Monument record MAB43101 - QUARRY WOOD

Known locally as the 'Danish Camp' this site has been traditionally interpreted as a henge, though it is more likely, given its location on a local hill summit, to be an Iron Age settlement enclosure.

Known locally as the 'Danish Camp' this site has been traditionally interpreted as a henge, though it is more likely, given its location on a local hill summit, to be an Iron Age settlement enclosure. Further work will be needed to clarify this. The site consists of a near level area surrounded by a segmented ditch cut into the excavated earth and stones forming a bank of similar proportions on its outer lip. The entrance in the west is well-defined by a 4 m wide causeway across the ditch corresponding to a 3 m break in the bank. For about 11 m south of the entrance the ditch has been cut through a stony area and there is a gap of about 2 m where it has presumably been too difficult to dig and has been left uncompleted. In this section are two boulders, one seeming to revet the inner edge of the bank, but probably naturally placed. Around the north arc of the ditch are three similar breaks. There may be others, less well-defined especially in the southeast, but vegetation prevents an accurate assessment. In the south southwest arc of interior are 2 rough boulders (A and B), on edge, which may be the remnant of a circle of stones: (A) is 1 m high x 1.3 m long x 1 m wide while (B) is 0.9 m high and 1.2 m x 0.9 m. Immediately inside the south side of entrance, the top of another stone (C) protrudes through the soil, but this may be naturally placed. Around 4 m to the south of it is a hollow, about 3 m in diameter by 0.7 m deep, containing 2 boulders. This appears to be a quarry hole dug in an attempt to remove these boulders, of which one would have originally protruded through the soil in a similar fashion to (C). Much smaller, loose stones appear in parts of the interior, but deep heather makes it uncertain whether these are naturally or artificially placed. This could be viewed as an aberrant henge rather than a settlement enclosure. A contour survey of the site was undertaken in 1997 by Headland Archaeology to assist in the management and interpretation of the site. Geophysical survey and trial trenching were carried out in October - November 2011 by Rathmell Archaeology to assess the extent of damage to the site from visitor erosion and previous use of the ground for forestry. The survey identified a circular arrangement of features which may represent post or stone settings covering an area circa 20 m in diameter, a possible penannular feature, and three linear features which may represent marks left by forestry ploughing. Other anomalies may reflect further activity within the enclosure such as burials, burning or occupation areas. Targeted hand excavation demonstrated the construction of the enclosure bank (possibly to have been in two stages) and the level of disturbance from the presence of trees and understorey vegetation, as well as from foot traffic. The trench excavated in the centre of the site revealed no archaeological features. Several pieces of flint debitage were recovered from under the northern bank of the enclosure.

ORDNANCE SURVEY, 1871, Ordnance Name Book, No20(1871) 39 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1360.

MACLAGAN, C., 1875, THE HILL FORTS & STONE CIRCLES OF ANCIENT SCOTLAND (Bibliographic reference). SAB1147.

HENSHALL, AS, 1976, THE MORAY BOOK (Bibliographic reference). SAB726.

SHEPHERD, IAG, 1979, EARLY GRAMPIAN, 8 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1636.

SHEPHERD, IAG, 1987, THE GRAMPIAN BOOK (Bibliographic reference). SAB1634.

DALLAND, M, 1997, CONTOUR SURVEY : QUARRYWOOD HENGE, REPORT (Bibliographic reference). SAB2433.

DALLAND, M, 1997, DES : QUARRY WOOD, 56 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2442.

SURVEY

FORESTRY COMMISSION SCOTLAND, 2008, QUARRYWOOD HENGE SAM MANAGEMENT PLAN 2008-13 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2495.

MANAGEMENT PLAN

RATHMELL ARCHAEOLOGY, 2012, QUARRYWOOD HENGE, ELGIN: DATA STRUCTURE REPORT, DSR (Bibliographic reference). SAB3060.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2013, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND, NEW SERIES, VOLUME 13, 2012, p.125 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5487.

Aug 11 2008 , AAS/GR/08/08/006 - 012, AAS/GR/08/08/006 - 012 (Ground Photograph). SAB32772.

Jan 1 1993 , AAS/GR/93/CT161-162, AAS/GR/93/CT161-162 (Ground Photograph). SAB32879.

Jan 1 1993 , AAS/GR/93/CT173-74,178-79, AAS/GR/93/CT173-74,178-79 (Ground Photograph). SAB32880.

Jul 22 1991 , AAS/91/7/CT8-12, AAS/91/7/CT8-12 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB32084.

Mar 15 1990 , JZ 29-30, JZ 29-30 (Ground Photograph). SAB33778.

Mar 22 1990 , KA 7, KA 7 (Ground Photograph). SAB33785.

May 1 1989 , AAS/GR/89/CT377-78,383-84, AAS/GR/89/CT377-78,383-84 (Ground Photograph). SAB32770.

May 1 1989 , AAS/GR/89/CT389,401-405, AAS/GR/89/CT389,401-405 (Ground Photograph). SAB32771.

Oct 16 1987 , EJ 8-28, EJ 8-28 (Ground Photograph). SAB30333.

Record last edited

Apr 12 2026 5:34PM