Excavations in the Laird's Hall, Drum Castle, Aberdeenshire (original) (raw)

Excavations at Castle of Wardhouse, Aberdeenshire

2002

Advanced plough erosion prompted rescue excavation at the moated site of Castle of Wardhouse in 1988. An integrated programme of work involving aerial photography, field survey, remote sensing, palynological analysis and excavation enabled interpretation of the complex development of the site in its historic environment (beyond this, palynology indicates human intervention in the environs since at least 5000 BP). The defences of the 13th-century moated enclosure were well preserved, although plough damage had removed almost all traces of the buildings on the enclosed platform. Documentary evidence clearly indicates that the later form of the castle was that of a stone tower house. This too has been ploughed away. The project was funded by Historic Scotland.

Dunstaffnage Castle, Argyll & Bute: excavations in the north tower and east range, 1987-94

Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland

Reports excavations in areas thought to encompass the donjon and hall respectively. Traces of an early curtain wall predating the north tower were found. At ground level, two window embrasures were revealed in the east wall of the building and, on its south side, a doorway into a passage linking with the east range. In the late seventeenth or eighteenth century the passage was blocked and a fireplace inserted into the north gable of the east range, which was occupied at least until the late eighteenth century. There are specialist reports on: `Sculptured stones' by Pamela Graves (576--8); `Coins' by Nicholas M McQ Holmes (578--9); `Other small finds' by David Caldwell (579--87); `Pottery' by Helen Smith (587 & 589) followed by `Medieval and post-medieval pottery' by Robert S Will (589--90); `Clay tobacco pipes' by Dennis B Gallagher (590--6); `Vessel glass' by K R Murdoch (596--7); The environmental evidence begins with `Charcoal' by Sheila Boardman (...

An Excavation at the Inner Ward, Carrickfergus Castle, County Antrim

Three trenches were manually excavated in 2011 across the inner ward of Carrickfergus Castle, in advance of works to install an electricity supply to the ‘flash room’ corridor. The excavations revealed that undisturbed archaeological features may still be present in this part of the castle, despite repeated building and demolition over many centuries. R. Ó Baoill: ‘The Ceramic Assemblage’, ‘The Glass Assemblage’ and ‘The Lithic (Stone) Assemblage’ in H. Welsh, ‘An excavation at the Inner Ward, Carrickfergus Castle, County Antrim’, Ulster Journal of Archaeology, 72 (2013), pp 182-184. Published in 2016.

Argyll's Lodging, Stirling: Recent Archaeological Excavations and Historical Analysis

2010

Excavation at Argyll’s Lodging demonstrates the complex development of the present mansion from the early 17th century onwards, including its use as a military hospital. Excavations also took place on the site of the demolished south wing. Analysis of the historical development of the main house shows an expansion of the house and garden during the 17th century, with a later contraction of the property.

Excavation of an Iron Age burial mound, Loch Borralie, Durness, Sutherland

Scottish Archaeological Internet Reports, 2004

As part of the Historic Scotland Human Remains Call Off Contract, Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division (GUARD) undertook an archaeological evaluation of the find spot of a human skull from a cairn at Loch Borralie, Sutherland (NGR NC 3790 6761). Excavation recovered the remains of two burials beneath the cairn and established that the cairn was multi-phased. One individual was an adult male (Skeleton 1), while the other was immature and of undeterminable sex (Skeleton 2). Both individuals showed signs of ill health, and dogs and/or rats appear to have gnawed their bones. A ring-headed pin was recovered close to Skeleton 1 during the excavation. A radiocarbon date was obtained from the left humerus of Skeleton 1 of 40 cal BC - cal AD210 at 2 sigma (OxA-10253). Excavation revealed that the cairn, broadly sub-rectangular in form, had a maximum height of 1.2m and was composed of large, sub-angular and sub-rounded rocks (including quartz and quartzite) and occasional round...

The excavation of a kerbed cairn at Beech Hill House, Coupar Angus, Perthshire

1995

A much-disturbed kerbed cairn was excavated in the summer of 1989, prior to building work on the site. Two phases of prehistoric activity were discerned. In Phase 1, evidence of pre-cairn agricultural activity was identified in a residual old ground surface which produced a tenuous third millennium BC date. No structural features were identified but settlement in the vicinity was suggested by the presence of flint artefacts and Neolithic pottery. Phase 2 comprised the Bronze Age kerbed cairn and associated features. The monument was much damaged and the chronological relationships between different features was often difficult to establish. Finds included Food Vessels, a bronze pin, a bone toggle and a bone pommel; the pommel is the sole example of its type from Scotland. However, the radiocarbon dates seem to be incompatible with the artefactual evidence which has limited the interpretation of the chronology of the site. The project was funded by Historic Scotland (formerly Histori...