Earthwork record MAB45392 - WEST MAINS OF ETHIE

Remains of a promontory fort.

Remains of a promontory fort. Unlike the five other similar fortified promontories between Arbroath and Lunan Bay, this site has no distinctive name. It was discovered in 1961, recorded jointly with the OS and subsequently excavated, by the Abertay Historical Society between 1962-1971. It projects eastwards for circa 61m tapering to a blunt point, is circa 67m across on the landward side, which is protected by three banks, 1.5m high, and ditches crossed by a central causeway and entrance. Extensive stone robbing has taken place. The excavations confirmed the triple defences and indicated the existence of a post-hole hut complex with associated paving in the enceinte. Finds were scare, but they included a Roman 2nd century bronze fibula, a bronze penannular brooch (datable to the first half of the 2nd century), a section of yellow and blue glass armlet and a yellow glass bead similar to finds from Newstead. A line across all three banks and ditches was excavated, revealing that the banks were made of clay and that the inner two had evidence of collapsed stone walling. The inner bank, some 3.6m broad, was investigated further, revealing a better preserved wall and a row of postholes and a trench pointing to a probable timber revetment. The trench had been infilled and contained the penannular brooch. The innermost ditch had a squared 'slot', 23cm wide and 15cm deep, at the bottom, whereas the other two ditches were U-shaped. All of the ditches were steeper on the inner side, broadened out and became deeper towards the cliff edges. The remains of the walling on the middle bank contained the glass bead and armlet fragment. Post-holes of unknown purpose were recorded near the causeway. The entrance had a central doorcheck and the enceinte had areas of paving and complicated patterns of post-holes, interpreted as the remains of hut-circles. The site showed signs of reconstruction such as the infilled palisade trench, the paving along the ramparts and a possible, apparently intrusive, long cist found at the outer end of the entrance, with no bones surviving and not described as a cist in the final report. Two hearths and two stone-lined and paved storage pits, containing tumble and fragments of carbonised wood, were discovered by the base of the bank to the south of the entrance. Two stone lamps, similar to those found in souterrains, were found in association with the hut-circles. Unstratified finds included a burnt sherd of samian ware in the tumble of the innermost bank, parts of two rotary querns, two sandstone palettes, two sink-stones/loom weights, a piece of crucible, several sandstone mortar fragments, part of an iron sickle, a flint flake and pieces of metal. During excavations in July and August 1965, a shaped slab of pinkish sandstone bearing an incised design was found. Wilson identified this as an unusual cup-marked stone with pecked design. There are two cups, one greater in size than the other and located in a crescent shaped hollow (or ring) with a series of four parallel grooves which curve to meet each other at the opposite side of the slab to the cups, a probable variant on the 'keyhole' type of cup-marked stone. A further conical hollow is located on the reverse, not quite back to back with the larger cup.

AN/4678, AN/4678 (Photograph). SAB27430.

AN/4679, AN/4679 (Photograph). SAB27431.

AN/4680, AN/4680 (Photograph). SAB27432.

AN/4681, AN/4681 (Photograph). SAB27433.

AND/4/1, AND/4/1 (Photograph). SAB28210.

AND/4/2, AND/4/2 (Photograph). SAB27434.

SCAPE, 03/2009, COASTAL ZONE ASSESSMENT SURVEY PART 2, p.39 (Bibliographic reference). SAB4802.

WILSON, J, 1961, DES 1961 p5. WEST MAINS OF ETHIE AND REDHEAD (Bibliographic reference). SAB3420.

WILSON, J, 1961, DES 1961 p5. WEST MAINS OF ETHIE AND REDHEAD, 5 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2081.

DES 1961

Wilson and Wilson, Mr and M, 1962, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 2-3 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11285.

DES 1962

Wilson, Mrs, 1963, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 4 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11146.

DES 1963

Wilson, J, 1964, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 2-3 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11287.

DES 1964

Wilson, J, 1965, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 4 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11288.

DES 1965

Wilson, J {Mrs}, 1966, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 3 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11289.

DES 1966

Wilson, J, 1967, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 4 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11135.

DES 1967

Wilson, J {Mrs}, 1968, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 1-2 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11290.

DES 1968

Wilson, J, 1969, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 1 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11291.

DES 1969

Coutts, H, 1970, [Untitled], 38, no.28 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11076.

Wilson, J, 1970, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 3-4 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11292.

DES 1970

Robertson, A S, 1970, Roman finds from non-Roman sites in Scotland., Table 1 (Bibliographic reference). SAB9711.

Wilson, J, 1971, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 2 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11293.

DES 1971

Wilson, D R, 1972, Britannia 3, 302-3 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10296.

Stevenson, R B K, 1976, Glasgow Archaeol J 4, 52, 53 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10336.

Guido, M, 1978, [Untitled], 180 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11858.

RCAHMS, 1978, LUNAN VALLEY, 16, No.99; 30, No.246 (Bibliographic reference). SAB7718.

WILSON, E M, 1981, EXCAVATIONS AT WEST MAINS OF ETHIE, ANGUS. PSAS 110 (1978-80) 114-121, PSAS 45, 114-21 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2120.

PSAS, 1985, Proc Soc Antiq Scot 114, 597 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10427.

Record last edited

Mar 28 2024 12:02PM