Document record MAB55870 - ABERDEEN WESTERN PERIPHERAL ROUTE

Mesolithic pits and lithics, and features of Neolithic, Roman and early historic date recorded during investigations carried out ahead of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Mesolithic pits and lithics, and features of Neolithic, Roman and early historic date recorded during investigations carried out ahead of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Trial trenching carried out by Headland Archaeology in 2013 following earlier geophysical survey (NJ80SE0565) recorded a concentration of archaeological features in this area, in trenches SL0397, 0399, 0400 and 0401. These comprised three linear features and a single posthole. A ditch, aligned northwest to southeast yielded fragments of glass, iron, whiteware pottery and flint chips and was thought to be of post-medieval date. It is probably the field boundary shown on the OS 1st edition map. A second linear feature may be the remnants of a furrow. The third linear feature which was shallow, containing industrial waste and a small sherd of whiteware pottery and a small amount of charcoal was also thought to be the remnant of a furrow. The single posthole contained very small amounts of charcoal, flint chips and a sherd of a modern blue glazed ceramic, and was thought to be contemporary with the adjacent field boundary and furrows.

Further excavation (areas SL/002A and SL/002B) was carried out by Headland Archaeology in 2014. All of the features investigated were spread across two terraces on the north side of the River Dee. Within the northern half of the area pits strongly resembled features shown to be of Mesolithic date. In the eastern part of the area was a large curvilinear ditch measuring 94 m in length, of Neolithic date. Two Neolithic pits were recorded circa 40 m to the southwest. A total of 88 features relating to Roman activity were recorded, these either keyhole-shaped, figure-of-eight-shaped or sub-oval in plan. The majority had large amounts of charcoal visible in the surface of the deposits and have been interpreted as bread ovens. In the western part of the site was a sub-rectangular enclosure of early historic date, measuring circa 61 m by 34 m with a probable entrance on the west side. Within the enclosure were eight postholes defining a rectangular structure, and outside the entrance was a group of four postholes. Some 50 m to the northeast was an L-plan arrangement of pits and postholes, which produced radiocarbon dates of between AD 780 and AD 1020. Various features across the excavated area were of medieval or post-medieval date including a metalled road leading from Milltimber Farm, and with ditches either side, and linear features representing a field system.

Period Notes
Radiocarbon dating (calibrated to 2 sigma): SUERC-5818 (GU36506) kiln fill 01-0014, 1613+/-29 BP, 391-537 cal AD; SUERC-58499 (GU36513) oven fill 2B-2003, 1883+/-28 BP, 65-218 cal AD; SUERC-58504 (GU36515) oven fill 2B-2038, 1911+/-28 BP, 21-208 cal AD; SUERC-54187 (GU34969) oven fill 2A-0116, 1960+/-30 BP, 40-121 cal AD; SUERC054189 (GU34971) oven fill 2A-0018, 1957+/-30 BP, 39-123 cal AD; SUERC-54188 (GU34970) oven fill 2A-0062, 1995+/-30 BP, 52-71 cal AD; SUERC-58500 (GU36514) oven fill 2B-2277, 1970+/-29 BP, 43-82 cal AD; SUERC-58505 (GU36516) oven fill 2B-2111, 2067+/-28 BP, 171-1 cal BC; SUERC-59043 (GU36863) oven fill 2B-2113, 1936+/-29 BP, 3-129 cal AD; SUERC-58948 (GU36512) oven fill 2B-2180, 2003+/-29 BP, calibrated to 87 BC - 68 AD; SUERC-58497 (GU36511) oven fill 2B-2261, 1931+/-29 BP, 5-130 cal AD; SUERC-58509 (GU36520) oven fill 2A-0049, 1897+/-28 BP, 33-214 cal AD; SUERC-58507 (GU36518) ditch fill 2B-2448, 1334+/-29 BP, 647-766 cal AD; SUERC-59044 (GU36864) pit fill 2B-2429, 3080+/-29 BP, 1416-1265 cal BC; SUERC-58506 (GU36517) pit fill 2B0090, 1051+/-28 BP, 901-1025 cal AD; SUERC-58508 (GU36519) pit fill 2B-2331, 314+/-29 BP, - 1486 - 1648 cal AD; SUERC-58517 posthole fill 2C-0160, 3909+/-28 BP, 2470-2300 cal BC; SUERC-68091 ditch fill 2B-0044, 2951+/-29 BP, 1260-1050 cal BC; SUERC-68093 pit fill 2B-0110, 1112+/-29 BP, 780-101 cal AD; SUERC-68092 pit fill 2B-0081, 1066+/-29 BP, 900-1020 cal AD.

HEADLAND ARCHAEOLOGY, 2014, ABERDEEN WESTERN PERIPHERAL ROUTE LOT 3 - SOUTHERN LEG: ASSESSMENT REPORT ON TRIAL TRENCHING AND SAMPLE EXCAVATIONS., Evaluation report (Bibliographic reference). SAB4451.

HEADLAND ARCHAEOLOGY, 2015, AWPR/BALMEDIE-TIPPERTY LOT 3 - SOUTHERN LEG: SL/001 AND SL/002A-D: POST-EX ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION EXCAVATION REPORT (Bibliographic reference). SAB5831.

DINGWALL, K, 2019, THE LAND WAS FOREVER: 15,000 YEARS IN NORTH-EAST SCOTLAND. EXCAVATIONS ON THE AWPR/BALMEDIE-TIPPERTY (Bibliographic reference). SAB4064.

Record last edited

Mar 17 2026 2:48PM