Issue 169
July 2008
Society Activities
Lectures
Nothing more now until Wednesday, 15th October when we have Helen Bradley on Adopt-a Monument.
Archaeomagnetic Dating at Castlehill, Penicuik
We have received the report on the Archaeomagnetic Dating at Castlehill. Sadly it was unsuccessful – rather than reproduce the full report I have just copied the summary –
“A total of 25 samples were collected and all the samples had a measurable remanence but the magnetisation was weak. These results indicate that most of the material sampled does not contain sufficient magnetic minerals to record a consistent and stable magnetic direction or was not heated to an adequate temperature and therefore are unable to produce a reliable archaeomagnetic date. It was not possible to produce an archaeomagnetic date for either the feature from trench 2 or for trench 1. The archaeomagnetic evidence is not able to determine if the activity in either trench relates to any proposed Iron Age occupation in the vicinity.”
Excavation on the Dalmeny Estate
Two years ago we were joined by members of the University of Edinburgh Archaeology Dept. to dig a series of test pits in the field on the W side of the River Almond in the area where we had found the largest number of lithics in our 1997-9 field walking. The lithics were confirmed as Mesolithic by Dr Catriona Pickard who supervised the dig and who, on the last day of excavation in August 2006, recovered carbonised hazelnut shells from the final pit excavated. The hope has always been that this site would be of similar date to that excavated in Cramond in our Trench F-G which holds the record for the oldest dated site in Scotland at 10K years B.P.
The Factor of Dalmeny Estate has given outline permission that, once the present crop is off the field, a larger examination of the area from which the hazelnut shells were recovered can take place. By September the shells will have been carbon dated. We will let you know once the date of access to the field is confirmed. The dig will again be supervised by Catriona.
Penicuik
Our dig at Castle Hill is now closed down for the season.
Acrehead
The site of this farm (recorded on the Bavelaw Estate in 1776 but not since) has been surveyed as part of the Scottish Rural Past project. To see whether we can add further information on the farm we will make a ground resistance survey on 9th August. The area is only about 800sq.m. so the proposal is to do it twice using 0.5 and 1.0m mobile probe spacing to see whether a deeper ‘look’ gives any difference in building outline.
Magnetometry Survey to the East of Cramond House
The field to the E of Cramond House was relayed out in 20 by 20m squares on 19th May in preparation for the survey conducted by Dr Peter Morris on 20th May. All went well and there was no need to protect equipment from the rain. Peter, in his usual efficient manner, emailed a variety of different printouts of the results that evening. Some very significant magnetic anomalies showed up but before any conclusions could be made we had to return to survey in the more recently planted trees that were within cattle proof fencing. The wire that holds the fencing together has a large magnetic signature that has to be discounted. There are, thankfully, many more magnetic anomalies than there are fenced trees.
The probable Roman bank/wall and ditch, that was identified in the ground resistance and linear array surveys, shows up well in the magnetic survey on the edge of the old raised beach. The line curves to the S at the E end and heads NW at the W end, in both cases following the line of the raised beach shown in the Drift Geology map. This is also the line of the walkway shown in the Bauchop map of 1815 and appears to continue the line of the Roman ditch found by Nick Holmes beside the Tower.
A number of magnetic anomalies appear beside the ‘wall’ in the extreme NE corner just where Roman ovens could have been built. There are many lines parallel to the tree avenue which may indicate garden features but, as the raised beach is also on this bearing, they could equally well be Roman features parallel to the wall. Once the best interpretation has been made the project will be written up as requested by Historic Scotland when giving their permission to survey over the Scheduled Area.
Ogilface Castle, Armadale
The geophysical survey, made last year in conjunction with Dr John Wells and with magnetometry conducted by Dr Peter Morris, was written up as EAFS Geophysical Paper No 19. It covered the area ground resistance and the magnetometry but could throw no light on where the descending steps from the castle led. These steps were partially excavated by a team from Armadale Academy some 20 years ago. Peter now has a resistive linear array kit to make surveys that, with probes at 1.0m spacing, can ‘look’ to a depth of about 2.5m. It is possible to ‘look’ more deeply with wider probe spacing but this results in a loss of detail.
John has arranged permission from the farmer and we will work with Peter on 5th August to survey for a possible cellar or dungeon. Even if it is completely infilled the walls should appear as high resistance. Linear array measurements have given good indications of Roman ditches at Cramond but to ‘look’ for a dungeon is a new challenge. Should the weather on the 5th be dreadful, the survey will be on the 7th.
Issue 167
Newsletter – Issue 167, March 2008
Society Activities
Lectures
On Wednesday, 16th April, Tertia Barnett will be talking on ‘Getting involved with Scotland’s Rural Past’ and there will be the opportunity for those interested in getting involved with this project to get more information.
David Connolly will be talking to us on Tuesday, 13th May, on ‘New Frontiers – Romans in the Lothians’.
The November talk by Simon Stronach has had to be changed as he will be far away at the time. Instead his colleague, Liz Jones, will be talking on ‘Recent Excavations in the Cowgate, Edinburgh – the medieval town and its defences’.
Outing
Visit to Cramond Tower: Thursday, 1st May at 7 pm (from Val Dean)
The Jamieson family has very kindly agreed to host a visit to the early 15th century Cramond Tower. The derelict tower was restored by them in the late 1970’s and a modern extension added in 1992 (on the footprint of an earlier extension, excavated by the Society).
Cramond Post-excavation
The Society was delighted to receive a very generous donation from the Robert Kiln Trust which has enabled us to have the coin assemblage from the 1988-2001 excavations cleaned and conserved prior to their going to Nicholas Holmes for examination and report. Our most grateful thanks to the Trust.
Surveys in 2007 at Penicuik, Manuel and Ogilface
The reports for these three surveys, due to reach Historic Scotland before the end of March, were completed rather more quickly than expected. They were dispatched to Historic Scotland for approval on 18th February and by the end of that week a letter arrived saying they were ‘entirely acceptable’ and ‘thoroughly competent pieces of work. My congratulations to all involved’.
Fieldwalking at Carriden, 8th March 2008 (from Ian Hawkins)
EAFS again provided a good turn out of members to assist Geoff Bailey with fieldwalking the eastern part of Carriden Roman fort. On a very wet day which fortunately dried up in the late morning, a good quantity of Roman pottery was recovered including amphora, possible mortaria and several sherds of samian ware, including one decorated piece. We await Geoff’s report with interest.
Excavations at 76 Grahamsdyke Street, Laurieston, 13th – 15th March 2008
Excavations on the site of a house extension revealed clay and turf deposits from the collapsed rampart together with a narrow linear slot at right angles to the Wall line which was capped with turf. Several pieces of a small cooking pot were found adjacent. To the west of this slot there was evidence of in-situ turf work which may have been part of a possible expansion or watch tower rampart and a hearth containing some burnt bone.
Tree Clearance at Torwood Broch, 16th March 2008
Following on from last year’s efforts, clearance of most of the remaining trees and cutting of regrowth was completed, assisted greatly by the availability of a chainsaw operator. Geoff Bailey has commented ‘We had beautiful weather yesterday at the broch and cleared another substantial area of birch and the odd conifer. There has been very little regeneration from our work of the last two years and the site is looking far better. It is now possible to appreciate the contours of the outworks and the hilltop setting of the broch’.
The Barony of Ogilface
Time Team have shown interest in the historical research that John and Rosie Wells have done and in our two geophysical surveys to the west of Armadale. They have made their decisions on the sites to be excavated this year (which will go out in early 2009) and Ogilface is not included. It will however be considered for possible excavation in 2009 for transmitting in spring 2010.
Torpichen also lies within the Barony and there is action on two fronts to see whether we can, again in conjunction with John and Rosie Wells, survey over the humps and bumps that indicate the preceptory foundations.
Penicuik
Our excavation at Penicuik starts again on Sunday, 13th April, meeting at the entrance to the estate at 10.00am. No details of where we will be able to park near the site yet. Remember to have your tetanus jabs up to date.
Geophysical Surveys in 2008
Cousland Castle/Tower House and Nunnery
Our first geophysical search for the nunnery was on Saturday, 29th March. Further dates are still to be fixed but those of you on our email alert service will be informed as and when we know.
Cramond
The magnetometry survey over the NE vicus area that lies to the E of Cramond House is programmed for early May and should be completed in one day although relaying out the grid squares will need to be done in advance. That part of the field nearest Cramond House is within the Scheduled Monument area but we have permission from Historic Scotland and also from the land agents of Cramond and Harthill Trust so all we have to do is give two weeks notice.
The vicus area is likely to include oven sites for cooking, kilns for pottery, brick and flue tile manufacture and possibly forges for metal working. The very limited magnetometry survey made in parallel with our resistance measurements early in 2004 did not include the periphery of the site so it is hoped that this magnetic survey will indicate some strong responses not found previously.
Luggate, Cousland Pottery and Old Pentland
David Connolly hopes to get permission for a small survey over the site of a 12th century chapel site reputedly beside the Old Pentland graveyard.
Cousland Pottery site will be available again after harvest in September.
Luggate will hopefully also become available for survey in the latter part of the year