Document record MAB54937 - WESTGATE

A 10 percent evaluation was carried at this site in June 2010 by MAS in advance of a proposed housing development.

A 10 percent evaluation was carried at this site in June 2010 by MAS in advance of a proposed housing development. A total of five evaluation trenches were excavated. No archaeological features or finds were evident in the south sector of the site which had been disturbed in association with the drainage associated with the main road. A prehistoric pit was evident in the north sector of trench 1, which was then extended by trench 5 to evaluate the extent of survival. Two other prehistoric features were identified. Two truncated pits (F1, F3) and a smaller feature (F2) were cut into the natural at the north end of trench 1/trench 5. The fill of both pits was charcoal rich soil with numerous chunks of charcoal and visible remains of carbonised hazelnuts. Both pits also had some small-medium stones in the top of the fill or near the edge of the pit- one stone in F1 was heat-shattered and it is possible that the stones had been around the fire that had created the burnt material. F1 had some indication of heat-reddening in the base of the pit suggesting that the fire had been in the pit itself. The burnt material has been sampled and will be analysed to indicate the range of material either in use by the pits if they were domestic or deposited in them if they were ritual in nature. Both pits also contained prehistoric pottery, most notably the large portion of a decorated biconical vessel from F3. A single flint (SF 7) was also found in the upper, edge fill of F3 (3/1). F2 was too truncated to be sure if it had been the base of a cut feature such as a post-pit. The fill was similar to the fills of F1 and F3 so it is regarded as probably prehistoric. There was some evidence of animal burrows in the vicinity of these features but not directly cutting them.

MURRAY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES, 2010, WESTGATE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, INVERURIE PHASE 3A (2010): ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION, Evaluation report (Bibliographic reference). SAB4681.

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

MURRAY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES, 2013, WESTGATE, INVERURIE, ABERDEENSHIRE; ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATIONS AND EXCAVATIONS 2006-2010: PART 1, Eval/exc rep (Bibliographic reference). SAB5051.

MURRAY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES, 2013, WESTGATE, INVERURIE, ABERDEENSHIRE; ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATIONS AND EXCAVATIONS 2006-2010: PART 2, Eval/exc rep (Bibliographic reference). SAB5052.

Record last edited

Aug 26 2024 11:56AM