Document record MAB62662 - LOCHTON QUARRY, WARDEND OF DURRIS

Site of enclosed settlement.

Site of enclosed settlement. Remains of a possible cairn, stone paving, and post-holes were uncovered during sand quarrying in 1988. Cropmarks were also noted in the same corner of the field, with a linear cropmark in the adjoining field to the southeast. Further possible cropmarks may lie in the wider surrounding fields. Note: the exact extent of the quarrying activity at this site is not known, and it is not clear from excavation plans held by AAS exactly the location of the area excavated. In 2012 the whole area appears to have been infilled, and there is no trace of any quarrying activity. Following the recovery of a large, shaped stone and the noting of charcoal and several postholes in the quarry edge in 1988, a short assessment of the archaeological value of the site was undertaken by C. Russell-White in June of that year at the request of Historic Scotland. Immediately threatened features along the quarry edge were excavated. Postholes and a beam slot were investigated, but no relationship could be ascertained between them. Two large stone-filled features were also investigated, one of which appeared to be a stone floor (dated to the Iron Age through C-14 analysis), while a number of other possible features were planned. Two further seasons of excavation were carried out by C. Russell-White (funded by HS) in February and November 1989. A substantial volume of gravel had been extracted between the assessment in June 1988 and the first season of excavation in early 1989, and quarrying had further reduced the site during the spring and summer of 1989. Two superimposed enclosures were recorded. The earlier of these was delineated by a single palisaded slot about 26m in diameter with an entrance to the W. The post-pipes visible on the east side indicated that timbers of various sizes had been used in the palisade. The 2m wide entrance had a double post arrangement on each side. The second enclosure was formed of small individual postholes on average 0.25m in diameter, 0.3m deep and 0.25-0.5m apart. The enclosure is pear-shaped in plan and reminiscent of the banjo-shaped enclosures of southern England, albeit on a smaller scale. This post-dated the first enclosure and other features within it. The entrance to the northwest was similar to that of the earlier enclosure. Most of the excavated features were within the earlier enclosure, and varied in size from small shallow stake-holes (0.05m wide by 0.05m deep) to large deep postholes (up to 1.2m wide and 1m deep). Most of the largest postholes formed the possible outer ring of a house, with a less distinct inner ring. The two clearest features within the enclosure were in an area of burnt subsoil indicating the probable position of a hearth and a large stone-lined pit presumed to be for storage. On the east side of the earlier enclosure were two very large pits, roughly oval in shape and containing charcoal-rich soils. One of them held a sunken stone floor, while the other was virtually stone free and held no artefacts. A line of small post-holes was noted at each end of the pit with the stone floor, which may represent the supports of an insubstantial roof over the feature. The lower stone of a rotary quern had been set into the flagstones. A shallow remnant of a third palisade survived at the southwest of the earlier enclosure, and to the northwest were traces of other possible enclosures consisting of a shallow ditch, a post line and a small circular structure circa 5m in diameter. Here there was also a shallow stone-filled pit and two short, deep linear features. The remains of burnt posts survived in the bottom of one of the deep linear features, while pottery was recovered from the other. Two crescentic features, which may have been souterrains, could also be seen on the site, but only the north one was excavated. It measured 10 x 3m and was less than 0.5m deep. Burnt bone was recovered from within the feature. Broad furrows, running north-south, were visible across the whole site, which appear to be later than all of the other features and which contained no artefacts. Ardmarks were visible in hillwash beneath the build up of topsoil on a palaeoslope about 25m to the south of the earlier enclosure, and samples for soil micromorphological analysis and pollen analyses were taken across this horizon.

Period Notes
Charcoal recovered from surface of stones GU-2441 2070 +/- 50bp (which equals 339 BC - 51 AD at 2 sigma). Willow, alder, birch and hazel charcoal from a palisade trench (117/1001) - GU-2954 2080 BP +/- 50 (which equals 346 BC - 47 AD at 2 sigma). Hazel, birch and oak charcoal, burnt remains from palisade trench GU-2955 4360 BP +/- 60 (which equals 3324 BC - 2883 BC at 2 sigma). Willow and hazel charcoal, mainly large fragments, representing a post (117/1039) burnt in situ in a large post-hole which may be related to enclosure 1001/1045 GU-2956 - 2250 +/- 50 (which equals 398 BC - 202 BC at 2 sigma). Hazel, willow, Pomoideae and alder charcoal from palisade trench, GU-2957 2090 BP +/- 50 (which equals 350 BC - 23 AD at 2 sigma). Hazel, willow and oak charcoal from remains of post burnt in situ, GU-2958, 5050 BP +/- 50 (which equals 3961 BC - 3712 BC at 2 sigma). Hazel charcoal, from pit fill117/3001A, possibly reflecting an industrial use, GU-2959 2200 BP +/- 50 (which equals 391 BC - 116 BC at 2 sigma). Charcoal from a post-hole (117/3132) forming part of a probable four-poster on the west side of the circular enclosure, GU-2960 2010 BP +/- 50 (which equals 166 BC - 82 AD at 2 sigma). Hazel, birch, oak and alder charcoal including a fragment of a post in a post-hole (117/3161) and associated wattle screening, forming one of the main post-rings in the enclosure, GU-2961, 2150 +/- 50 (which equals 361 BC - 52 BC at 2 sigma). Charcoal from the upper fill of a deep stone-lined pit (117/3444) within the circular enclosure, GU-2962, 1870 BP +/- 50 (which equals 25 AD - 253 AD at 2 sigma). Hazel charcoal from a pit fill (117/4020C), possibly reflecting an industrial use, GU-2963, 2080 BP +/- 50 (which equals 346 BC - 47 AD at 2 sigma).

RUSSELL-WHITE, C, 1988, CEU & AM LAB ANNUAL REPORT, 36-7 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1573.

COUNCIL FOR SCOTTISH ARCHAEOLOGY, 1988, DISCOVERY & EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND 1988, pp.14-15 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5337.

CSA, 1989, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND 1989, P.22 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5326.

RUSSELL-WHITE, C. J., 1989, EXCAVATIONS AT WARDEND OF DURRIS, KINCARDINE & DEESIDE DISTRICT. IN: ARCH OPS & CONSERV (SCOTLAND) ANNUAL REPORT 1989, PP.23-25., p.23-25 (Bibliographic reference). SAB3059.

COUNCIL FOR SCOTTISH ARCHAEOLOGY, 1990, DISCOVERY & EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND 1990, p.18 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5339.

EXCAVATION

RUSSELL-WHITE, C. J., 1995, THE EXCAVATION OF A NEOLITHIC AND IRON AGE SETTLEMENT AT WARDEND OF DURRIS, ABERDEENSHIRE. PSAS 125 (1995) PP.9-27, PSAS 125 pp.9-27 (Bibliographic reference). SAB3061.

MILLICAN, K, 2016, THE TIMBER MONUMENTS OF NEOLITHIC SCOTLAND, p. 123 (Bibliographic reference). SAB7307.

Aug 10 1988 , AAS/GR/89/CT01-02,08, AAS/GR/89/CT01-02,08 (Ground Photograph). SAB33230.

Dec 8 1989 , JP 15-22, JP 15-22 (Ground Photograph). SAB33752.

Dec 12 1989 , JP 28, JP 28 (Ground Photograph). SAB33753.

Feb 24 1989 , IO 7-11, IO 7-11 (Ground Photograph). SAB33633.

Jan 1 1988 , AAS/GR/88/CT13-26, AAS/GR/88/CT13-26 (Ground Photograph). SAB32712.

Jan 1 1989 , AAS/GR/89/CT532-534, AAS/GR/89/CT532-534 (Ground Photograph). SAB33757.

Jun 9 1988 , HG 3-16, HG 3-16 (Ground Photograph). SAB15914.

Jun 27 1988 , AAS/88/02/CT19, AAS/88/02/CT19 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB19900.

Jun 27 1988 , AAS/88/02/CT4, AAS/88/02/CT4 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB19896.

Jun 27 1988 , AAS/88/02/CT6,9-10,16-7, AAS/88/02/CT6,9-10,16-7 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB19898.

Jun 27 1988 , AAS/88/02/S6/1-14, AAS/88/02/S6/1-14 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB15913.

Mar 1 1989 , IP 12-19, IP 12-19 (Ground Photograph). SAB33637.

Mar 7 1989 , IQ 15-19, IQ 15-19 (Ground Photograph). SAB33643.

Nov 23 1989 , NA 18-26, NA 18-26 (Ground Photograph). SAB33413.

Record last edited

Mar 23 2022 8:26AM