Document record MAB59201 - CRUDEN BAY

A trial trenching evaluation was carried out by Cameron Archaeology in September to October 2017 ahead of proposed housing development.

A trial trenching evaluation was carried out by Cameron Archaeology in September to October 2017 ahead of proposed housing development. A total of 78 trenches were excavated and these revealed a number of probable prehistoric features in the western portion of the site. The features were mainly shallow pits and postholes but also included a possible ring ditch, and a single feature in the northeast part of the site. Finds were mostly of flints in the form of cores, tools and debitage. Several sherds of poorly fired pottery were also recovered. In the northern part of the site a few trace remains of the former Cruden Bay railway station (NK03NE0103) were uncovered, primarily sections of surviving granite kerbing. Little other evidence of the station was observed. Further work was carried out on the three area of archaeological activity recorded. Monitored topsoil stripping and excavation in Area A in the western part of the site (centred circa NK 07949 36265) was carried out by Cameron Archaeology in May to June 2019. At least 23 structures, including ring-ditches, and other possible features (including a possible kiln) were identified, and prehistoric pottery, lithics and flint tools, a rotary quern (broadly of Late Iron Age date), a saddle quern and a grinding slab were recovered. A total of 171 flaked lithics were recorded, comprising 169 flint artefacts and two of quartzite. The pottery, indicative of a homestead or settlement, is of Middle Bronze Age to Iron Age in date. Calibrated radiocarbon dates show a spread from 386 BC - 976 AD.

Period Notes
Radiocarbon date samples (SUERC OxCal 4.4 run 01/02/2022): SUERC-102179 (GU59645), 1981+/- 24 BP calibrated to 41 BC - 118 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 14, material ditch fill Betula sp; SUERC-102180 (GU59646), 1949+/- 23 BP calibrated to 31 BC - 130 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 15, material ditch fill Betula sp; SUERC-102181 (GU59647), 2170+/- 24 BP calibrated to 357 BC - 113 BC at 2 sigma, sample ref 21, material ditch fill Betula sp; SUERC-102185 (GU59648), 1915+/- 24 BP calibrated to 31 AD - 210 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 25, material ditch fill Corylus cf avellana; SUERC-102186 (GU59649), 1923+/- 24 BP calibrated to 28 AD - 206 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 47, material ditch fill Salix sp; SUERC-102187 (GU59650), 2030+/- 23 BP calibrated to 96 BC - 60 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 51, material pit fill Corylus cf avellana; SUERC-102188 (GU59651), 1918+/- 24 BP calibrated to 30 AD - 208 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 52, material pit fill Alnus cf glutinosa; SUERC-102189 (GU59652), 2075+/- 24 BP calibrated to 167 BC - 4 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 57, material posthole Alnus cf glutinosa; SUERC-102190 (GU59653), 1893+/- 23 BP calibrated to 79 AD - 219 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 63, material pit fill Salix sp; SUERC-102191 (GU59654), 2212+/- 24 BP calibrated to 375 BC - 197 BC at 2 sigma, sample ref 68, material pit fill Salix sp; SUERC-102195 (GU59655), 1960+/- 23 BP calibrated to 32 BC - 124 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 73, material pit fill Corylus cf avellana; SUERC-102196 (GU59656), 1944+/- 24 BP calibrated to 9 AD - 201 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 75, material posthole Corylus cf avellana; SUERC-102197 (GU59657), 1878+/- 24 BP calibrated to 87 AD - 232 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 77, material pit fill Salix sp; SUERC-102198 (GU59658), 1868+/- 24 BP calibrated to 121 AD - 235 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 81, material ditch fill Betula sp; SUERC-102199 (GU59659), 1167+/- 24 BP calibrated to 772 AD - 973 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 83, material post-hole? Betula sp; SUERC-102200 (GU59660), 1960+/- 24 BP calibrated to 33 BC - 124 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 85, material ditch fill Betula sp; SUERC-102201 (GU59661), 2008+/- 23 BP calibrated to 50 BC - 72 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 94, material ditch fill Betula sp; SUERC-102205 (GU59662), 1162+/- 24 BP calibrated to 772AD - 976 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 120, material ring ditch Betula sp; SUERC-102206 (GU59663), 1918+/- 24 BP calibrated to 30 AD - 208 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 121, material posthole Alnus cf glutinosa; SUERC-102207 (GU59664), 2128+/- 24 BP calibrated to 343 BC - 53 BC at 2 sigma, sample ref 134, material ditch fill Betula sp; SUERC-102208 (GU59665), 2133+/- 24 BP calibrated to 345 BC - 53 BC at 2 sigma, sample ref 148, material pit fill Betula; SUERC-102209 (GU59666), 2084+/- 24 BP calibrated to 170 BC - 1 BC at 2 sigma, sample ref 149, material posthole Corylus cf avellana; SUERC-102210 (GU59667), 1906+/- 24 BP calibrated to 68 AD - 212 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 152, material pit with quern stone Corylus cf avellana; SUERC-102211 (GU59669), 1956+/- 24 BP calibrated to 32 BC - 125 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 179, material ditch terminal Salix sp; SUERC-102215 (GU59670), 2007+/- 24 BP calibrated to 50 BC - 76 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 183, material pit/post-hole Alnus cf glutinosa; SUERC-102216 (GU59671), 1944+/- 24 BP calibrated to 9 AD - 201 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 191, material posthole Corylus cf avellana. Radiocarbon date samples (SUERC OxCal 4.4 run 09/02/2022): SUERC-102240 (GU59668), 2074+/- 24 BP calibrated to 167 BC - 4 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 175, material pit/post-hole Betula sp; SUERC-102241 (GU59672), 1920+/- 24 BP calibrated to 30 AD - 207 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 195, material pit Corylus cf avellana; SUERC-102242 (GU59673), 2114+/- 21 BP calibrated to 196 BC - 51 BC at 2 sigma, sample ref 232, material posthole Betula sp; SUERC-102243 (GU59674), 2077+/- 24 BP calibrated to 166 BC - 2 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 238, material firepit Alnus cf glutinosa; SUERC-102244 (GU59675), 1987+/- 24 BP calibrated to 43 BC - 114 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 251, material posthole Salix sp; SUERC-102248 (GU59676), 2188+/- 24 BP calibrated to 361 BC - 168 BC at 2 sigma, sample ref 255, material posthole Salix sp; SUERC-102249 (GU59677), 1917+/- 24 BP calibrated to 31 AD - 209 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 258b, material posthole Corylus cf avellana; SUERC-102250 (GU59678), 1917+/- 17 BP calibrated to 65 AD - 205 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 268, material posthole Corylus cf avellana; SUERC-102251 (GU59679), 2019+/- 24 BP calibrated to 90 BC - 65 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 271, material posthole Corylus cf avellana; SUERC-102252 (GU59680), 2241+/- 24 BP calibrated to 386 BC - 205 BC at 2 sigma, sample ref 286, material ditch Corylus cf avellana; SUERC-102253 (GU59681), 1974+/- 24 BP calibrated to 39 BC - 120 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 288, material posthole Corylus cf avellana; SUERC-102254 (GU59682), 1917+/- 24 BP calibrated to 31 AD - 209 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 291, material posthole Corylus cf avellana; SUERC-102258 (GU59683), 2068+/- 24 BP calibrated to 165 BC - 8 AD at 2 sigma, sample ref 295, material pit Betula sp; SUERC-102259 (GU59684), 2131+/- 24 BP calibrated to 344 BC - 53 BC at 2 sigma, sample ref 296, material posthole Betula sp.

Author unknown, , PRESS & JOURNAL, 27/10/20 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1416.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2017, SITE M1, CRUDEN BAY: WRITTEN SCHEME OF INVESTIGATION, WSI (Bibliographic reference). SAB8106.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2018, REPORT ON ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION SITE M1, LAND OUTSIDE CRUDEN BAY, ABERDEENSHIRE (V.2), Evaluation report (Bibliographic reference). SAB7102.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2019, SITE M1, CRUDEN BAY: DATA STRUCTURE REPORT (DSR) FOR AREA A EXCAVATION 10 MAY - 20 JUNE 2019, Excavation DSR (Bibliographic reference). SAB8178.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2019, SITE M1, CRUDEN BAY: POST-EXCAVATION RESEARCH DESIGN -AREA A EXCAVATION 20 MAY - 20 JUNE 2019, PERD (Bibliographic reference). SAB8074.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2019, SITE M1, CRUDEN BAY: WRITTEN SCHEME OF INVESTIGATION FOR EXCAVATION COMMENCING 20 MAY 2019 V.2, WSI (Bibliographic reference). SAB8105.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2019, SITE M1, CRUDEN BAY: WRITTEN SCHEME OF INVESTIGATION FOR MONITORED SOIL STRIP, WSI (Bibliographic reference). SAB8104.

CLARKE, A, 2020, CRUDEN BAY, ABERDEENSHIRE, CA326 THE FLAKED LITHICS AND STONE TOOLS: INTERIM REPORT OCTOBER 2020, UPDATED DECEMBER 2020, Lithics Report (Bibliographic reference). SAB8172.

LOCHRIE, J, 2021, CRUDEN BAY POTTERY REPORT , Pottery Report (Bibliographic reference). SAB2817.

Record last edited

Feb 3 2026 12:19PM