Cropmark record MAB65201 - WARREN FIELD, CRATHES

Pit-alignment showing as cropmarks with at least 22 pits extending for circa 80m northeast to southwest across a field.

Pit-alignment showing as cropmarks with at least 22 pits extending for circa 80m northeast to southwest across a field. A small excavation was carried out in 2004, with one pit being sectioned and a further six pits and five features planned. In 2005, a further five pits were revealed and sectioned, with two more pits sectioned and sampled in 2006 to confirm the radiocarbon results. The pits range in size from 1m in diameter and 0.55m deep to 2.6m in diameter and 1.3m deep. Consistently, all the pits had a sequence of an initial cut with some slippages from the sides, then a thick deposit of charcoal followed by infilling from weathering of the edges and possibly erosion and slippage of upcast material. In each pit this process was then interrupted by a secondary cut, with a fill which again included large amounts of charcoal. The radiocarbon dates suggest that some of the pits were potentially dug 200 to 400 years later than the others, but that they are all Mesolithic in date with some having later Early Neolithic activity. The pits appear to represent some form of monumental symbolic site with earth piled around each open pit. The site then saw reuse in the Neolithic and the position of the nearby timber hall (NO79NW0013) may relate to knowledge of this earlier site. Analysis in 2013 suggests that the pits appear to have basic calendrical functions as they mimic the phases of the moon and is structured to track lunar months. It also aligns on the southeast horizon and a prominent topographic point associated with the sunrise on the midwinter solstice. By acknowledging the solstice it gives the calendar an annual astronomic correction in order to maintain the link between the passage of time indicated by the moon, the asynchronous solar year, and the associated seasons. If these pits do represent a calendar then this would make them the earliest form of time measurer in the world (the next known formal calendars orginate in Mesopotamia some 5000 years later).

Period Notes
Radiocarbon dates from the pits: SUERC10075 – 8755+/-40 BP (which equals 7956 BC – 7614 BC at 2 sigma – Pit 19)
SUERC10077 – 8765+/-40 BP (which equals 7965 BC – 7614 BC at 2 sigma – Pit 18)
SUERC10078 – 8530+/-40 BP (which equals 7597 BC – 7529 BC at 2 sigma - Pit 16)
SUERC10082 – 8460+/-40 BP (which equals 7584 BC – 7484 BC at 2 sigma – Pit 16)
SUERC10074 – 4975+/-45 BP (which equals 3938 BC – 3653 BC at 2 sigma – Pit 22)
SUERC10076 – 8710+/-40 BP (which equals 7937 BC – 7598 BC at 2 sigma – Pit 22)
SUERC4031 – 5025+/-35 BP (which equals 3944 BC – 3712 BC at 2 sigma – Pit 5)
SUERC12261 – 5170+/-35 BP (which equals 4046 BC – 3820 BC at 2 sigma – Pit 5)
SUERC12251 – 5200+/-35 BP (which equals 4221 BC – 3953 BC at 2 sigma – Pit 5)

SUERC12252 – 2245+/-35 BP (which equals 393 BC – 205 BC at 2 sigma – this may be a contaminated sample, Pit 5)

SUERC12258 – 6635+/-35 BP (which equals 5628 BC – 5494 BC at 2 sigma – Pit 5)
SUERC12262 – 8080+/- 35 BP (which equals 7177 BC – 6840 BC at 2 sigma – Pit 5)
SUERC12259 – 8040+/-40 BP (which equals 7081 BC – 6815 BC at 2 sigma – Pit 5)
SUERC12260 - 8040+/-40 BP (which equals 7081 BC – 6815 BC at 2 sigma – Pit 5)
SUERC12256 – 7945+/-40 BP (which equals 7034 BC – 6693 BC at 2 sigma – Pit 5)
SUERC12257 – 8100+/-40 BP (which equals 7293 BC – 6847 BC at 2 sigma – Pit 5)

SUERC12266 – 8850+/-40 BP (which equals 8210 BC – 7795 BC at 2 sigma – Pit 6)

KC/631 (1976), KC/631 (1976) (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB15863.

SHERIDAN, A, 2004, Pottery from Warren Field, Crathes, 2004 excavatio, report (Bibliographic reference). SAB4757.

Pottery assemblage

MURRAY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES, 2004, THE WARREN FIELD, CRATHES: INTERIM EVALUATION REPORT & DSR (Bibliographic reference). SAB4674.

MURRAY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES, 2005, WARREN FIELD CRATHES, ABERDEENSHIRE 2005: EVALUATION REPORT AND DATA STRUCTURE REPORT, Eval rep (Bibliographic reference). SAB5047.

murray, h. k., 2006, DES VOL6, 2005, P.12-13 (Bibliographic reference). SAB4538.

EXCAVATION

FRASER, S, 2006, Digging Deep in Time - Crathes Excavation (Bibliographic reference). SAB2487.

MURRAY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES, 2006, WARREN FIELD, CRATHES: SUMMARY OF PROJECT RESULTS 2006 SEASON (Bibliographic reference). SAB5046.

MURRAY, H. K., 2007, DES VOL7, 2006, P.15 (Bibliographic reference). SAB4559.

EXCAVATION

MURRAY, H. K., 2009, A TALE OF UNKNOWN UNKNOWNS: A MESOLITHIC PIT ALIGNMENT AND A NEOLITHIC TIMBER HALL AT WARREN FIELD, CRATHES, ABERDEENSHIRE (Bibliographic reference). SAB5005.

GAFFNEY, V, 2013, TIME AND PLACE: A LUNI-SOLAR 'TIME-RECKONER' FROM 8TH MILLENNIUM BC. INTERNET ARCHAEOLOGY ISSUE 34, (Bibliographic reference). SAB2661.

Aug 8 1983 , AAS/83/15/R35/2-4, AAS/83/15/R35/2-4 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB15864.

Jul 20 1983 , AAS/83/08/R12/11-5, AAS/83/08/R12/11-5 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB15862.

Jul 20 1983 , AAS/83/08/S3/7, AAS/83/08/S3/7 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB15865.

Jun 17 2005 , AAS/05/02/CT16-7, AAS/05/02/CT16-7 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB18242.

Jun 23 2005 , AAS/05/03/CT74-5, AAS/05/03/CT74-5 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB18241.

May 26 2004 , AAS/04/2/CT2-3,6,7,13-4, AAS/04/2/CT2-3,6,7,13-4 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB18057.

May 26 2004 , AAS/04/2/G1/1-2,6, AAS/04/2/G1/1-2,6 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB18058.

RCAHMS, n.d., N KINC LIST, No197 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1509.

Record last edited

Feb 3 2026 2:13PM