Cropmark record MAB63166 - GRESHOP FARM

Cropmarks of a settlement.

Cropmarks of a settlement. The cropmarks suggest circular huts, ring ditch houses and two other smaller ring ditches concentrated in the south and southwest of the site with an isolated circular double ditched feature lying to the east (at NJ 0221 5840). There is also a broad penannular trace, and other curvilinear and linear features, some possibly souterrains. There is also one large square barrow with at least six other smaller square barrows, some only partial remains, concentrated in the north part of the site (at NJ 0213 5841), relating to a Pictish barrow cemetery site. Three three sides of a further square feature are visible some distance to the east (at NJ 0221 5845). A programme of investigation was carried out by AOC archaeology in 2010 in association with the proposed Flood Alleviation Scheme. The scheme is focused on the River Findhorn flood plain west of Forres, covering approximately 4 kilometres along the River Findhorn. The work includes Flood embankments at locations on both sides of the River Findhorn and infrastructure changes to the A96 trunk road to allow the river to utilise more of its natural floodplain. Phase 1 evaluation was undertaken in April 2012. No archaeological material or features lay within the road corridor excavated within the scheduled ground that would be impacted by development. To the east of the scheduled area, where a number of cropmark sites had been recorded, the northern part of West Forres embankment and the temporary A96 road was subject to a 100 percent archaeological topsoil strip.Topsoil removal revealed the remains of three square barrows, two circa 7m square with a central pit, the third comprising a double set of ditches, the inner circa 10m square, the outer almost 30 m square. Other areas of cropmarks within the stripped area revealed archaeological features. The southern part of West Forres embankment was subject to a 10 percent (1250 m2) sample evaluation. A total of 14 trenches were excavated with no features of archaeological significance recorded. The Greshop Farm barrow site is one of only a handful of barrow cemeteries to have been excavated in Scotland. The large barrow is an extremely rare, possibly unique, variation of the typical square barrow. A watching brief was carried out by HAS in October and November 2012 during topsoil stripping in the eastern part of the site for flood alleviation works. Six possible archaeological features were recorded, including a large pit although this was possibly modern.

AAS/84/18/S15/29, AAS/84/18/S15/29 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30203.

GR DG037-8, GR DG037-8 (Ground Photograph). SAB32215.

MO 1867-8, MO 1867-8 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30206.

ST JOSEPH, JK, 1970, ANTIQUITY 44, 176,309,PL44a (Bibliographic reference). SAB1807.

AOC ARCHAEOLOGY, 2010, FORRES FAS GRESHOP FARM (SITE 13): WRITTEN SCHEME OF INVESTIGATION, WSI (Bibliographic reference). SAB3581.

AOC ARCHAEOLOGY, 2012, FORRES FAS GRESHOP FARM (SITE 13): WRITTEN SCHEME OF INVESTIGATION, WSI (Bibliographic reference). SAB3589.

AOC , 2012, GRESHOP FARM CROPMARK (SITE 13) FORRES FAS, TOPSOIL STRIP, EVALUATION AND EXCAVATION: DATA STRUCTURE REPORT, AOC 21607 (Bibliographic reference). SAB3600.

AOC, 2012, GRESHOP FARM CROPMARK (SITE 13), FORRES FAS EXCAVATION: POST EXCAVATION RESEARCH DESIGN, AOC 22204 (Bibliographic reference). SAB3601.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2013, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND, NEW SERIES, VOLUME 13, 2012, p.124 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5487.

HIGHLAND ARCHAEOLOGY SERVICE, 2013, FORRES FLOOD ALLEVIATION SCHEME: PROPOSED ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELDWORK: PROJECT DESIGN, RISK ASSESSMENT AND METHOD STATEMENT, WSI (Bibliographic reference). SAB4443.

HIGHLAND ARCHAEOLOGY SERVICE, 2013, FORRES FLOOD ALLEVIATION SCHEME: WATCHING BRIEF: INTERIM REPORT 1, WB report (Bibliographic reference). SAB4442.

HIGHLAND ARCHAEOLOGY SERVICES, 2014, FORRES FLOOD ALLEVIATION SCHEME WATCHING BRIEF: FINAL REPORT, WB report (Bibliographic reference). SAB4454.

MITCHELL, J, 2017, THE MONUMENTAL CEMETERIES OF NORTHERN PICTLAND IN MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY, 61:1, 1-40 (Bibliographic reference). SAB7517.

Apr 23 1982 , AAS/82/04/CNK1-4, AAS/82/04/CNK1-4 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30204.

Aug 15 1995 , AAS/95/08/G22/24-29, AAS/95/08/G22/24-29 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB31168.

Aug 15 1995 , AAS/95/8/CT1, 20-21, AAS/95/8/CT1, 20-21 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB32097.

Feb 24 1953 , RAF/1083;0175-6, RAF/1083;0175-6 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30198.

Feb 24 1953 , RAF/F21-540, RAF/F21-540 (Air-vertical Photograph). SAB30197.

Jan 1 1984 , CNK 1-13, CNK 1-13 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB33917.

Jul 1 1982 , AAS/82/08/CNK6-11, AAS/82/08/CNK6-11 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30205.

Jul 1 1982 , AAS/82/08/S12/5-7, AAS/82/08/S12/5-7 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30209.

Jul 1 1982 , AAS/82/8/CT21-3, AAS/82/8/CT21-3 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB31984.

Jul 2 1992 , AAS/92/03/S8/28-30, AAS/92/03/S8/28-30 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB31086.

Jul 2 1992 , AAS/92/3/CT1, AAS/92/3/CT1 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB32085.

Jul 8 1984 , AAS/84/03/CNK 1-13, AAS/84/03/CNK 1-13 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30201.

Jul 8 1984 , AAS/84/03/S1/22-31, AAS/84/03/S1/22-31 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30196.

Jul 18 2000 , AAS/00/10/CT29-33, AAS/00/10/CT29-33 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB31554.

Jul 18 2000 , AAS/00/10/G25/5-8, AAS/00/10/G25/5-8 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB31553.

Jul 19 1994 , AAS/94/14/G27/13-5, AAS/94/14/G27/13-5 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB31126.

Jul 25 1982 , AAS/82/18/S15/29-32, AAS/82/18/S15/29-32 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30210.

Jul 25 1984 , AAS/84/11/S3/1-20, AAS/84/11/S3/1-20 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30202.

Jul 25 1996 , AAS/96/10/CT4,10, AAS/96/10/CT4,10 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB31257.

Jul 25 1996 , AAS/96/10/G26/12-3, AAS/96/10/G26/12-3 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB31256.

Jul 27 1969 , AGK 73-75, AGK 73-75 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30199.

Jul 27 1969 , AZF 29, AZF 29 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30200.

Jun 23 1982 , AAS/82/04/S6/12-17, AAS/82/04/S6/12-17 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30208.

Jun 24 1988 , AAS/88/01/CT4-6, AAS/88/01/CT4-6 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB32166.

Jun 24 1988 , AAS/88/01/S4/9-16, AAS/88/01/S4/9-16 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30207.

Jun 25 1996 , AAS/96/04/CT23-24, AAS/96/04/CT23-24 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB31236.

Jun 25 1996 , AAS/96/04/G13/28-30, AAS/96/04/G13/28-30 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB31235.

Author unknown, n.d., THE NORTHERN SCOT, 24/11/84 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1270.

Record last edited

Jan 27 2023 1:08PM