Document record MAB51181 - R11 FINDRASSIE PHASE 1

An archaeological evaluation and metal detector survey was carried out in 2020 by Cameron Archaeology over phase 1 of Findrassie development.

An archaeological evaluation and metal detector survey was carried out in 2020 by Cameron Archaeology over phase 1 of Findrassie development. The metal detector survey recorded 150 objects of post-medieval date (15th-16th Century or later), including coins (Victoria half penny, Gorge half penny), buttons, buckles, brooch, lead scraps, iron nails, rings. For the evaluation in August 2020, a total of 42 trenches were excavated (totalling 7 percent of the development area) excluding safety buffer for gas and overhead and underground electricity cabling. Three sand hillocks were observed with palaeochannels in between. Two charcoal filled pits were identified in Trenches 32 and 36, and a single flint was recovered from an area of charcoal which appeared to have washed into a palaeochannel in Trenches 27 and 28. Following this, an archaeological monitored soil strip was carried out by Cameron Archaeology in December 2020, over an area on the eastern side of the site. A palaeochannel situated between two sandy hillocks was investigated. One flint was recovered from an unstratified location remote from the palaeochannel. A further archaeological monitored soil strip was carried out by Cameron Archaeology between April and May 2021 on an area in the northwest part of the site, followed by an excavation. At least six structures were identified including a very ploughed out circular post-hole structure (Structure 1). Structure 2 was a semi-circular structure of large post-holes with sterile fills. Structure 3 comprised pits and post-holes, Structure 4 an arc of charcoal rich ditch and associated features and two narrow palisade trenches (Structures 5 and 6). Finds comprised worked flints, prehistoric pottery and burnt bone. A programme of post-excavation analysis will follow.

Period Notes
Radiocarbon dates (all at 2sigma): SUERC-111259 (GU64547) post-hole fill, 7072+/-27 BP, calibrated to 6016-5891 BC; SUERC-111260 (GU64548), post-hole fill, 3063+/-26 BP, calibrated to 1421-1235 BC; SUERC-111261 (GU64549), ditch terminal, 4801+/-26 BP, calibrated to 3641-3528 BC; SUERC-111262 (GU64550), post-hole fill, 7170+/-27 BP, calibrated to 6071-5990 BC; SUERC-111266 (GU64551), post-hole fill/terminal, 4732+/-26 BP, calibrated to 3631-3377 BC; SUERC-111267 (GU64552) pit/post-hole, 3087+/-23 BP, calibrated to 1419-1282 BC; SUERC-111268 (GU64553), post-hole fill, 1433+/-23 BP, calibrated to 593-654 AD; SUERC-111269 (GU64554), hearth, 4704+/-23 BP, calibrated to 3618-3373 BC; SUERC-111270 GU64555), ditch fill, 3098+/-26 BP, calibrated to 1427-1286 BC; SUERC-111271 (GU64556), ditch fill, 2991+/-26 BP, calibrated to 1372-1124 BC.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2020, R11 FINDRASSIE, ELGIN, MORAY: DATA STRUCTURE REPORT (Bibliographic reference). SAB8920.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2021, R11 FINDRASSIE, ELGIN, MORAY: DATA STRUCTURE REPORT FOR EXCAVATION MAY 2021, Excavation DSR (Bibliographic reference). SAB8923.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2021, R11 FINDRASSIE, ELGIN, MORAY: DATA STRUCTURE REPORT FOR MONITORED TOPSOIL STRIP (DECEMBER 2020) (Bibliographic reference). SAB8921.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2021, R11 FINDRASSIE, ELGIN, MORAY: POST-EXCAVATION RESEARCH DESIGN (PERD) (Bibliographic reference). SAB8922.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2021, R11 FINDRASSIE, ELGIN, MORAY: POST-EXCAVATION RESEARCH DESIGN (PERD) FOR EXCAVATION MAY 2021 (Bibliographic reference). SAB8924.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2021, R11 FINDRASSIE, ELGIN. MORAY: WRITTEN SCHEME OF INVESTIGATION FOR EXCAVATION MAY 2021, WSI (Bibliographic reference). SAB8631.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2021, R11 FINDRASSIE, ELGIN. MORAY: WRITTEN SCHEME OF INVESTIGATION, WSI (Bibliographic reference). SAB8630.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2022, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND, NEW SERIES, VOLUME 22 (2021), pp.126-7 (Bibliographic reference). SAB8314.

Record last edited

Jun 26 2025 11:31AM