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Excavations in the Ceremonial Complex of the Fourth to Second Millennium BC at Balfarg/Balbirnie, Glenrothes, Fife

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Excavations in the Ceremonial Complex of the Fourth to Second Millennium BC at Balfarg/Balbirnie, Glenrothes, Fife Proc Antiqc So Scot, (1993)3 12 , 43-210, fiche 1:A4-D4 Excavation ceremoniae th n si l comple fourte th f xho secono t d millennium B Ct Balfarg/Balbirniea , Glenrothes, Fife Edited by Gordon J Barclay* & Christopher J Russell-Whitef From texreportd an t s prepare : Gordodby nBarclayJ , Lin Barnetson, Jaqueline Birnie, Gordon Cook, Trevor Cowie, Magnar Dalland, Jane Downes, Alan Fairweather, Audrey Henshall, David Hogg, David Jordan McCullaghd ,Ro , Valerie McLellan, Brian Moffat, David Reed, Colin Richards, Christophe Russell-WhiterJ , lan Shepherd, Helen Smith, NicholaP s Tavene Carolind ran e Wickham-Jones 'Perfection obtainto such in once,at powerbodymen the any of inquiries in of not is whatever may be the extent of their views or the vigour of their exertions.' (Baile Culley& y 1805) ABSTRACT The portions Balfarg/Balbirniethe of ceremonial complex excavated between 1983 1985and are described related portionsand the previously:to dug Balbirnie stone circle Balfargand henge. The prehistoric ceremonial use of the area seems to have lasted from early in the third millennium until second the late in millennium terms(in uncalibratedof BC radiocarbon dates). sequenceThe began with diggingpit potteryand deposition site, partsthe two of in near Balfarg Riding School (BRS) and to the west of the Balfarg henge. Then, two timber structures, possibly with a mortuary function, were erected at BRS, probably in the early/mid third millennium (uncalibrated).moundedwas BC two overlaterthe surrounded The and of by a circular ditched enclosure (a henge?); this activity was associated with the deposition of Grooved Ware. At about the same time, at the west end of the site, a similar deposition of burnt and broken Grooved Ware predates the construction of the Balfarg henge, with its timber stoneand circles, there and evidence is Balbirnie firstof the of use the stone circle. Later in the third millennium BC (uncalibrated) and in the second millennium, during Histori* c Scotland Brando0 2 , n Street, Edinburgh t 129 Lochend Road, Edinburgh 44 SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND, 1993 Balfarg B |':-:-:-:;:';:j:'-| Recent housing development Land over 100m Contour metren si s N 10km ILLU 1 S Locatio e nlocatioe are mapTh f illuTh s markeao . i . C f fou4 s no p rd ma possibl 'Dn o ' y related sites i s shown: 1. Kinloch Farm - possible Neolithic settlement; 2. Strathmiglo - hengiform enclosure; 3. Balmalcol m- hengifor m enclosure . Rossi4 ; e Drai n- hengifor m enclosure. (Based uponOrdnancee th Survey Crownmap copyright) BARCLAY & RUSSELL-WHITE: EXCAVATIONS AT BALFARG/BALBIRNIE 45 prolongedBalfargthe the of Balbirniehengeuse the and stone circle, complexa sequenceof events unfolds BRS,at including diggingthe ring-ditcha erectionof the two and of concentric ring-cairns and a further cairn. complexthe of use there episodesLatethe are in burialof associated with Beakerand Food Vessel pottery. Most burials are simple cremations, mainly in the area of Balbirnie stone circle, all apparently late in the sequence of the sites on which they are found. At the west end of the complex cremations were deposited in simple urns. The excavation was undertaken by Historic Scotland. SECTIO INTRODUCTION1 N BarclaJ G y CONTENT1 1. S Section 1 Introduction - G J Barclay p 45 1 Content1. s nature repore 1.forTh d th 2 ef an m o t 1.3 The topographical context of the complex 1.4 Background to the excavation 1.5 Excavation and sampling 1.6 Preservation, restoration and display 1.7 Summary topographye reporth n o t , soil sedimentd san JordaD s- n 1.8 The prehistoric pottery: an introduction to the reports - T G Cowie & A S Henshall Sectio n2 Descriptio Interpretatiod nan BarclayJ G n- Russell-WhitJ C , e& P N Tavener p 57 2.1 Earlier Neolithic Pits 2.1.1 Earlier Neolithic pits in Area C 2.1.2 Earlier Neolithic pit Aren si aA 2.1.Neolithie Th 3 c pottery: vessels P1-P40: plain Neolithic pottery (Groups 1 & 2) - T G Cowie rectilineae Th 2 2. r timber structure lated san r activity associated 6 7 p with Grooved Ware 2.2.1 Timber Structure 1 2.2.2 Timber Structur othed an re2 feature enclosursS withiBR e nth e 2.2.3 Grooved Ware pits 2.2.4 The ditch of the Balfarg Riding School Enclosure Groove2.2.e Th 5 d Ware: vessels P41-P82 -AS Henshall 2.2.6 Basketry and textile impressions on the Grooved Ware - V J McLellan 2.2.7 An assessment of the residues on the Grooved Ware - B Moffat 2.3 Later Neolithic and Earlier Bronze Age Activity p 110 2.3.1 Ring-ditch, ring-cair caird nan n sequence 2.3.2 Soils buried beneath Ring-cair JordaD - nA 2.3.3 Later Neolithic Impressed Ware: vessels P83-P114 - T G Cowie 46 | SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND, 1993 2.3.4 Activity associated with Beaker pottery 2.3.5 Beaker pottery: vessels P115-P153 - T G Cowie 2.3.6 Burials associated with CairnB Fooe 2.3.dTh 7 Vessels : P154-P15 CowiG T 5e- Jet2.3.e : Th summar8 discussiod Shepheryan G A I n- d 2.3.9 Cremations and pits at the west edge of the site 2.3.1 Buckee 0Th t Urns: vessels P156-P15 CowiG T 8e- 4 Feature2. s Locate6 d enclosur14 S Betwee p BR e Henge th n th e d (Areean ) aB Section3 Non-Period-specifi 15p 1 c Specialist Contributions stone 3.Th e1 assemblag Wickham-JoneR C e- ReeD s& d 9 15 p 2 Radiocarbo3. n datin calibratiod gan n 3.2.1 The charcoal samples and the radiocarbon dates - G Cook & R McCullagh calibratio3.2.e Th radiocarbo2e th f no n date DallanM s- d Fieldwalkine 3.Th 3 g Exercis DowneJ e- RichardC s& s Sectio n4 Sit e Discussio BarclayJ G n- : 5 breakdowa 16 p contente th discussioe f nth o f so n appear n so FICHE Catalogue potter f HenshalCowiS so G A T ye- & l 1:A5-C9 Catalogu stonf :C10-Deo 1 e artefact Wickham-Jone4R C s- ReeD s& d NATURE 1. 2REPORTH E FORD TH E AN F MO T This report conform Historio st c Scotland's draft publication policy interpretatioe ; th tha , is t f no e sit s th presenteei d together with sufficient descriptio f relevanno t feature supporo t s e th t conclusions of the excavator and to allow very limited re-working of the evidence. The editors of this report do not believe in the particular usefulness of the publication of large quantities of more detailed excavation evidenc microfichen ei readee th ; referres ri d instea excavatioe th o dt n archiv Nationae th n ei l Monuments Recor f Scotlanddo microfiche Th . e appende thio dt s report, therefore, contains onl cataloguee yth pottere th stond f so y an e artefacts alloo t , w relatively easy access to this specialist material. We have attempted to follow Alcock's prescription (1978); he suggeste e mosdth . tthat . tha . ' s neede:i t summara s di y accoun f majoo t r structures, most characteristic finds outlind an , e site history; with just enough presentatio basie th f cn o evidenc e demonstrato t maie th nw stratigraphieho c sequenc s establishedi e witd e excavator'an ,hth s preferred solutions to all problems ... set out and justified as economically as possible'. Possibly rather more has been presented than Alcock would have wished. However, the editors present what they woul repora n i dthif e to wissse kindo ht . The interpretation of the excavated evidence suggests the sequence of events shown in illus 2. In the printed text the groups of features (pits, post-holes, etc) are described and interprete e firsth t n i dsection , broadl e chronologicath n yi l order interpretee th y b d excavator. The site feature numbers (eg F2501) are used throughout the report where they are relevant e locationTh .l featureal f so s believe t certainlf naturao dno e b lo y t origi n (wite hth exception of features within the timber structures) are shown on illus 7 (Area A, to the west BARCLAY & RUSSELL-WHITE: EXCAVATIONS AT BALFARG/BALBIRNIE 47 a r Ye 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 Pit digging and deposition of earlier Neolithic pots. Group 1 pottery Group 2 pottery timbeo tw f ro erectiostructurese e us Th d nan , probabl exposure th deadr e yfo th f e.o The sealing of the timber structures at Balfarg Riding School under mounds ditche;a d enclosur formes ei d round one. Grooved Ware pottery, charcoa burnd lan t bone is deposited in it. The formation of a ditched enclosure around structure 2, with Grooved Ware. The deposition of Grooved Ware, charcoal & burnt bone, followed on the same site by the erection of Balfarg Henge (timber phase) Early activit site Balbirnif eth o n yo e Stone Circle; Grooved Ware deposition. The erection of the stone circle on Balfarg Henge. The construction and use of Balbirnie Stone Circle constructione Th modificatiod an e ,us e th f no ring-ditch/ring-cairn complex at Balfarg Riding School. Depositio AOf no C Beaker potter uppee th yn i r fillf so Balfare th g Riding School ditch. Food Vessel accompanied burials. The late Beaker accompanied burials on Balfarg Henge and Balbirnie Stone Circle. Cremation burials to the west of Balfarg Henge. Cooking pits to east of Balfarg Henge. ILLUS 2 Date chart: the solid blocks show the span of each activity, as indicated by calibrated radiocarbon dates opee th ; n block interpretatione sar s only.
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