Document record MAB60473 - MONIFIETH QUARRY

A walkover survey was carried out across this site by MAS in August 2009 as part of an environmental impact assessment in advance of a proposed quarry extension.

A walkover survey was carried out across this site by MAS in August 2009 as part of an environmental impact assessment in advance of a proposed quarry extension. Three areas of archaeological potential were identified during the survey. Area one has been disturbed in recent times and it is unclear if archaeological remains would survive in this area. Area two is within the area of proposed extraction and will be completely removed. It is currently under grass and archaeological features may survive cut into the natural below the plough soil. Area three is shown as part of the tree-screening and will not be quarried. It is suggested that Area two and possibly the western part of Area one should be examined by a series of evaluation trenches prior to any ground breaking works going ahead. Four previously unrecorded sites were noted within the proposed development area, of which one site will be partially damaged (Ethiebeaton Estate deigned landscape) while there is a possibility of impact on two other sites (Possible burials at Gallow Hill, and railway bridges). Further work in the form of an evaluation was undertaken by MAS in 2010. In total, 4 trenches were excavated in Area one, but no finds or features of archaeological significance were recorded. Another 11 trenches were excavated in Area two. A small scatter of pink agate fragments at the east end of trenches 3, 4 and 5 may have been related to charcoal fragments in patches of grey soil which appeared to have been preserved in hollows in the natural bedrock and in animal burrows. Although this appears to be a remnant of anthropomorphic activity it is so vestigial that there are no coherent features or layers and there would appear to be nothing more to be gained by further excavation. The lithic assemblage comprised 22 pieces of agate, in the form of chips, flakes, cores and indeterminate pieces of debitage, although two may be natural pieces. While the assemblage contains no strictly diagnostic pieces, the use of small agate nodules in this way was quite common during the Mesolithic period in this general area.

MURRAY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES, 2009, MONIFEITH QUARRY - EIA: CULTURAL HERITAGE (Bibliographic reference). SAB4652.

MURRAY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES, 2010, PROPOSED QUARRY, MONIFEITH, ANGUS: EVALUATION AND RECORDING (Bibliographic reference). SAB4697.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2011, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND. NEW SERIES, VOLUME 11, 2010, p.35 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5535.

Record last edited

Jun 18 2024 11:55AM