Document record MAB54562 - THAINSTONE

Evaluation and excavation carried out in 2010 and 2012.

Evaluation and excavation carried out in 2010 and 2012. A trial trenching evaluation was carried out at this site by MAS in 2010 in advance of a proposed development. In total, seven trenches were excavated across the site (avoiding services). Evidence for the survival of prehistoric activity was found in the South end of trench 2 and the West end of trench 6 in the form of pit features and finds. Pottery and flints were recovered, most of which appear to date to the later Bronze Age or Iron Age but some finer sherds may be earlier prehistoric. No evidence of cremated bone to indicate that the features were of burial rather than domestic activities although the carefully structured deposition of the pottery in trench 6 (feature 12) does appear to have a ritual element. The larger features in trench 2 may be the base of very truncated pits but could also be the remains of shallow floor deposits or even deposits in ring ditch deposits associated with roundhouses. Excavation was carried out by MAS in May 2012 on the two areas where features had been recorded during evaluation. In area 1 (evaluation trench 6) only four new features were identified and concluded that either activity was limited in this area or it had been damaged by cultivation. Two pits contained pottery of Neolithic date. Area 2 was focused on evaluation trench 2, and uncovered a number of features (pits, cremation pits, post-pits) whilst three burnt areas of natural subsoil indicated the position of ploughed out hearths or fires (although there is no further evidence for their function). Four pits contained cremated human bone, but only one was within an urn which was dated to 1499-1414 cal BC. Samples from the unurned cremations gave dates of 1387-1133 cal BC and 1311-1115 cal BC. A number of post-pits were recorded, five of which were of similar size and formed a group around an irregular area although there is insufficient evidence to interpret the nature and function of this structure, and no finds to indicate a date. Assemblages of the pits indicate that they contained domestic and food waste. The pottery recovered from the excavations includes Carinated Bowls, Impressed Ware, Grooved Ware and a bucket-shaped cremation urn. The material from Area 2 indicates activity throughout the Neolithic and middle to later Bronze Age, whilst that from Area 1 dates to the earlier and later Neolithic. The small assemblage of lithic material appears to date to the Neolithic period. In addition a perforated stone pendant was found during sieving of material of the cremation in pit 28. The results of the excavation indicate intermittent use of the site between the Early Neolithic and the Bronze Age.

Period Notes
Radiocarbon samples - calibrated dates at 2 sigma: SUERC-42979 (GU28718) - charred nutshell pit 18, 4875+/- 29 BP (3707-3636 cal BC); SUERC-42980 (GU28719) - charred grain, pit 49, 4296 +/- 29 BP (3011-2878 cal BC); SUERC-42984 (GU28720) - cremated human bone, context 21/2, 3179 +/- 25 BP (1499-1414 cal BC); SUERC 43674 (GU29016) - cremated human bone, context 28/1, 2973 +/-27 BP (1311-1115 cal BC); SUERC-42985 (GU28722) - cremated human bone, context 28/7, 3019 +/- 27 (1387-1133 cal BC)

MURRAY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES, 2010, INVERURIE PAPER (UK) LTD, INVERURIE: ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION, Evaluation report (Bibliographic reference). SAB4693.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2011, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND. NEW SERIES, VOLUME 11, 2010, p.25 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5535.

MURRAY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES, 2012, SITE WEST OF INTERNATIONAL PAPER, PORT ELPHINSTONE, INVERURIE: ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATION. PART 1, Exc rep pt 1 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5044.

MURRAY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES, 2012, SITE WEST OF INTERNATIONAL PAPER, PORT ELPHINSTONE, INVERURIE: ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATION. PART 2 TABLES AND APPENDICES, Exc rep pt 2 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5045.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2013, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND, NEW SERIES, VOLUME 13, 2012, p.23 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5487.

Record last edited

Jun 19 2023 12:26PM