Document record MAB54149 - CORMACK'S HILLOCK

Four-post structures excavated by CFA in 2019, following on from identification of features during a watching brief within the cable route corridor for the Moray East Offshore Wind Farm (NJ66SE0330).

Four-post structures excavated by CFA in 2019, following on from identification of features during a watching brief within the cable route corridor for the Moray East Offshore Wind Farm (NJ66SE0330). A four-post structure (structure 1) comprising four post-hole pits spaced in a sub-square pattern measuring circa 2.5 m x 3 m. The post-holes varied from circular to oval in plan, with fills containing charcoal and stones. One of the oval post-holes contained an in situ single flat padstone set onto the base of the pit. A second possible four-post structure (structure 2) lay to the northeast of structure 1, comprising three varying sized pits spaced in a sub-square pattern measuring circa 2 m x 2.5 m, a similar dimension to structure 1. It is possible that the fourth pit has been lost due to ploughing. The pits varied from circular to oval in plan. The larger oval pit contained two large flat stones set onto the surface of the basal deposit, with fills containing charcoal and small stones. Radiocarbon dating on two separate hazelnut shells from the fill of one of the post-holes in structure 2 dated to 338 BC - 108 AD, placing the structure in the Middle to Late Iron Age. The four-post structures are interpreted as grain stores. The area including these features and adjacent features (NJ65NE0155, NJ65NE0157, NJ65NE0158) was probably associated with food processing and associated activities in the Late Iron Age, though domestic habitation remains are absent. It is possible these are located outwith the monitored area, suggested by the proximity of cropmarks (NJ65NE0040, NJ65NE0019).

Period Notes
Radiocarbon dating: SUERC-98286, 2002 +/- 26 BP, calibrated to 49 BC - 108 AD at 2 sigma, material - hazelnut shell, Corylus avellana, post-hole fill structure 2. SUERC-98287, 2118 +/- 26 BP, calibrated to 338 BC - 51 BC at 2 sigma, material - hazelnut shell, Corylus avellana, post-hole fill structure 2. Dating the structure to mainly the Late Iron Age.

CFA ARCHAEOLOGY, 2018, MORAY EAST OFFSHORE WINDFARM PROGRAMME OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL WORKS: WRITTEN SCHEME OF INVESTIGATION, WSI (Bibliographic reference). SAB8552.

CFA ARCHAEOLOGY, 2019, MORAY EAST OFFSHORE WIND FARM, ONSHORE TRANSMISSION INFRASTRUCTURE WSI - ADDENDUM 4: PD FOR ARCH EXCAVATION - SECTION 8, WSI Addendum4 (Bibliographic reference). SAB8119.

CFA ARCHAEOLOGY, 2019, MORAY EAST OFFSHORE WINDFARM, ONSHORE CABLE ROUTE ABERDEENSHIRE: WATCHING BRIEF, Watching Brief (Bibliographic reference). SAB8544.

CFA ARCHAEOLOGY, 2020, MORAY EAST OFFSHORE WIND FARM, ONSHORE CABLE ROUTE, ABERDEENSHIRE: SECTION 8 & 9 ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATION DATA STRUCTURE REPORT, Excavation DSR (Bibliographic reference). SAB8551.

CFA ARCHAEOLOGY, 2020, MORAY EAST OFFSHORE WIND FARM, ONSHORE CABLE ROUTE, SECTIONS 2, 5, 8, 9, 12, 15 & 29: POST-EXCAVATION RESEARCH DESIGN, PERD (Bibliographic reference). SAB8547.

CFA ARCHAEOLOGY, 2021, MORAY OFFSHORE WINDFARM (EAST) LTD, ONSHORE CABLE ROUTE SECTION 2, 5, 8, 9, 12, 15 & 29: ARCHIVE REPORT, Excavation Report (Bibliographic reference). SAB8545.

Record last edited

Jun 22 2023 11:48AM