The Burgh of Inverurie, Aberdeenshire: Archaeological Evidence from a Medieval Lordship Stephen P Carter*
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Proc Soc Antiq Scot, 129 (1999), 649-661 The burgh of Inverurie, Aberdeenshire: archaeological evidence from a medieval lordship Stephen P Carter* ABSTRACT This paper offers a review of recent archaeological investigations in Inverurie and places them in the historical context of the 12th-century Lordship of Garioch. Results of excavations in the Stunners, close to the Bass of Inverurie, suggest that this was not the original location of the burgh. The probable site modernburgh ofthe the on High produce to Street failed evidencefar has any so for medieval activity. This negative result is explained by reference to the likely nature and function of burgh 12th13ththe the and in centuries. suggestedis It that burghs like Inverurie have littlein common with the better-known trading burghs and should be treated as components of a medieval lordship. INVERURTE AND THE BURGH SURVEY: ARCHAEOLOGICAL AGENDA 1970e th n ssurga I f interes eo archaeologe th n i t f medievayo l Scottish burghs highlighteo dtw issues: the potential for significant results from archaeological investigation contrasting strongly wit lace knowledghf th k o archaeologicae th f eo l depositd en burghs e e th almos n th f s i o y l B . al t onls 1970e o fAberdeeth n y wa i t si Pertd nan h tha archaeologicae th t l potentia beed lha n realized extenty an her d resulte o t ,an e th s were extremely encouraging (Holdsworth 1987; Murray 1982). Progress in these two burghs was consolidated by the establishment of the Urban Archaeology Uni PertCitn e i t Aberdeeth f 197n y ho i d 8an n Archaeologica lfollowin e Unith n i t g yearn a n I . attemp addreso t widee sth r lac knowledgf ko e abou medievae th t l burghs placo t d e an ,futur e archaeological worfira mn ko footing 197n i , e the6th n Ancient Monuments Divisioe th f no Department of the Environment established the Scottish Burgh Survey in the Department of Archaeology, Universit f Glasgoyo w (Murray 1984). Ove yearperioa x r si f so d fro m 197o 7t 1983 Gourla Turner& y latterld an , y Turner-Simpso Stevenson& n , researche produced dan d summary reporthistore th archaeologd n so yan Scottis3 5 f yo h burghs Murras A . y (1984s ha ) 8 , noted, the choice of burghs for the survey was somewhat random with no explicit criteria for selectio emphasie th t clearls earliee nbu th swa n yro foundations (pre-1450), base Pryde'n do s (1965) list of settlements with burgh status. repore Th Inverurin o t e (Gourla earlies e Turne produceye & th b f o o t re y 1977on db s )wa the Scottish Burgh typicas Survewa reporte smallemanf e d o lth th y an f n yo o sr burghs: scanty early documentatio a s lacwel a f nrecens o ka l t archaeological work left basic questions unanswered abou histor e burghe th t historth e f yo Th . Inverurief yo summarizes a , Gourlay db y * Headland Archaeology Ltd, Albion Business Centre, 78 Albion Road, Edinburgh EH7 5QZ | SOCIET 0 65 ANTIQUARIEF YO SCOTLANDF SO , 1999 & Turner brie s i ,straightforwardd fan r interpretatioFo . n they relied primaril Reve th dn y o Joh n Davidson's monumental Inverurie and the Earldom of the Garioch, published in 1878, with more recent analysis by W Douglas Simpson (1943; 1949). The origins of Inverurie lie in a substantial grant of land in the Garioch by King William I to his younger brother David in 1178 x 1182. David, soon to become Earl of Huntingdon, established the caput of his new Lordship at Inverurie and by the end of the century he had constructed a castle (the Bass of Inverurie), moved parise th h churc Inverurio ht founded ean burghda . Afte earle th r y decade 13te th h f scenturo y the records fail and Inverurie's role in the Wars of Independence is not explicitly documented. A substantial documentary record startd 16tmi h s e centuronlth n yi y wit e re-creatiohth f o n Inveruri royaa s ea l burgh under Queen Mar 1558n yi . Gourlay & Turner (1977, 7) identified two principal archaeological issues requiring attentio Inverurien i . First questioe , therth origina e s th ef wa no l locatio originae th f no l burgh. Accordin Simpsoo gt n (1943, 127 areknown w Stannera e ) athis th no sout e s nswa a th f ho o st the Bas enclosed sconfluencan e th Urid y Riverde an b e th n (illuf eo sDo s suggeste1)e H . d that the burgh was moved, perhaps in the early 14th century, to the present High Street when the declining need for defence was balanced by the advantages of a site off the floodplain of the Don. Simpso direco n d tn ha evidenc thir efo s histor Gourlad yan Turney& r treate witt d cautioni e hdu . It should be noted that their reference (Gourlay & Turner 1977, 8) to cropmarks of timber building Stannere th n si s arises fro mmisunderstandina musd gdiscountean e b t I Shepherdd( , pers comm). Regardles e lac f th evidenceo k f o s , Simpson's assertion inevitably raisee th d question: where was the original site of the burgh? The second issue emphasized by Gourlay & Turner was the need to date the development and expansion of the burgh on its present site. Progres botn o s f thesho e issues required archaeological investigatio thed nan y recommended that all development sites shoul investigatede db , both withi presene nth t histori cHige corth ht ea Street and in the Stanners beside the Bass (areas marked in illus 1). Since 1977 the Burgh Survey report on Inverurie has acted as a trigger for archaeological investigations in the burgh and, to date, there have been five development-led investigations. Ther alss eha o been progres fiele historicaf th d o n si l research culminatin publicatioe th n gi f no the study by Keith Stringer (1985) of Earl David of Huntingdon, the founder of the burgh of Inverurie. The purpose of the present report is therefore twofold: to assess the findings of the recent archaeological and historical investigations and to discuss the implications for our understanding of the history of Inverurie; and, in the light of these findings, to review our current approach as archaeologists to the small medieval burghs and, in particular, highlight the role of the Lordships in the creation and shaping of burghs in Scotland. RECENT ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS IN INVERURIE WATCHING BRIEFS AND TRIAL TRENCHING ON THE HIGH STREET, 1988-93 Redevelopmen lanf o t d withi burgvicinite e corHige e th th nr f th th n eho i hf fa y o o Strees s ha t led to four small-scale archaeological investigations (see illus 1 for site locations). These were typical urban evaluations comprising watching brief r limiteo s d trial trenchin l yieldeal d dgan negativ medievae th es a result r lfa burgs sa concerneds hi featureo N . artefactr so medievaf so r o l early post-medieval date were noted durinthesf o y eg an investigations . CARTER: BURG F INVERURIHO 1 65 I E ILLU S1 Inverurie modere :th n tow locationd nan archaeologicaf so l investigations (BasedOrdnancee th n o Survey map © Crown copyright) | SOCIET 2 65 ANTIQUARIEF YO SCOTLANDF SO , 1999 Conyng Hillock Watching Brief (1988) Shepherd:I , Grampian Regional Council (DBS 1988) 14 , A watching brie maintaines fwa d durin erectioe gth dwellina f no g hous garagd ean e nea base rConynth f eo g Hillock. This substantial prehistoric funerary mound, a Scheduled Ancient Monument, was the primary watchintargee th f o t moune g th brie t dbu f also lies within former burgh backland wese th e t n sidsth o f eo High Street. 31-35 High Street Watching Brief (1992) Moloney:C , Scottish Urban Archaeological Trust A watching brie maintaines fwa d during construction wor backlanda n ko s site behind 31-35 High Street. 84-86 High Street Trial Trenches (1993): R Cachart, Scottish Urban Archaeological Trust (DBS 1993, 34) Five trial trenches were excavate backlande frontagth e n th i n d o thif esan o s property frontage Th . s ewa disturbed by a modern cellar; in the backlands there was a deep topsoil with a number of features containing modern artefacts. 63 Market Place Watching Brief (1993) MackenzieR :J , Scottish Urban Archaeological Trust (DBS 1993) 34 , Monitorin foundatiof go n trenches stree e closth o ett frontage revealed only modern deposits. EXCAVATIONS IN THE STANNERS The fifth archaeological investigation in Inverurie was undertaken by Headland Archaeology early in 1998 and involved the evaluation of a 5 ha site in the northern part of the Stanners, adjacen Base th Inverurif so o t t resulte (illu Th summarize e . sar s2) d fula her d l accounean s ha t been deposite Nationae th t da l Monuments Recor Scotlanf do d (RCAHMS Aberdeenshird )an e Sites and Monuments Record. Excavation revealed deep accumulation f alluviuso m ove Stannere th r s which continued belo watertablee wth . Occasional fragment potterf o sspindla d yan e whorl were recovered from isolate w alluviue fe th a dd mfeaturean uncertaif so n origin were identified below alluviue th mt a lower limi excavationf o t bel A .infillef o t d river channel locates northere swa th t da ne edgth f eo Stanners, running parallel and adjacent to the Keithhall Road (illus 2).