Proc Soc Antiq Scot, 129 (1999), 359-372

Excavation of an Iron Age timber structure beside the Candle Stane recumbent , Aberdeenshire Kirsty Cameron* wit hcontributioa CresseM y nb y

ABSTRACT Excavations undertaken Centrethe Fieldby for Archaeology south-west(CFA)the to the of recumbent stone circleCandlethe at Stane, near Insch, Aberdeenshire, revealed remainsthe a of large, circular timber structure. area sufferedThe had extensive damage from quarrying priorits to recognition archaeologicalan as sitethereforeand less than half relevant ofthe area remained.The structure was defined by a ring-groove that would have been c 15.5 m in diameter; it enclosed three near-concentric rings of post-holes. Charcoal from these features radiocarbonwas first datedthe to millennium entrancewayBC.The structurethe to massively was built structurethe and, had been roofed, could have formed a porch. Internal features included a large stone-filled pit and a suite of stake-holes located towards the centre of the structure. No artefacts were recovered. The project was funded Historicby Scotland.

INTRODUCTION This report describes the results of excavations carried out by the Centre for Field Archaeology (CFA) of the University of Edinburgh in October 1996 and January 1997 at the known as the Candle Stane, near Insch, Aberdeenshire (NGR: NJ 599 299). The site lies withi ngentla y undulating landscap lowlande edge th th f et o ea s around Insch, somnorthm k e3 - west of the town (illus 1). The circle lies at the summit of Candle Hill in an area of scrubby woodlan wastd an d e ground surrounde arably b d e s hopefieldswa t di ; that external features associated with the stone circle might survive in this apparently unploughed area. The site command excellenn a s t view toward northe hille th sth o st , wes southd tan . e stonTh e circle measure sdiameten i almos m surroundd 4 1 tan r well-definea s d central diametehighn m i cair 1 m ,d n7 eccentricall an r y placed withi . Aparnit t fro recumbene mth t falleo stontw nes it flankersitsel d an f , five other stone (the son eremain t Candlbu l al ,e Stane) having been displaced. There are a few possible cupmarks on the flanking stones. The remains are scheduled under the terms of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979; an abandoned quarry, possibly of 19th-century date, lies immediately to the west. A recent unauthorized extension alon eastere gth n margi thif no s quarr exposed yha dsectioa whicn i ht i was reported that post-holes with charcoal-stained becomfilld sha e visible following weathering.

* Centre for Field Archaeology (CFA), University of Edinburgh, Old High School, 12 Infirmary Street, Edinburgh EH 1 1LT 360 | SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND, 1999

i.\ contour t 1sa 0 metre intervals

Candle Hill

, "•••, Candle Stane \ { ; recumbent stone circle "••" "\X.,, ...••"" /quarry ">\ o' / / /

.. . stone circle

stone circle \ :-.\ O standing stone

O \ '•-.. '"--.. "• (,., Insch ..,, Dunnideer \ hillfor settlement:d an t ^

ILLU S1 Locatio (BasedOrdnancep e th n ma n o CrownSurvey© p ma copyright)

Between thi se stonsectioth ed circlan n e itsel a furthef r ared beeha an strippe f topsoildo , presumabl n advancyi f moro e e quarrying. Initial fieldwor s commissionewa k Historiy db c Scotland to undertake excavation of the exposed features during October 1996. This preliminary work locate dsegmena possibla f to e timber structure. Historic Scotland considered tha thie tth n topsoi close l coveth ed proximitran timbee th f yo r structur edge th botf eo receno e et hth d an t older quarries might expose the remains to further gradual erosion and a second excavation was undertaken during January 1997 in order to identify and record the remainder of the external timber structure. The total area excavated was approximately 130 sq m (illus 2). The stone circle disturbet no itsel quarryine s th f wa excavationy e db th r go .

EXCAVATION Topsoil and heavy scrub vegetation were removed manually and the entire subsoil surface was cleane handy db l featureAl . s were half-sectioned l proveal ; havo dt e bee t int naturae ncu o th l rocky subsoil .evidenco Thern preservatioe s th r ewa efo areay an f groun o sf no d surfacr o e buried ploughsoil which could have been related to either the stone circle or the structure identified in the work reported here. However, a few remaining traces of ploughmarks confirmed CAMERON: IRO TIMBEE NAG R STRUCTUR CANDLE TH T EA E1 STAN36 I E

: . o :- ^>>NS>5 4 3 2 1 Q W N •••.•:^JW 'Mil! . -"0-^sS•- --, N '-. "v -, 'N.^^ A ::--->,NO:^W> Candle Stane RSC

the Candle Stane

postulated lines of post-holes

ring-groove outer ring

middle ring recumbent stone ng ~\/ )

trench outline

. edge of quarry

ILLUS 2 Plan of the timber structure and quarried area in relation to the Candle Stane recumbent stone circle

that the land had previously been cultivated. It is likely that many of the features described below had been severely truncated during these previous episodes of agricultural activity. All archaeological features discussed hereafter have been assigned unique identifiers (feature numbers F1-F51 , whic;4) quotee illu& har 3 s parenthesen di followine th n si g text artefacto N . s were found during the excavation. 362 SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND, 1999

MAGNETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY A rapid magnetic susceptibility survey was conducted during the first phase of excavation to test for specific area f domestiso r industriaco l activity, suc burnings ha . Readings were takea n no 0.5 m transect at 0.2 m intervals across the excavation trench. In addition, six points were taken stone wese th th f e o to circlt provido et e background samples with whic resulte hth s froe mth excavated area could be compared. Maximum efficiency was obtained at the high-frequency range using the Bartington hand-held probe. The results were inconclusive and offered no evidenc arear efo intensivf so e burning acros site withir seth o individuae nth t featureslcu .

STRUCTURAL EVIDENCE (ILLU) 4 & S3 Excavation reveale truncatee dth d remain a large f o s , well-proportioned, strongly builtt bu , variably preserved curvilinear slot, cut into the natural subsoil with at least two (and possibly three) internal and concentric rings of post-holes. No stratigraphic relationships could be established between these features. The structure would have had an overall diameter of c 15.5 m, assuming tha externas tit l walfoundes ring-groovee lwa th n di .

Ring-groov lengtA e narrowf ho , curving slot (F1 identifies )wa d running NW/SE acros northere sth n half of the excavation trench. It was deepest towards the north-west, adjacent to the edge of the quarry. Within quarre th f o y 5edgem sloe th ,t became very shallo eventualld wan y disappeared t reappeareI . d o somt m e4 the south, whence it continued southwards for c 2.5 m, where it came to a formally constructed end to one probable th sid f o e e entranceway e southerth t A . ne excavatio limith f o t nmora e substantial s slowa t apparent: this continue north-easterla n di y directio featurey b t somr cu snwhers fo m associatee5 wa t ei d with a complex of features, probably elements of an entrance. No evidence of post settings was visible within fillr thio f o st eithes cu feature e rth generas It . l shallowness suggests severe truncatio doed t disallonan sno w the interpretation of the two sectors of curving slot as a single ring-groove.

Entranc grouA e featuref po identifies swa south-eas e circuite th th n df i o ,c extendinar t g easwesd f an t o t the ring-groove. These can be interpreted as a complex entrance of more than one phase. It appears that initially the entrance consisted of a series of slots (to the south F40 & F38, and to the north F36), running parallel to each other and intersecting the main ring-groove. The two ends of the ring-groove appear at the entrance slightly off-set extendef i : d they woulsouthere th t mee d no an tn terminal would pass outside eth northern one. These features have been cut at a later date by a series of large stone-filled post-holes/pits. To the south, for example, a large, circular post-hole (F31) cuts through the western portion of slot F38. It contains numerous small, angular stones and one massive slab set at an angle of 45 degrees which covered most of the area within the feature, leaving no space for any post. Extending beyond the circle of the t F32pi structury , b whic t 0.3s cu north e deephs 6wa i em th correspondin e slo0 o th ,.T F4 t g slot (F36s )wa cut by a post-hole (F37) at its eastern end. A further feature, comprising two conjoined pits (F33 & F34), is also visible here and seems to mirror feature F32 to the south. The points of intersection between the entranc ring-groove e th slot d san e have bee lattee n axith e re-cu makf o th rt so n o et them both wided an r deeper. ring-groove th thiy n I entrancnort e e swa th th f ho eo t re-cus ei soutfore o t th m ho t F41 formd an , s F39 furtheA . r indicatio sequentiaf no l patter suggestes ni face th t y tha dre-cub e th t t slot tur(F41n i ns )ha been cut by a post-hole (F35), located at the very end of the ring-groove curve. It is possible that the ring- groove segment to the north-east of F39 may be a later extension built to narrow the doorway within the entrance passage. A similar feature was visible within a large roundhouse at Bannockburn (Rideout 1996); here, however it seemed to be part of a later linear palisade with an entrance which overlapped the house entrance. CAMERON: IROTIMBEE NAG R STRUCTUR CANDLE TH T EA E 3 STAN36 | E

postulated lines ol post-holes -F9

ILLUS 3 Plan of the excavated features of the timber structure 4 36 SOCIET ANTIQUARIEF YO SCOTLANDF SO , 1999

F39 F40 F32

F38

F39

Fl

1 5 0. 0 2m ILLU S4 Section pland san selectef so t featuredcu s CAMERON: IRO TIMBEE NAG R STRUCTUR CANDLE TH T EA E5 STAN36 E

furtheo Tw r features were identifie entrance th n di e area singl.A e post-hole (F49), slightly larger than concentrie thosth n ei c rings, containe dsinglea , large stone. Situated nea t F48 betweed rpi an , middle nth e outed an r rings positios it , n coul seee d b mirro o nt r tha f F3o t 1 (which also containe dlarga e stone). This feature (F31) cut slot F38 and has been identified as part of the entrance complex. If these latter two post- holes performed the same function relative to the entranceway, it may be conjectured that a slot comparable to F38, but of which no trace now remains, once ran from F49 to slot F41 on the ring-groove. Alternatively, the two posts on their own may have defined an entrance passage extending into the structure. The final (possible) post-hole (F51) was situated almost centrally within the entrance area, suggesting at the outset that it could have been a central post for a double door about 1 m wide. However, on excavation it proved moro n e eb thao t nshallowa , ephemeral feature with much root penetration. Originally havy ma e t beei , n shallower than the surrounding post-holes, or more heavily truncated, or perhaps simply the remains of a stone hollow.

Outer post-hole ring Aligned on the inside and parallel to the ring-groove was a series of eight similar-sized post-holes spaced at regular intervals of c 2 m (F2-F9). All were filled with a charcoal-stained silty fill that often contained angular packing stones, very occasionally defining post-pipes. However, as some of these post-holes contained single, large stones leaving apparently no room for timber uprights, it is likely that these example t containo d sdi n posts that have decaye situ, n dt i rathe bu r that infilling took place once eth post d decayeha s r beeo d n extracted e majorit e survivinTh . th f o y g post-holes wera moderatel f o e y substantial depth (0.25-0.3 (F2e d beeOn ha ). n 5m) partl y destroye quarryingy db e survivinth t bu , g evidence indicates that when complete, this ring would have comprised 19 or 20 post-holes and would have ha. ddiametea m 3 1 c f ro

Middle post-hole ring A series of six post-holes (F10-F15) has been interpreted as the incomplete remains of a further ring, concentric with the outermost set. Cutting across the projected line of this ring was a large, shallow stone-filled pit (F48) which may have obscured the position of another post-hole of this series. These post-holes tende averagn do slightle b o et y smaller than outee thosth f reo ring t showebu , same dth e silty fill, incorporating charcoal fleck occasionalld san y trace burnf so t bone post-holee Th .t place no e dsar on the same radial lines as the posts of the outermost ring, and describe an arc that is likely to be the remains of a post-ring consisting of some 17 post-holes, with a diameter of some llm.

Inner post-hole ring Seven of the remaining internal post-holes have been tentatively interpreted as forming thirda , near-central ring, wit s centrhit e point, however maio , tw slightln e rings th f tha f yof o t. When excavated, these seven post-holes were of differing sizes, though it was obvious that some had been severely truncated and/or affecte rooy db t thesf actiono e esmallese (F21On .th s )wa t such feature found withie nth structure, wit diameteha jusf ro t 0.2 . Mos4m t contained possible packing stones irregulae Th . r spacinf go posts make difficult si determino t t manw eho y post-holes there were originall thin yi s set.

Stake-holes Evidenc internar efo l features potentially relate buildine th o dotherwiss t gwa e restrictea o dt suite of stake-holes near the centre of the structure. These had charcoal fills but upon excavation proved to vere b y shallow maximue th , m depth recorded being only 0.1seto . Therpairef s5o tw m e edar stake-holes (F27 & F28, F29 & F30). Two other stake-holes (F24 & F25) showed evidence of multiple stake settings within their cut settingo s (thretw d se an respectively) immediatelo N . y obvious spatial patternin bees gha n discerned. A further stake-hole (F44) was identified close to the line of the middle post-ring.

Other feature largeA s , shallow, stone-fille t (F48 dpi locates )wa d withi structure nth norte e th th f ho eo t entrance. The pit measured 2.5m by 2.7 m, with a depth of no more than 0.15 m. It was filled with subangular stones rangin lengthn i g from 4 ,m 0. wit largese 0.1o t h th mos5d m an t t angular exampln i t ese | SOCIET 6 36 ANTIQUARIEF YO SCOTLANDF SO , 1999

the middle of the pit and running the full depth of the feature. The pit was no deeper than this stone. The stones in the fill were set within a fine grey silt containing only occasional charcoal flecks. The function of this feature was not immediately obvious. The stones did not appear to be carefully laid as would have been the case with, for instance, a stone-floored 'scoop' or utility area, like the cereal-processing area recorded at Wardend of Durris, Aberdeenshire (Russell-White 1995). Their haphazard positioning suggests that they were merely intende infilo dt holloa l w withi structuree nth positioe hollowe Th . th f no , however, perhaps does indicate a specific purpose. It is situated near the entrance and straddles the arc of the middle ring, over a projected post-hole position on this circuit (ie no post-hole was recorded in this position). It is not clear whether the cutting or infilling of this hollow was contemporary with the structure. Six further features were identified t corresponwhicno proposee o harcd e th f th s o o dt d ring-systems. Two post-holes (F43 & F42) lie outwith the structure. One more (F45) is positioned between the outermost middld an e post-ring t nortF48e pi th f .ho o st Thre e further post-hole sF50 & (F46withi e 7 )li e F4 , nth sector define postulatee th y db d similaf inneo e rar rinr d averaggan e dimension thoso st e post-holes.

CHARCOAL IDENTIFICATION AND DATING Michael Cressey majorite post-hole Th th f yo e fills contained trace f charcoaso thosd an l e that contained more substantial quantitie f thio s s material were bulk sample r subsequendfo t flotatio o obtait n n materia r radiocarbofo l n determinations. Charcoa s alsowa l collecte hany db d durine th g excavation. Identifications were made using a binocular microscope at magnifications ranging between xlO and x200. Charcoal was identified to genus and species level (in some cases) to enable informed decision choice th f materian eo so r radiocarbofo l n dating. Generally, identifications were carried out on transverse cross-sections on charcoal measuring between 4 mm and 6 mm. Anatomical keys listed in Schweingruber (1992), in-house reference charcoal and slide-mounted micro-sections were used to aid identification. Asymmetry and morphological characteristics were also recorded. Six species were identified; none was exotic. e charcoaTh l comprised mainly small roundwood (Tabl ) wit 1 eabrasioo hn n evident. Contexts 056 (F10), 066 (F16), 082 (F8) and 090 (F38) contained mainly small chips of non- roundwood, possibly representing residues from woodworking (no toolmarks were seen). The charcoal fragments were small at around 4-6 mm; the total weights recovered from each sampled contex alse ar to small. identifiee Th d species represente Quercuse dar (oak)p s , Betula (birch)p s , Pinus (pine)p s , Corylus avellana (hazel), Alnus glutinosa (alder Rosacead )an e (apple, pea cherrd ran y group). Three contexts supplied samples suitabl radiocarbor efo n sampledatin x totaa si d f o lg an s (two for eac thesf ho e contexts) were submitte single-entitr dfo datinS yAM g (Table 2). These contexts were withi 3 (ContexnF3 t 097) larga , e post-hole/pit fro e northermth nentrance th sid f eo e complex; fro (Contex6 mF post-holee th tf 076)o outermose e th n on ,si t post-ring frod 7 ;an m F4 (Context 034), a post-hole situated towards the centre of the structure and not on the arc of any of the postulated rings. samplee Th s were submitte datinr Scottise dfo th o gt h Universities Researc Reactod han r Centre (SURRC) and measured at the University of Arizona AMS Facility. Dates are expressed in conventional years BP (before AD 1950) and are calibrated after the University of Washington Quaternary Isotope Laboratory Radiocarbon Dating Program (1987). demonstratinf o y wa Ther o n s ei g whethe roundwooe rth d charcoa introduces lwa d during the constructional phase or whether it fell into the void produced by a rotting timber, or a deliberately remove dbees posha ns a targue t Bannockburda n (Rideout 1996). Nonethelesse th , CAMERON: IRO TIMBEE NAG R STRUCTUR CANDLE TH T EA E STANE 367

TABLE 1 Charcoal identification Context Feature Species Weigh) (g t Structural context 035 F47 Quercus 2.45 central area 035* F47 Betula 10.20 central area 035 F47 Corylus 6.42 central area 035 F47 Firms 0.19 central area 097* F33 Quercus 13.41 entrance 097 F33 Corylus 3.76 entrance 090 F38 Betula 1.70 entrance 090 F38 Pinus 0.14 entrance 090 F38 Rosaceae 0.08 entrance 090 F38 Alnus 0.09 entrance 090 F38 Corylus 0.22 entrance 066 F16 Corylus 3.35 inner ring 066 F16 Alnus 0.90 inner ring 066 F16 Betula 35.00 inner ring 056 F10 Alnus 3.58 middle ring 056 F10 Corylus 2.91 middle ring 056 F10 Quercus 10.00 middle ring 056 F10 Betula 86.00 middle ring 076* F6 Corylus 9.75 outer ring 076 F6 Betula 1.43 outer ring 082 F8 Betula 1.00 outer ring 082 F8 Quercus 0.03 outer ring 082 F8 Corylus 4.87 outer ring * contexts selected for radiocarbon dating TABLE 2 Radiocarbon dates o n b La F no Wood type yearP sB Cal years Cal years 1 sigma 2 sigma AA-28368 F6 Corylus Avellana 2165 + 50 360-12C 7B 380-100 BC AA-28369 F6 Corylus Avellana 2245 0 +5 392-20C 8B 400-190 BC AA-28370 F33 Quercus sp 2380 ± 50 517-397BC 760-390 BC AA-28371 F33 Quercus sp 2260 5 0± 394-251 BC 400-20C 0B AA-28372 F47 Betula sp 2420 ± 70 762-40C 0B 790-390 BC AA-28373 F47 Betula sp 2395 -f 50 751-399 BC 764-390 BC fact that small-diameter roundwood is predominantly represented in the samples suggests that this material doe t represenno s t posts that have burn situ.n i t These context thuy ma s have contained relict material, material fro occupatioe mth n perio structuree th f do ever o , n intrusive material from activity later than that. Withi 2-sigme nth a range datee th , s obtaine separatee b y dma d int earlien latea oa d r ran series that barely overlap (AA-28370, AA-28372, AA-28373 and AA-22368, AA-28369, AA- 28371). Both chronological phases are represented by samples from the single feature F33 (AA- 2378 AA-23781)0& . This suggests tha holee th t s were infilled both with relict detritus fron ma earlier date and occupation material of a later date, possibly indicating two phases of occupation.

DISCUSSION

AN IRON AGE ROUNDHOUSE? excavatioe Th n recorded remain seriea f so timbef so r south-wese ringsth o recumbent e th f o t t stone circle. The physical juxtaposition of a major stone monument of the period with 368 SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND, 1999

1400CalBC 1200CalBC 1000CalBC SOOCalBC GOOCalBC 400CalBC 200CalBC Oa1BC/CalA 200CalA Calibrated Date

ILLU S5 Calibrated radiocarbon dates

circulaa r timber structure initially suggested thalattee earlies th t wa r r than r contemporaro , y with, the stone circle and thus akin to ceremonial timber rings such as Balfarg (Mercer. 1982) or Woodhenge (Wainwright 1979). The radiocarbon dates demonstrate that this is not the case. These fall withi firse nth t millennium Bcalibration Co indicatd nan e tha timbee tth r structure shoul accommodatee db d withi familiae nth r British Late r Irotraditio d e Bronzan n Ag e ef Ag n o timber-framed, circular, roofed buildings t musI . acknowledgede b t , however, tha chronoe th t - logical relationship betwee radiocarboe nth n determination timbee th d rs an post s onc withit ese n the same features is not precisely known, as the charcoals which were dated represent small roundwood inclusions in the post-holes rather than remains of large timber posts. The circular timber structure is defined by a ring-groove, most likely representing the outer wall foundation of a ring-groove house c 15.5 m in diameter. Although relatively large for such a structure, it is not so substantial to have made roofing problematic. The remains of at least two concentric rings of post-holes would represent the earthfast roof posts. Their regular, concentric spacing suggests these were elements of a single complex structure, rather than a series of post- rings, one replacing another, although the spread of radiocarbon dates would allow two separate occupations of the site to be proposed. A third, slightly off-centre ring of post-holes is also tentatively proposed from plan evidence. Withi structuree nth singlea , , large, stone-filley ma t dpi have been a contemporary feature although its precise function and date remain unknown. The area had suffered extensive damage from quarrying prior to its recognition as an archaeological site and therefore only a fraction (around 40%) of the original footprint of the structure remained at the time of excavation. CAMERON: IROTIMBEE NAG R STRUCTUR CANDLE TH T EA E 9 STAN36 E

On the basis of known parallels and of the radiocarbon dating results, despite the possibility of the sampled material post-dating the structure, it would appear that the post-rings and ring- groove on Candle Hill represent a large, roofed, building of Iron Age date. In the north-east of Scotland, excavated parallel r Candlfo s e Hill include Romancamp Gate (Barclay 1993d )an Wardend of Durris (Russell-White 1995) where repeated circular patterns of post-holes represent the main structural elements of substantial roundhouses. Similar buildings were also being erected in earlier periods, however t Blairhala s a , l Burn near Dumfries (Stracha t alne 1998), wherea roundhouse with a similar entrance produced radiocarbon dates calibrated to the Middle Bronze Age broadlA . y similar complex roundhouse with concentric post-ring t Scotstarvisa t Covern i t Fife (Bersu 1947) produced pottery whic thes hnwa Latdatee th eIroo d e t Bronz an n Ag e eAg (though this broad datin gquestioned)e mighb w tno . Details of the scale of architecture at Candle Hill are interesting. Relative to other similar- sized ring-groove houses (eg Lower Greenyards, Bannockburn: Rideout 1996) it seems that Candle Hil s mori l e heavily provisioned with internal post-holes. Perhaps this arrangement represent uppen sa r floor withi structuree nth . Even allowin heighgwaln a i f onlt o lm se y1 t within the delimiting ring-groove and adopting a roof angle of 45 degrees, the apex of the roof would have been about 8.5 m high. Of the three post-rings proposed, the outer and middle rings can be estimated to have included around 19 and 17 posts respectively. The inner post-ring is more problemati t regularl poste no th e s sar ca y spaced interpretee ar pitf 9 I . sF1 F1s d da 7an non-structural internal features rather than as part of the ring, there remain five posts spaced evenly at around 2 m apart. These five indicate a total number of about 10 posts, which seems ampl rooe holth o et f p (andu d perhaps suppor secona t d floor). Howevere poste th th n l so al f ,i arc of the innermost ring are considered (the gap between F20 and F21 can be interpreted as part of an extended entrance passage), at least 14 or 15 posts can be proposed. This seems excessive in terms of roof support, or even for an upper floor. Possibly more posts, or an extra ring of posts, was added as the building started to decay. At least it seems unlikely that the structure had been rebuilt in its entirety on the same stance, as was the case with structures at Scotstarvit Covert (Bersu 1947), Bannockburn (Rideout 1996), and West Brandon (Jobey 1962), although this cannot be ruled out. It is certain that the internal space, as well as movement between the near-concentric rings separated by the arcs of posts, would have been extremely limited by this number of posts. The proximity of the rings to each other makes it unlikely that they were used for stalling cattle, as suggeste r somdfo e large roundhouses with annular floor areas (Jobe Taiy& t 1996; Reynolds 1982), although some sor f agriculturao t l storag havy ema e been possible available Th . e width for a door-frame does not exceed 1 m.

CHOICE OF SITE In the absence of stratigraphic links or artefactual evidence, it is difficult to say whether the roundhouse was related to some continuing use of the recumbent stone circle itself, but at least it canno deniee tb d tha Irostructure e tth nAg e respecte earliee dth r Neolithic monument reusd ,an e site ot Candlth efa e itsely Hil significante ma lb f . Hingley (1995; 1996) suggests tha laten i t r , people sometimes reused already ancient monument associato st e themselves with older tradition thud san s creat elina k wit past e recumbene hth .Th t stone circl t Candlea e Hils i l numbea f o e sucf ro on h monuments withi immediate nth e landscape that remain highly visiblo et anyone usin lane gth d today would an , d have been equally t moreno f i ,firsd , strikinmi t e th gn i millennium BC. Excavation of a stone circle at Loanhead of Daviot, Aberdeenshire, revealed 370 | SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND, 1999

some Iroreuse nAg e (Kilbride Jones t 1935)Moncrieffea d an ; , near Perth centre stonth a , f eo e circl beed eha n partly cleare small-scalr fo reuse d Iroe e dan th nAg n di e metal-working (Stewart 1985) s proposei t I . d thae remainth t n Candlo s e Hill represen n earliere reusa th tf o e , predominantly ritual ,late a sit y eb r settlement most likely durin Iroe gth n Age. Thi backes si p du radiocarboe byth n dates which provid t leasea terminusta ante quern activite r sitth fo e n eth i t ya late first millennium BC. Candle Hill would have been an ideal place for a settlement even without the bonus of having an impressive and ancient monument already at its summit. It forms a rounded low-lying raised an dD somabovO m m 0 surroundin e e5 0 eth 26 hil t a l g landscape. Wit exceptioe hth f no the summit (due to quarrying and the location of the scheduled stone circle) the hillslopes are still cultivated today. Trace f ploughmarko s s prove thae areth t a aroun e summith d s beeha tn cultivate likels i t i pasye d thath tan n di t durin Irothie e gth s nAg woul d have bee idean na l setting for a house. It is possible that the subcircular stone enclosing wall around the hilltop (which is visible on the first edition Ordnance Survey map) follows the lines of an earlier enclosure. The ring-ditch hous Culhawt ea k Hill, Angus (Rees 1998), occupie dsimilaa r hilltop site, immediately summisoute e th th f o ho t t wit entrancn ha e facing SSE.

RITUAL USE? It is not unusual to recover very little occupation debris from an Iron Age structure and a paucity of domestic debri t Candlsa e Hill could have been explained through erosio r truncationo y nb more recent agricultural activity. However e completth , y artefactuae an lac f o k l evidence whatsoever from Candle Hil perhaps i l s significan suggestd an t possibilite sth y tha structure tth e was not used for a domestic purpose. entrance timbeTh e th o et r structur south-ease ring-grooveee th lieth n f si o c ar t . Perhaps this orientatio simpls nwa minimizo yt e win maximizd dan e (Rideou n exposursu e th to e t 1996), but a symbolic preference for this direction may also be considered. The entrance is averted from stone th e orientatios circlit t ebu paralles ni l wit longe hth recumbene axith f so circlte slath en bi d alsan o offer n uninterruptea s d vista towards Bennachie Hillfort, some distance away, encompassing other stone circles in the valley below. There would have been a choice of several places to build a timber structure around the summit of the hill and it cannot be altogether by chance tha ring-groove th t e building lie stonee closo th s o et circle, wit entrance hth e emerging into the space immediately in front of the recumbent stone and flankers at a distance of only 5 concedee b o t s dha that I stonee circl e . th tth m en si have fallent appea t theno o bu ,yhav o d rt e been moved. Of course, nothing precludes there being other timber structures near the summit of Candle Hillgreatea t a , r remove fro stone mth e circle, where they woul t suggesdno same th t e sorts of questions and possibilities.

CONCLUSIONS Owin size thif th eo so gt ring-groove buildin locatios it d gan n immediately adjacen earlien a o t t r ritual monument possibls i t i , e tha importann a t s thiswa t structure. With careful repaid an r renovation the structure could have continued in use for a long time. The lack of post-pipes within the post-holes suggests that their fills are not the result of posts decaying in situ. Furthermore smale ,th charcoae l sizth f eo l pieces recovered, together wit resulte hth magnetif so c susceptibility work, indicate that the posts did not burn in situ, although the fills were generally charcoal-rich. This evidence combines to suggest gradual infilling of the negative features on the CAMERON: TIMBEIROE NAG R STRUCTUR CANDLE TH T EEA 1 STAN37 | E

site by silting or by agricultural processes, perhaps after some of the major timbers were removed. In contrast, the positioning of large stones within some post-holes suggests that these were deliberately infilled, though at what stage this would have occurred is unclear. Two phases of construction can be identified in the entrance. These could relate to the two phases represented by radiocarboe th n datesearliere th lated n i , an r first millennium BC, respectively possibls i t I . e that surface detritus frophaseo mtw f activitso havy yma e entere t leasda t post-holese somth f eo , which would explain the presence of two quite different dates from pit F33. Despit limitatione eth evidence th truncatioo t f se o edu quarryingd nan mose th , t likely interpretatio structure th f no t Candlea Irobuildingn e a e ns Ag Hil thas wa i l t i .t Almosl al t recently excavated sites from this period have displayed significant variations in structural style anCandle dth e Hill ring-groove appear anothed ad o st r configuratio growine th o nt g e listTh . building was possibly of some importance, and was perhaps associated with reuse of the Candle Stane recumbent stone circle t doeI . s appea presenn ro t evidence tha single th t e most important aspect of the timber structure is its proximity to the earlier ritual monument.

PROJECT ARCHIVE The project archive, comprising all CFA primary records, plans and reports will be deposited with the National Monuments Record of Scotland (RCAHMS); reproducible elements will be deposited with Aberdeenshire Site Monumentd san s Record.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS CFA wish to thank lan Shepherd, Aberdeenshire Council Archaeologist (formerly Regional Archaeologist), for his comments during fieldwork; Gavin MacGregor of GUARD, for originally identifying the site and the damage to it; and Mr Duthie of Branxton Farm, Insch, for allowing access to the site. Thanks are also due to Michael Cressey for the charcoal assessment and to Stratford Halliday of RCAHMS for a survey plan of the recumbent stone circle. I am grateful to Catherine McGill, John Gooder and lan Suddaby for their work on site in inclement weather. Earlier drafts of the report were read by lan Ralston and Derek Alexander. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests with the author and CFA. The project was supported and funded by Historic Scotland.

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This paper is published with the aid of a grant from Historic Scotland