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Archaeological and Palynological Studies at the Mesolithic Pitchstone

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Archaeological and Palynological Studies at the Mesolithic Pitchstone Proc Soc Antiq Scot, 118 (1988), 37-59 Archaeological and palynological studies at the Mesolithic pitchston flind an et sit Auchareochf eo , Isl Arraf eo n late eTh Thoma Affleck*sL , Kevin Edwardsd an t Ann Clarke$ SUMMARY The results of an archaeological and environmental (mainly palynological) investigation of a site of Mesolithic presented.are inlandage The kame terrace site of Auchareoch Islethe ofon Arranhas produced some preserved features with over 4400 pitchstoneflintand finds, carbonizedand hazel-nut shells. The extent and character of the occupation area are assessed and shown to be extensive (300- 400m2). The environmental data demonstrate the limitations imposed by soil pollen and charcoal studies, suggestbut that area experiencedthe has possible hunter-gathering agriculturaland impacts, prior to soil deterioration and peat growth. An attempt is made to place the site in the wider context of the Mesolithic northernof Britain. INTRODUCTION Research shows that the south-west of Scotland was the location for widespread Mesolithic occupation (illu . Apars1) t fro lone mth g known coastal locatio possiblf no e settlement (Morrison 1980a; 1982) there was also an extensive inland presence of hunter-gatherer communities (Edwards et al 1983). The relatively large size of the Isle of Arran (c 32 x 17 km) might be expected to have yielded signMesolithia f so c presence. Apart fro earle mth y reference f Lacaillo s e (1954 unspecifieo t ) d localities producing artefacts, which were compared with the late Larnian of north-east Ireland, nothing had come to light until recently. In 1981 Fairhurst reported finds of microliths at Knockenkell Auchareochd yan additionn I . , polle charcoad nan l evidenc environmentaf eo l disturb- perioe ancth en i d conventionally ascribe Mesolithie th do t bees cha n reported from Machrie Moon ri the south-west of Arran (Robinson 1981; 1983; Mclntosh 1986). A survey by Alien and Edwards (forthcoming) gives detail f locationo s Arran o s n (includin Machrie gth e Moor area) which have produced lithic f pitchstonso flintd thesan n eI . e contexts Arra f greao s ni t interest becauss it f eo known pitchstone sources manufactur e useth n di Mesolithif eo lated can r artefact distributed san p du to 300 km from Arran sources (Mann 1918; Ritchie 1968; Williams Thorpe & Thorpe 1984). * Tom Affleck died on 11 March 1987 at the age of 61. This paper is published in memory of one of Scotland's most enthusiastic archaeologist much-missea d san d friend. t Schoo Geographyf o l , Universit Birminghamf yo , Birmingha 2T5 mTB1 t Artifact Research Unit, Royal Museu Scotlandmf o Coate5 , s Place, EdinburgA 7A 3 hEH 38 | SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND, 1988 south-wesf o p ILLUMa S1 t Scotland showin principae gth l locations mentione texe th tn di The site of Auchareoch was brought to our attention by Mr Chris Alien. Its importance lies in face th t producet thai t onl s no t yha d several thousand botf so h flinpitchstond an t e pieces t alsbu ,o enables tha archaeologica ha n carr o a t t ti t s dyu ou environmentad lan l investigatio pitchstona f no e site. The site lies in an abandoned sand and gravel quarry within forestry plantation. Quarrying in a kame terrace had uncovered fire spots, burnt stone, carbonized hazel-nut shells and over 4400 lithic findsinvestigatione e aimth f Th .so s reported here wer asseso et extene sth characte d an te th f o r Mesolithic occupation and to place the site in its environmental context. A first attempt is also made to place Auchareoch in the wider context of the Mesolithic of northern Britain. THE SITE Auchareoc hinlan m liek 4 s d fro e coasmth f souther o t n Arra 0-d north-easm 2k nan f o t Auchareoch far occupied m an (NG D 995R O sR sitN e 2 m locate e s 2472i Th 5 . 16 b) )t dd a (illu an a s2 a mound which is part of a dissected kame terrace which has suffered greatly from quarrying activities kame Th . e terrac northere e th lie n so n edgsmala f eo l basi draine w Kilmore nno th y db y Water and represents an ice-marginal deposit (Gemmell 1972). There was probably an overflow channe basisoute e othed th th f nho an lo t beneat r w kame areae no th e hn sar i coniferous foresto Tw . AFFLECK ETAL: THE MESOLITHIC SITE OF AUCHAREOCH, ISLE OF ARRAN 39 (a) (b) ILLUS 2 (a) Map of southern Arran; (b) map showing the situation of the Auchareoch site quarries have been opened into the site mound, one to its north and one to its south. These were originally opened and worked by the Forestry Commission and local people continued to extract sand from them. Although the northern and southern quarries as well as the disturbed area in-between have produced Mesolithic materials, this paper will focus upon the northern area. Illustration 3 display norte plasa th f hno quarr soute pard th f hyan o t quarry together wit transecha t acrose sth former. Mucarchaeologicae th f ho l attentio bees nha n devote platfore th o dt mexposure th are t abu e along the western side of the quarry has also been investigated with a view to assessing the extent of lithic distribution environmentae th d san l histor sitee th .f yo DISTRIBUTIOE TH LITHIF NO C FINDS GENERAL examination A aree th af nrevealeo d most lithic concentratee b o st bulldozee th n do d platform area between the two quarries. Their numbers appeared to decrease northwards away from the platform alon e westergth ne nort th fac f ho e quarry wit e limi hth f find o t s somfrom e m2 th e4 platform. Some lithics were also found in the northern face of the southern quarry but not in the east or west faces of the southern quarry or in the eastern face of the northern quarry; however, Mr Alien (pers comm founs ha ) d several piece thosn si e locations. Sinc aree eth f greates ao t lithic density platforappearee th e b mo dt area where fire pits containing carbonized hazel-nut shells were also apparent, it was decided to focus initial attention there. SURVE CONTROLLED YAN D LITHIC COLLECTIO STRIPPEDE TH N NO PLATFORM AREA aree Th a strippe topsoif dquarryine o th y lb g operations form somewhasa t irregularly-shaped platfor south-westere th nortt e ma th f ho quarrd nen yspoie 4)d (illuTh . an l fros3 strippine mth g operations was dumped at the eastern and western edges of the platform. The platform is some 44 m2 40 SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND, 1988 in area with greatest dimension 9-f salono 0 m g both north-sout east-wesd han t axes transecte Th . s A-A1 (illus 3) and B-B1 (illus 4) show the platform to slope downwards in a southerly and westerly direction. Most of the surface is a sandy soil with some gravel, but smaller areas with either a more loam-lik peatr eo y appearance were also recorded (illu gri, s4 d squares 22-30,32,38,39) surfacr .Fo e collection the area was gridded in 4 m2 units, with each numbered unit further sub-divided into four m1 lettered quadrants. Irregula rperimete e areath gridden e so th f ro d area were designatee th y db letter2 s E-K soie l.Th material overlyin presene gth t surfac platfore th f skimmees o mwa d very lightly but further detailed excavation was not undertaken. Lithic material was collected and bagged separatel eacr yfo h gri sampled1 uni16 t- alln si . Further samples fro surface mth adjacenf eo t spoil tips were also collected. ILLUS 3 Plan of the Auchareoch site AFFLECKETAL: THE MESOLITHIC SITE OF AUCHAREOCH, ISLE OF ARRAN 41 ILLU S4 platfore Plath f no m area 42 SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND, 1988 5m j Lithic density contours (no. m2) ILLUS 5 Lithics density contour map of the platform area Fro numbee mth f lithico r r squarspe e platforme metrth n eo pla a ,bees nha n constructed showing lithic density contours (illus 5). This shows three quite distinct locales of concentration over 80 lithics per m. These are all situated towards the western edge of the platform where the general lithic densitr m 2pe exces. n i 0 s y3 i f so 2 SOUTE TH H QUARRT YPI A pit at the northern end of the south quarry (illus 3) has been excavated by Mr Peter Strong who has put both his plans and material at our disposal. Illustration 6 presents a section drawing of the pit derived from Strong's site sketch. primare Th y filStrong'f o l t (illuspi laye, s6 containe) r6 d fused materia charcoalf lo , sand dan bone suggesting fire at a relatively high temperature. The red-brown sand of layer 7 could indicate a AFFLECKjET/l£: THE MESOLITHIC SITE OF AUCHAREOCH, ISLE OF ARRAN 43 w <=- Gravel Sand quarry face '•*[ Compact orange sand 0.5 m Rusty brown sand *Efl Dark brown humic sand including charcoal and lithics Root d humian s c sand Dark grey sand including charcoal and lithics Red— brown sand LeacheI i so d Tu rf and I i tter Bone fragment concentration n pao r nI ' ILLU S6 Section drawin soute th f hgo quarr t (afteypi r field sketch provide r PeteM y rdb Strong) natura partiad lan whict l infillinpi thes e hnwa th succeedef go furthey db r fire activity (layer e 4).Th boulder layen si werr7 fire-market eno ther d indicatioo n dan s ei n that they were 'pot boilers'.
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