Proc Soc Antiq Scot, 118 (1989), 219-229 Medieval corn-drying kilns at Capo, Kincardineshir Abercairnyd ean , Perthshire Annemarie Gibson* SUMMARY Radiocarbon dating of grain from circular corn-drying kilns Abercairnyat Capoand indicates that this type of kiln, traditionally regarded as being 16th- to 19th-century in date, was in use at least 500 years earlier. INTRODUCTION In 1984, three corn-drying kilns were excavate Scottise th y db h Central Excavation t Unita e ,on Abercairny, Perthshire (now Tayside Region Capot a o ,tw 224 ) 4 Kincardineshir d (NG90 ) an N RN e (now Grampian Region) (NO 626 675) (illus 1). The three kilns were of the same basic design and varied onl detailyn i threl .Al e were isolated structures round ,ha d kiln-bowl shord san t flue werd san e sunk into hillsides (illus 2,3,4). Although corn-drying kiln thif so s typ knowe ear n from many partf so Scotland, verhavw yfe e bee subjece nth f archaeologicao t l investigation. Similar kilns have been traditionally regarde 16ts 17td a han h century A datDsomn d i reportee an ear havo dt e been stiln li use in the 19th-century (Martin Brown, pers comm; Close-Brooks 1980, 340). A letter written in the 17th century by James, Lord Drummond, mentions foundations being dug for round kilns (Fraser 1825, 130). Such documentation and the absence of earlier dating evidence have prompted the conclusion that these structure post-medievae sar daten li . However result e excavatione th , th f so t sa Capo and Abercairny, coupled with the recent excavations of similar corn-driers at Chapelton, Tayside (Pollock 1985, 367), indicate that these round kiln 13te th h s n werei centur e factn us i , n yi , and before. Grain-dryin necessara s gi y ste cropn i p productio temperatn i e climes where summer cooe sar l and moist. There are three main reasons for grain-drying: as part of the malting process; the seed for nexe th t year's harvest mus driee b tstorager dfo ; and, most importantly preluda s a , grindino et g (Fenton 1978,375) grain-dryine Th . g process attache theso dt e kiln wels i l documented (Firth 1974, 24-25; Feachem 1957,49-50). A fire was lit at the mouth of a covered flue and the heat produced was drawn alon passage gth enteo et kil e rth n bowl below raisea d floor, usuall woodef yo iror no n struts. graie dries Th nthiwa n do s floobeddina n ro straf go sucr wo h like. In the Northern Isles up to the beginning of this century, and on mainland Scotland before the introduction of agricultural improvements over the course of the 18th century, almost every farm had its own kiln (SAS, V18, Kilsyth, 309). Much of the previous research on corn-drying kilns has been based on extant examples in Orkney and Shetland where two basic types survive: four-sided kilns and "Central Excavation Unit, HBM, 9 Melville St, Edinburgh 3 220 SOCIET ANTIQUARIEF YO SCOTLANDF SO , 1988 rounded kilns, both being integral parts of longhouses or barns. The Scottish mainland and Hebri- dean examples, however generalle ,ar y sited away fro homesteade mth circulae ;th r bow flud e elan ar sunk into the hillside and they often had no accompanying shelter. Fenton (1978,379) does point out that the apparently distinct regional variations in corn-driers (at Freswick, Caithness) may partly be e coincidencresule th th f o t f survivaleo , citin existence gth four-sidea f eo d kiln, found withina rectangular Viking structure. ABERCAIRNE TH 224Y4 KIL90 ) (illuN N(N ) s2 During exploratory excavations in March 1984 in advance of the proposed levelling of a natural gravel mound at Abercairny, Perth (illus 1), a corn-drying kiln was discovered. Previous to this, in December 1983, a cist had been discovered on the top of the mound and excavated. situatekils e south-south-ease nwa Th th n do knole t poinsida th t f a leo t wher slope eth e rose sharply flubeed d t almos ean ha kile ncu t nTh .pi t level int hillsidee oth , wit flue hth e entering from south-easte th e circulaTh . r chambe 1-c ( r5 diametermn i stone-flaggea d )ha d floor gape th ,n si which were sealed by a pink clay. The lower portion of the chamber wall was of vertical, drystone construction, founde flaggee th n do d floor, which uppe e ros heigha Th 0-o e. c t r 7f m portio to e th f no ILLUS 1 Locations of Abercairny and Capo GIBSON: MEDIEVAL CORN-DRYING1 22 KILN I S turf pink grey claasd hyan dark grey ash .B top soil turf ash charcoal 1 disturbance e AbercairnILLUTh S2 y kiln wall, constructe turvesf do , adde dfurthea thio t 0- c rs 7m height . These t continu turveno d sdi e eth vertica lowee l facth f eo r stone wal t splayelbu d outwards. Turves found withi kile n th nhav y filma el bee represeny n rooma para r f o o ft t collapsed turf walling lowee Th . r three course stone th f eso element were more smoke-blackened than blackenine thosth f eo abovep to ge probabl,th y marking positioe th raisee th f ndo floor. The flue was c 2 m long and had two construction phases. First, the flue had been cut into the hillside to a depth of c 0-9 m and a width of c 1 -6 m; clay was found adhering to its south side. Its width was subsequently reduce erectioe th y lin a b 1- o dverticaf f t ne 2o o m l stone slabbing which formeda 222 SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND, 1988 new wall. Turves found within the flue may have been part of the flue cover. The floor of the passage was covered with laminated, charcoal-rich deposits containing carbonized grain, some of which ran unde secondare rth y stone walling described above thoughs i t I . t that these deposits represent debris from successive firings of the kiln. Slight scorching at the entrance to the flue probably marks the positio intt subsoifire e e poinsoute cu e o steth th s A th th . f nf po ho twa o t l wher flue eth e enteree dth chamber. The bottom of the step was almost level with the supposed position of the raised floor and it could be that this step marks the point at which the contents of the kiln were loaded and unloaded. ture fTh wallinkil e bace th n th f bowkt o g beea d ha ln extensively burn somd an t e burnt turved sha collapsed on to the floor. It is reported that this type of kiln 'not only required frequent reparations but was extremely liable to accidents by fire' (SAS, V18, Kippen, 349). It appears that the Abercairny kiln was abandoned after one such fire. The flooring spars were removed and a massive boulder (1-5 mxl-5 rolles mwa ) d int kile oth n bowl. No finds other than charcoal or carbonized grain were recovered from the kiln. Abercairnn A y estate improvemen 177f o 5p (SROt ma 1006P RH ,) show proximite sth e th f yo excavated kil Millntono nt far,a m tow whicf no surfaco n h therw eno tracs ei e als(illup oma se 3).Th show milsa l witkeyhole-shapeo htw d barn kilns nearby (author's interpretation) likels i t I . y that these large barn kilns represen typw f kilne eo na t introduced durin e periogth f agriculturado l improvement 18te th hn si century 1796n I . Statisticale th , Account Kilsytr fo h reported: '50 years ago . every farmer had his own kiln for drying his corns. A common kiln is now erected near each miln, where every farmer get grais sr boil'hi npe dried . 6 (SAS, t da V18, Kilsyth, 309). Abercairnn ILLUA S3 y estate improvemen f 177o p 5 ma t GIBSON: MEDIEVAL CORN-DRYING3 KILN22 | S The smaller and earlier Abercairny kiln is of the type owned by an individual farmer which was situated away fro othee mth r farm buildings becaus frequenf eo t accidents (Feachem 1957, 60)s i t I . possible that the Abercairny kiln was associated with an earlier, medieval, settlement on the site of Millnton. THE CAPO KILNS (NO 626 675) Quarrying during June 1984 at the Tilcon Quarry, Kincardine and Deeside, revealed what appeared to be two stone-lined pits. The HBMD was notifed by Mr I Shepherd, the Grampian Regional Archaeologis smala d ltan excavatio undertakes nwa Centrae th y nb l Excavation Unit. Both features proved to be corn-drying kilns which had been destroyed by fire. The kilns lay 7-0 m apart on edg e gravea th f eo l outwash terrace abov Rivee eth north/north-wesa r n Norto k hEs t facing slope. KIL (illuNA ) s4 rouna d Kildha kiln-chambenA diametern i 2-c r( 8 m ) wit hshora t flue (1- long5m ) leading into it from the north-west. The back of the kiln had been clipped during gravel extraction and a later machine cut (measuring 3-2x 1-2 m) had been sunk to floor level on its west side. The chamber had a stone-flagged floor bedded in clean pink clay. A turf wall was built on this clay and stood to a height of 1-2 m, reaching the top of the chamber pit.