Archaeology (General)

The Scots’ Dike (hereafter the Dike) is unique in Scotland: not only is it one of the earliest man-made national borders but, being the only one that is still legally recognised, it has great significance for the identity and history of the nation. Crossing the Debateable Land (hereafter the Land) lying in the parishes of Canonbie and Half Morton in Dumfriesshire and Kirk Andrews in Cumbria, it forms the westernmost end of the Scottish–English land border. Surveys of the Dike carried out in the early and late twentieth century included details of boundary stones along its length but not their precise locations or, in most cases, their number. This paper reports a survey carried out in June, July and November 2016 which sought to make good these omissions as well as to update the findings of the earlier surveys. A full account of the long and complex history of the Debateable Land is beyond the scope of this paper but, in order to set the survey in context, an outline is given.

Iron Age Galloway is a bit of a conundrum, difficult to clearly differentiate from the Iron Age characteristics of other regions of Scotland but often treated as somewhat distinct nonetheless. The following paper attempts to make sense of the Iron Age settlement patterns of this region and examine if these are significantly distinguishable from those apparent across other regions of Scotland.

A collection of metalwork — a sword, penannular brooch, and sickle — was found close together in 1989 at Carronbridge in north-central Dumfriesshire and they are thought to have been deposited in the ninth or tenth centuries. In the published report it was suggested that they belonged to a ‘lone traveller’, and a later review of the burial concluded that it should be raised ‘to the category of pagan Norse burials marked as “uncertain’’’. Having reconsidered the evidence and viewed the location of the Carronbridge burial I suggest that it should be moved to the ‘certain’ category. A short review of the evidence for Scandinavians in Dumfriesshire is also given, including the circumstances that may have led to the burial.

This paper presents the results of a recent watching brief and investigations conducted at Carzield Roman Fort, Kirkton, Dumfries and Galloway. This work was directed by the author on behalf of Scottish Power Energy Networks (SPEN) and Scottish Water during improvements to domestic services within the fort area. The investigations on three service trenches (Trenches 1-3) revealed new evidence on the fort’s occupation and internal layout. The archaeological deposits included cobbled surfaces and ditch and gully features. The assemblage included Samian Ware, Black-burnished Ware, numerous metal objects including a javelin head and hobnails from a calceus Roman shoe. Building material included a fragment of an imbrex roof tile and a fragmented hypocaust tile from a bath house. The environmental analysis revealed evidence of wattle-and-daub structures in the rampart area of the fort as well as evidence of arable food resources. The AMS date range for the deposits dated was cal AD 2 to 257 (at 2 sigma calibration; 2 σ hereafter) with the exception being an Early Iron Age date of 847 to 767 cal BC (at 2 σ). This earlier date, although a result of re-deposition in Roman layers, is indicative of redeposition of material from earlier human activity in the vicinity of these excavations. The median value for the Roman dates is 18-214 cal AD (at 2 σ). The date range coupled with the artefactual evidence reaffirms the Roman occupation of the fort in the Antonine period with some evidence of occupation prior to and following this occupation, based on this most recent work and previous analyses.

The Pictish inscribed stone at Trusty’s Hill is unique in Dumfries and Galloway and has long puzzled scholars as to why this was carved here and if it is indeed genuine. As part of the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society, the Galloway Picts Project was undertaken in 2012 in order to recover the evidence required to understand the archaeological context of the inscribed stone and the significance of Trusty’s Hill within Early Medieval Scotland. The following paper is intended simply as an interim summary report, in advance of a monograph reporting the full analyses and results (Toolis and Bowles forthcoming).

A programme of archaeological fieldwork was undertaken in advance of construction work for a short stretch of dual carriageway on the A75 between Newton Stewart and Glenluce. The route comprises areas of improved pasture on drumlins and peat bog within the interdrumlin basins. Fieldwork included peat coring within these inter-drumlin basins. A bridge and other features on the disused Portpatrick & Castle Douglas Line were recorded during a standing building survey. Other areas of the route were investigated by trial trenches and a burnt mound was discovered. Later excavation revealed that, although neither a hearth nor a trough lay within the excavated area and the site was clearly horizontally truncated, in terms of location, plan morphology, constituent deposits and suggested date, it conformed to others in South-West Scotland and more widely. Two main phases of activity were identified with deposits of burnt stone being either preceded or succeeded by a series of posts, which may represent an early medieval fence line. A single flint flake was recovered. Radiocarbon dating suggests that the burnt mound was probably formed in the later first millennium AD.

Four areas of archaeological significance covering a timescale from early Neolithic to post-medieval periods were identified during initial fieldwork at Lockerbie Academy.2 The earliest site identified was the remains of a Neolithic timber hall, which was situated on top of the flat plateau towards the north-west end of the site. At the summit of the rounded knoll in the centre of the area, a Bronze Age phase consisting of a cremation and inhumation cemetery enclosed by a possible ring-cairn was identified. At the base of the rounded knoll, the remains of an Early Historic timber hall were identified. This Anglian timber hall reoccupied the site of a post-built structure, which was interpreted as a timber hall, possibly belonging to an earlier British tradition. A corn-drying kiln was identified cut into the same knoll as the Bronze Age cemetery and has been dated to the late medieval or early post-medieval period. A segmented ditched enclosure was located towards the north-east end of the site, but the poor survival of this feature combined with a lack of finds and palaeobotanical evidence means that it remains undated.

In 1992, during a routine reconnaissance of MOD land at West Freugh, a scatter of artefacts was observed eroding out of a former land surface within the dunes at Knocknab. Initially the assemblage was recorded in situ and surface artefacts were collected. However, when it became evident that archaeological layers were being exposed and then undermined by severe storms, limited excavation was also undertaken. Over the following three years, the area was periodically monitored and artefacts collected where present. The great majority of the assemblage comprised lithics and ceramics located on the old ground surface and within pits. A radiocarbon date of 3940–3700 cal BC, obtained from Sorbus charcoal from a pit in Area 1, established an early Neolithic context for the material. The aim of this report is to bring the results of this investigation into the public arena, with particular emphasis on an analysis of the lithic and ceramic assemblages. It is not intended to provide a more wide-ranging synthesis of the material from Luce Sands but it is hoped that the information within this article could be incorporated into such a synthesis in the future.

One of the characteristic archaeological features of the Machars is the series of promontory forts occupying remote headlands projecting out into Wigtown Bay, Luce Bay and the Irish Sea. They are generally characterized by one or more ramparts and ditches that appear to cut the headland off from its hinterland, but little is known about them. Morphologically they are a class of monument typical of the Iron Age and attributed very broadly to the second half of the 1st millennium BC (Armit 1997, 59; Harding 2004, 144-7).

Archaeological work began at the site of Airyolland I in 2004 when a detailed topographic survey was carried out by the authors. In 2006, the first season of exploratory excavation began at the site; two trenches were excavated in the interior and over the perimeter rampart. The results of this first season of work were promising, and although material culture was sparse with little in terms of artefactual evidence recovered, the two trenches excavated yielded well preserved evidence of the original construction of the site. A slot across the perimeter earthwork encountered a massive stone wall, around 3m in width and composed of two well-built faces retaining a rubble core. Excavation within the interior encountered ruinous remains of interior structures, incorporating large boulders as well as several pits or postholes relating to a stone walled building in the lower half of the site.

The Scottish Wetland Archaeology Programme (SWAP) has been undertaking a concerted programme of archaeological survey and excavation on a range of settlements and landscapes in wetland areas across the country. The principal aim of this work is to bring Scotland’s wetland sites into the mainstream of archaeological research, by focussing on their role within their wider landscape contexts. The crannogs of Dumfries and Galloway comprise a particularly dense concentration of these wetland sites, and two key projects at Dorman’s Island, Whitefield Loch and Cults Loch, Castle Kennedy have aimed to investigate their nature and function and, in the case of the flagship project at Cults Loch, their contemporary landscapes. This interim statement summarises some of the main results of these projects up to the end of the 2008 season.

The remains of an unenclosed prehistoric settlement were identified during a series of
archaeological works that took place in advance of sand extraction in 2006. Rathmell
Archaeology Ltd carried out the ensuing excavations on behalf of Barr Ltd. Two ring
groove houses were identified, along with a palisaded enclosure dating from the Late
Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age, and a series of unassociated negative features. While
radiocarbon dates showed evidence of further activity from the Neolithic to the Early
Bronze Age, no other coherent structures were identified.

Since last speaking to the Society, major technical advances in the Sites and Monuments Record database and the use of a Geographic Information System have been made, facilitating electronic communication with the area planning offices and others. Key ar

This presentation described the content and interim results of a field project being undertaken by the Peeblesshire Archaeological Society, of which the speaker is currently Chairman. Since its formation in 1994, the society has undertaken an active prog

A review article

A short article describing, from newspaper reports, the finding of an unclothed bog-body at Glenhead, parish of Leswalt, in 1852.

The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland was established by Royal Warrant in February 1908, entrusted with the task of making an inventory of the ancient and historical monuments and constructions connected with or illustra

A trapezoidal enclosure, previously known only from aerial photographs, was the focus of archaeological investigations at Evan Road, Beattock. No dating evidence for the enclosure was retrieved, although it is likely to be later prehistoric on the basis

Scotland has an archaeology heritage of great value. The many well-preserved and accessible sites help us to appreciate how people lived in the distant past, particularly in prehistoric periods when the knowledge, values and beliefs of communities were ve

A lecture reporting on excavations in the Manse Field, Whithorn. The excavations revealed features dating from the prehistoric period onwards. Comparisons with other features identified in the Manse Field can be seen at Hoddom where excavations revealed e

Review article

On behalf of the Whithorn Trust, and with support from Historic Scotland, a palaeoenvironmental study was carried out on a wet fen/mire located 400 m south of Rispain Camp, an Iron Age site in Galloway. The investigation revealed a good lateglacial and ea

Lecture to the Society, 25th March, 2006. Recent work on the lake dwellings of Dumfries and Galloway through the South-West Crannog
Survey a condition monitoring project funded by Historic Scotland has provided a series of site surveys and radiocarbon da

(Lecture to the Society, 17th March 2006. Over two seasons in 2003 and 2004 AOC Archaeology Group, aided by a number of volunteers,
conducted an archaeological excavation of Carghidown in response to coastal erosion. The excavation revealed a multi-phase

Lecture to the Society, 2nd December, 2005 (The Cormack lecture).
This presentation looked at the way in which people in early prehistoric Scotland had exploited the local lithic resources of flint and stone to manufacture various types of artefacts. The

Between 1st and 15th August 1939 the Institute of Sociology, Le Play House, 35 Gordon Square, London held a field study meeting in Galloway. Centred on Newton Stewart the group set out to investigate the natural history, history and social science of the

Remains of a prehistoric roundhouse within a palisade enclosure were identified during an archaeological evaluation in advance of a quarry extension in 1999. In accordance with planning conditions an archaeological excavation by AOC Archaeology Group was

Summary of a lecture delivered to the Society on 5th November 2004. The archaeology of the estate at Newbarns, Colvend, is a unique and mysterious monumental record dating back to the Neolithic era, with multi-settlement evidence of occupation through th

Summary of a lecture presented to the Society on 15th October 2004. Displays of prehistoric artefacts in the museums of Scotland include much material from Wigtownshire, mostly collected during the latter decades of the 19th century. George Wilson, Free

The results of an archaeological evaluation of Annan burgh ditch presented in Volume 76 of the Transactions tentatively suggested that the late 16th century appeared the most likely date for the origin of the burgh ditch revealed at Butts Street, Annan. T

In 1946 a Miss Helen Selby brought into the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland a collection of artefacts gathered largely from local sources by her father, William McDowall Selby, and grandfather, Robert Bird Selby, who served successively as medi

Specialist report on biological remains from Kerricks Farm, Duncow, excavations of a Bronze Age barrow

Specialist report on cremated remains from Kerricks Farm, Duncow, excavations of a Bronze Age barrow

Specialist report on stone assemblage from Kerricks Farm, Duncow, excavations of a Bronze Age barrow

Specialist report on flint assemblage from Kerricks Farm, Duncow, excavations of a Bronze Age barrow

Report on the slag remains recovered during the Excavations of a Bronze Age Settlement Site at Ross Bay, Kirkcudbright

In January 2002, during the archaeological monitoring of topsoil stripping for the construction corridor of a 1.2km gas pipeline at Ross Bay, near Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway, previously unknown archaeological remains were recorded at three locat

This paper examines the peopling of the Cree valley in the early-mid Neolithic as expressed in the monuments that they constructed. It endeavours to explore the chambered tombs, their location within and relationship to the landscape and geography of the

Summary of the First Cormack lecture - delivered to the Society on 5th december 2003. The subject was 'Early Celtic Art in South-West Scotland: Its Origin and Purpose'. Fraser Hunter explained that he hoped that the lecture provided some insights, however

Summary of lecture given on 3rd October 2003. The Dundrennan range was established in 1942. The RCAHMS, in partnership with the Ministry of Defence, has recently undertaken a baseline archaeological survey. The survey, including all relict military featur

In the absence of either any upstanding remains or absolute documentary evidence for the presence of the former Mossknow Towerhouse the Ann Hill Committee commissioned a geophysical survey of two potential locations by GSB Prospection of Bradford. Survey

In an earlier volume of these Transactions, a case has been made for the burgh ditch of Annan not having been dug until the (later) 16th century (Toolis and Cavanagh, 2002, 151-55). The discussion appears in the report on some archaeological evaluation wo

Excavations were carried out by GUARD (Department of Archaeology, Glasgow University) around the site of Warden's Dykes on behalf of Trusthouse Forte and BP Oil UK Ltd in advance of the construction of an access road for the new Gretna motorway service st

A recent review of the evidence for bog bodies in Scotland has added 14 previously unrecogbised examples to the existing gazeteer. Seven of these 'new discoveries' - actually old finds hidden in local newspaper accounts and antiquarian reports - are fro G

Obituary of William Fleming Cormack of Lockerbie (1920-2002). Although a practicing lawyer in the family firm in Lockerbie he was associated with local and national archaeology societies for over fifty years. He excavated extensively throughout Dumfries a

Review of a thesis for the degree of Licentiate in Archaeology at the Catholic University of leuven which was the result of practical work in the area under the guidance of A E Truckell. Copy available at the Dumfries Archive Centre

Photograph of the excavations at Lochrutton Crannog taken in the summer of 1901 - reproduced for the first time and used to support a review of 'The Excavation of a Scottish Lowland Crannog: Excavations at Buiston, Ayrshire 1989-90 by Anne Crone and other

Review of the publication by Anne Cone and others of 'The Excavation of a Scottish Lowland Crannog: Excavations at Buiston, Ayrshire 1989-90'. Covers all aspects of the archaeology - including a review of Robert Munro's 19th century excavations. Includes