Building record MAB6581 - CAYSBRIGGS

A shell midden with mussels, cockles, oyster and periwinkle shells.

A shell midden with mussels, cockles, oyster and periwinkle shells. The midden is situated on what is supposed to be among the earliest beach ridges which separated the former Loch Spynie from the Moray Firth. The midden was first reported in 1863 by Rev George Gordon, who noted that it was actively being quarried for agricultural purposes, the quarrying having split the midden into two portions, one 73 m by 27 m, the other 23 m by 27 m. The species present in the mound comprised periwinkle, oyster, cockle, limpet, mussel and carpet shell clam. At that time two sherds of ‘crude’ pottery and a bronze pin had been recovered (these now in Elgin Museum). Excavation was carried out in March to April 2023 by M Stratigos / University of Aberdeen. Two trial trenches were excavated across two beach ridges thought to be composed primarily of midden material, and 15 test pits dug along three main transects, two of which were aligned to the trial trenches in order to target the full extent of the midden. Both of the trenches were comprised primarily of beach ridge deposit, with layers of in situ midden material. Shells were abundant throughout the stratigraphy with particular layers composed of overwhelmingly marine mollusc shells, with only limited other faunal remains and few artefacts or charcoal fragments. Only four possible coarse stone tools were recovered: a possible dished anvil stone, and three rubber or hammer stones. Three additional lithics were recovered during post-excavation processing, a fragmentary flake, one retouched scraper and one flake. The shell assemblage is dominated by periwinkle, but other species present in significant quantities include oyster, cockle, mussels, limpet and carpet shell clam. Fish bones were found consistently within the context, the highest concentration from the best preserved area of midden. Amongst the few faunal bones was a single heel bone of a canid. Charcoal fragments were found in nearly every sample, although mostly in small quantities, the assemblage dominated by Scots pine with smaller quantities of oak, alder, birch, hazel, and willow/aspen. Radiocarbon dating indicates that the midden is primarily or entirely late Mesolithic in date, potentially extending into the earliest Neolithic. A single first millennium date may be intrusive, unrelated to midden activity, or could represent activity at the site which has been incorporated into the Mesolithic stratigraphy through historic quarrying activity or bioturbation. This could also explain the sherds and pin found in the 19th century: medieval deposition did occur at the site but has not been uncovered in situ in the area of excavation.

Period Notes
Radiocarbon dates: SUERC-122484, charcoal Salix, TR1m 5213 +/- 25, calibrated to 4160-3965 at 2 sigma; SUERC-122485, seed, TR3, 1.0356 +/- .0031, no calibration; SUERC 122486, charcoal Salix, TR6, 5339 +/-25, calibrated to 4320-4050 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-122487, charcoal betula, TR8, 4999 +/-24, calibrated to 3940-3655 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-122491, charcoal quercus, TR3, 5343 +/- 21, calibrated to 4320-4050 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-122492, charcoal, TR18, 5307 +/- 23, calibrated to 4240-4045 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-122493, charcoal betula, TR18, 5277 +/- 23, calibrated to 4235-3990 BC at 2 sigma; SUERC-11-386, charcoal betula, TR10, 5150 +/- 26, calibrated to 4045-3810 BC; SUERC-110385 charcoal quercus, TR3, 1378 +/- 26, calibrated to 605-680 AD [all calibrated using OxCal 4.4]

FERGUSON, W, 1881, THE GREAT N OF SCOT RAILWAY, 63-4 (Bibliographic reference). SAB541.

MACKINTOSH, HB, 1924, PILGRIMAGES IN MORAY, 82-3 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1145.

MACKINTOSH, HB, 1928, THE LOSSIE & LOCH OF SPYNIE, 12 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1249.

STRATIGOS, M, 2023, CAYSBRIGGS MIDDEN EXCAVATION AND PITAIRLIE FARM FIELDWALKING: DATA STRUCTURE REPORT (Bibliographic reference). SAB4871.

Record last edited

Dec 20 2023 11:40AM