and overgrown south slopes. A track leads from the summit westwards along the flank of the hill, truncates the rampart in the west, and follows the base of the rampart eastwards to a quarry about halfway along. This is presumably the track quoted by Feachem as obliterating the third wall. A ruinous hill dyke traverses the top of the hill from the east to west. In 1997 an archaeological investigation was undertaken by CFA, prior to the laying of a power cable for a telecommunications mast. Two trenches were opened: Trench 1 was excavated beside York Tower and revealed a small circular pit containing a possible fragment of prehistoric pottery, two fragments of burnt bone and two stone objects. Also in trench 1, towards the edge of the citadel, layers of grey silt, burnt material and broken sand stone in a natural depression in the bedrock may represent levelling of the ground surface. Trench 2 cut a section through the inner ditch of the outer defences. The ditch contained three fills and appeared to have silted up naturally.

82/883 0001-2, 82/883 0001-2 (Air-vertical Photograph). SAB30335.

RAF/106/9/SCOT/169 2351, RAF/106/9/SCOT/169 2351 (Air-vertical Photograph). SAB30336.

RAF/106/9/SCOT/169 2352, RAF/106/9/SCOT/169 2352 (Air-vertical Photograph). SAB30337.

FEACHEM, RW, 1963, PREHISTORIC SCOTLAND, 140 (Bibliographic reference). SAB503.

GLENDINNING, B, 1997, KNOCK OF ALVES, HILL FORT, REPORT No 376 (Bibliographic reference). SAB672.

GLENDINNING, B, 1998, DES. KNOCK OF ALVES, 66 (Bibliographic reference). SAB683.

EXCAVATION

Aug 9 1977 , AAS/77/11/SP/17,19, AAS/77/11/SP/17,19 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30334.

Jan 1 1997 , AAS/GR/97/CT598-601, AAS/GR/97/CT598-601 (Ground Photograph). SAB33071.

Jun 3 1997 , AAS/97/06/CT5-8, 11-12, AAS/97/06/CT5-8, 11-12 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB31325.

Jun 3 1997 , AAS/97/06/G10/1-6, AAS/97/06/G10/1-6 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB31298.

Record last edited

Aug 26 2024 1:49PM