ISCOVERY "EXCAVATION in SCOTLAND Published by THE SCOTTISH GROUP Council for British Archaeology DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND 1973 EDWINA V. W. PROUDFOOT, Editor. DR. M. E. C. STEWART, Advisory Editor. An Annual Summary of Scottish Archaeological Discoveries , Excavations , Surveys and Publications. Published by THE SCOTTISH GROUP COUNCIL FOR BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGY Contributions and correspondence should be addressed to Mrs. E. V. W. Proudfoot, Hon. Editor, Discovery and Excavation in Scotland, The Univer- sity, St. Andrews, Fife. ISSN 0419-411X NOTES FOR CONTRIBUTORS 1. Contributions should be brief statements of work undertaken. 2. Each entry should be on a separate page, typed, double spaced. 3. Two copies of each entry are required. 4. The Editors reserve the right to shorten entries. 5. All correspondence concerning contributions after publication should be addressed to the contributor. 6. Contributions must be submitted by October^ 31^, but may be forwarded at any time before that date. 7. Entries should be sent to The Editor, Pis covery and Excavation In Scotland. The University, St. Andrews, Fife. Please use the following format:- REGION DISTRICT Contributor SDD(AM) if applicable Type of site/find NCR {Letters and 6 figures) Brief report. Name of Contributor Address ii EDITORIAL For more than twenty five years DISCOVERS AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND has been published annually, and, from the start, has been ed- ited by Dr. Margaret Stewart. It is thanks to her hard work, and that of Charlotte Lythe, whom she assisted for the last eight years, that D & E has survived to become the unique record it is. This is the last issue with which Dr. Stewart will be directly concerned as Honorary Ad- visory Editor and the thanks of contributors past and present are ex- tended to her for her work over the years. E.V.W.P., Editor. Regular readers of DISCOVER? AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND will notice some changes in this issue, some for financial reasons, others as part of a modernisation programme. Counties and parishes have given way to REGIONS and DISTRICTS, an inevitable change now Regions and Districts are the administrative units in Scotland, Many entries were already submitted in this way, an indication that the time was ripe for change. We have reinstated the BIBLIOGRAPHY, which has been sorely missed, and our thanks go to the contributors Anne O'Connor and David Clarke for providing this. Attention is drawn to the relocation of the small finds list. Small finds are no longer tabulated, but are listed as normal entries. We hope readers will find this a convenience, since all ent- ries for Districts are now together. Our thanks to the Ordnance Survey must again be recorded for their assistance in verifying grid references, and for checking that the Editors' Region and District conversions were correct. We wish to record our thanks to the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Scotland who have again offered to pay a sub- stantial proportion of the printing coat of their entry, and that of the National Monuments Record. It is with pleasure we are able to record that the Scottish Development Department (Ancient Monuments), previously the Department of the Environment, have made a similar offer in respect of excavations and surveys funded by the Department. NOTES FOR CONTRIBUTORS are now printed behind the title page, and a Pro forma is included. Two copies of each entry must be supplied,one for editorial use and the other for the Ordnance Survey and for the National Monuments Record. This will greatly reduce the burden on the Editors who have very little time in which to organise all the entries so that DISCOVER? AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND will "be ready for the ACM on the last Saturday in January. Send contributions at any time, but the latest date for acceptance is OCTOBER 31. Entries received after that date will be held over for the next issue. DISCOVER? AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND is a handbook for use by any- one interested in field archaeology in Scotland. Encourage all members of your Society, field class, friends,.etc., to buy their own copy. EDWINA V.W. PROUDFOOT Editors MARGARET E.C. STEWART iii BORDERS BERWICK 1. FAST CASTLE Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society per E. Robertson. Wall NT 871710 Excavations in the inner lower courtyard revealed part of a wall, parallel with the 'brewhouse', constructed of greywacke and clay bonded. Finds have included bone, pottery, musket balls, glass and a small amber bead. (Disc and Exc'Saot, l9?5, 16. 1976, 122. 19??, 9). 2. V. MAINS J.B. Kenworthy Polished axe/adze NT 804703 Greenstone, 129mm long. Found pre-1939. Owner Major J.H. Underwood, Inchdairnie, Strathkinness, Fife. TWEgDD.ALE 3. GREEN KNOWE G. Jobey SDD(AM) Unenclosed Platform Settlement, Cairn NT 212434 In 1978 platform 5, a stance for a round timber house, was excavated. This house was of two phases. Rubbers, saddle querns, and sherds similar to Flat Rim Ware were found, (cf. Feachem Proa Soo Antiq Soot, 94) A robbed cairn of two phases was excavated. An outer kerb, 19m in diameter was largely in position, and the 13m diameter robbed inner kerb was located from stone holes . Within the central area, enclosed by the inner kerb four burials and pits were found. 1. Central pit, 30 v-perforated buttons, pulley ring and toggle; all of jet. 2 Shallow pit^burial, Beaker. 3. Partly sunken short-cist, jet necklace of 110 graded disc-beads. 4. Robbed short cist, large cap-stone (large erratic boulder shown on RCAHMS, •Peebles, No.24). In the area between the kerbs were five pits and burials. I. Disturbed pit, sherds of two different Beakers. 2. Small intrusive cist burial, complete late Beaker. 3.Small pit, scattered sherds of Beaker. 4. Cremation, Collared Urn, Accessory Vessel. 5. Unaccompanied cremation in pit. Loose finds indicated the former presence of at least one beaker burial and additional cremat- ions. CENTRAL STIRLING 4. DRUMQUHASSLE RCAHMS Roman Fort NS 484874 Trial excavation confirmed that the fort measured approx- imately 110m by 130m over the rampart. There was only one period of occupation, at the close of which the defences were deliberately slighted; pottery of the late 1st century A D was recovered from the innermost ditch on the E side. FAIRY KNOWE Lorna Main SDD (AM) Broch NS 585942 Excavation of the main broch structure was completed (D-f.Ct: and Exe Scot, 1975, ?C, 77). The timber structure noted in 1977 was excavated and confirmed as a round house, 7.9m in diameter. Eleven main post holes were set around a hearth, and there was a ring groove, which contained regularly placed stake holes. Addition- al supports were provided at the entrance on the SE. The charred remains of five main structural uprights survived in situ. Finds included a rotary quern fragment, iron objects, Samlan and amphora sherds, stone weights and three sherds of native pottery. SOUTH FACE OF CAMPS1E FELLS - Survey R. M.Spearman, 'A.7). Foxon Cairn, possible NS 632797 At edge of S-facing scarp slope of the Fells, an over- grown stone mound c.4m across, 1m high, on a platform. Scooped settlement, probable NS 638796 Set back from the scarp edge, SE-facing scoop, level "floor" 12mNESW by 'SmNtfSE. Farmstead/shielings, remains NS 628792 At foot of stone fall, 2 adjoining rectlinear stone buildings (5.3 by 7.4m) of 2 periods, with attached curving wall to S. 15m to 'E are 3 separate sub-rectangular stone huts exter- nally 5 by 2.5m. Other walling nearby. NS 628795 In flat area under cliffs, 8-10 stone huts, the largest 7.3 by 3.3m externally, having a central division and 3 extensions at end and side. NS 630795 Stone hut 5 by 2.5m. Shieling 2.5 by 2m nearby. NS 630796 Sub-rectangular stone hut, utilising natural boulder, 5.5 by 3.5m externally, with associated walling. NS 635794 Immediately W of present field dyke, 2 sub-rectangular stone huts; possibly 3 more, as well as enclosure dykes. Best sur- viving 8.5 by 3.3m externally, with internal division. NS 636793 - NS 636792 In depression in hill-slope, area of settle- ment on 4 levels. 4 sub-rectangular stone huts, associated walling, 2 lime/corn-drying kilns and Indefinable stone shapes. Quarrying for limestone also in evidence. NS 637795 On level area, 6-7 sub-rectangular stone huts, largest externally 6.7 by 3.4m, 2 stone D-shapes 3 by 2.5m, enclosure wall- ing. NS 641791 5-6 stone huts by and adjoining sheepfold shown on 1865 Stirlingshire OS map (County Series). STIRLING CASTLE C. Tabraham SDD (AM) Foundations, etc. NS 790940 Prior to completion of pipe and cable laying across the access road North of the Overport Battery to a point within the Queen Anne Gardens four trial trenches were sunk. The first two trenches yielded largely 18th century material, sealing a series of earlier tipped deposits. A further two trenches in the vicinity of the Queen Anne Gardens;- one brought a short stretch of probable 16th century wall foundation to light and the other an 18th century garden wall and associated cobbled surface. A fifth area was excavated to the North of the existing flanker chamber and most of the earlier 16th century flanker wall was ex- posed, thus confirming the findings of the earlier phase of excav- ations in this area. 8. TAPPOCH BROCH N. Aitchison Stone carving NS 833849 There is a complex carving on a recumbent stone slab at the end of the entrance passage, immediately inside the broch. The carving is of a bar, 14cm long, over an oval, 9cm wide at one end, and a figure of eight at the other.