SAIR44Excavations on the Route of the Dalkeith Northern Bypass, 1994–95 and 2006

by Kirsty Cameron, Michael Cressey, Andrew Dunwell, Stuart Mitchell, Alastair Rees, Richard Strachan and Ian Suddaby

with contributions by D Alexander, S Anderson, T Ballin, D Caldwell, C Clarke, B Finlayson, A Jackson, M Johnson, F Hunter, R McCulloch, F Oliver, R Pelling, J Thoms and F Wild

Compiled by Sue Anderson

ISBN 978 090 390 355 4

Published in November 2010 by The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, in association with The Council for British Archaeology and Historic Scotland, in Adobe Acrobat format. Available free of charge (see Terms & Conditions of Use).

Abstract

An evaluation and subsequent targeted excavations were carried out along the route of the proposed A68 Dalkeith Northern Bypass by the Centre for Field Archaeology (CFA) between September 1994 and March 1995, with additional watching briefs taking place in 1997. The work was commissioned by Historic Scotland on behalf of the Roads Directorate of the Scottish Office Industry Department. The bypass was not constructed at the time, and further pre-construction mitigation work was recommended in 2005, with fieldwork being carried out in 2006–08 by CFA Archaeology Ltd, for Historic Scotland on behalf of Transport Scotland.

This report describes the results of the evaluations and each excavation individually. The route traverses a narrow strip of the Lothian plain which contained several prehistoric sites (two ring-groove structures, a stone-paved area and two pit alignments), a Roman temporary camp, a post-medieval building, an 18th-century designed landscape, and two industrial sites (a brick and tile works and a coal pit engine house). Several sites also produced ephemeral remains of earlier or later date. Overall, the results indicated a settlement pattern and land use which concentrated on the sands and gravels of the river terraces, with far less settlement on the unforgiving compacted clays which otherwise characterise large parts of the road corridor.

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Report content

i	Title Page
iii	Table of Contents
viii	List of Illustrations
x	List of Tables
1	Abstract
2	Introduction
2.1	Route location, topography and geology
2.2	Archaeological background
2.3	Investigation strategy and its evolution
3	Evaluation by R Strachan, A Rees and I Suddaby
3.1	Introduction
3.2	Methods
3.3	Results
4	Castlesteads and Langside Pit Alignments by K Cameron and S Mitchell
4.1	Introduction
4.2	Castlesteads pit alignment by K Cameron
4.2.1	Introduction
4.2.2	Strategy
4.2.3	Archaeological results
4.2.3.1	Pit alignment
4.2.3.2	Pit cluster
4.2.3.3	Rig and furrow
4.2.3.4	Other features
4.2.4	Dating
4.2.5	The finds and environmental evidence
4.2.5.1	Prehistoric pottery by M Johnson
4.2.5.2	Roman/medieval pottery by D Alexander
4.2.5.3	Chipped stone by B Finlayson
4.3	Langside by S Mitchell
4.3.1	Introduction
4.3.2	Strategy
4.3.3	Archaeological results
4.3.4	The finds and environmental evidence
4.3.4.1	The lithic assemblage by T Ballin
4.3.4.2	Coarse stone by A Jackson
4.3.4.3	Miscellaneous finds by S Anderson
4.3.4.4	Charcoal by M Cressey
4.3.4.5	Soil micromorphology by C Ellis
4.3.5	Radiocarbon dates by A Dunwell
4.4	Discussion
4.4.1	Pit alignments in general
4.4.2	Castlesteads and Langside
5	Castlesteads Ring-Grooves Site by A Rees
5.1	Introduction
5.2	Methods
5.3	Archaeological results
5.3.1	Structure 1
5.3.2	Structure 2
5.3.3	Ditch
5.3.4	Re-cut features
5.4	The finds
5.4.1	Lithics by B Finlayson
5.4.2	Prehistoric pottery by M Johnson
5.4.3	Coarse stone
5.5	Discussion
5.5.1	The re-cut features
5.5.2	The ring-groove structures
5.5	Conclusion
6	Castlesteads Stone-Paved Area by A Rees
6.1	Introduction
6.2	Methods
6.3	Archaeological results
6.3.1	Paved area
6.3.2	Soakaway 'sink'
6.4	Finds and environmental evidence
6.4.1	Lithics by B Finlayson, with additions by T Ballin
6.4.2	Coarse stone by A Jackson
6.4.3	Palynological assessment by C Clarke
6.5	Discussion
7	Smeaton Roman Temporary Camp by A Dunwell and I Suddaby
7.1	Introduction
7.2	Cropmark evidence, and the morphology and date of the camp as understood prior to the investigations
7.3	Investigation strategy and methods
7.3.1	Project design
7.3.2	Investigation strategy
7.4	Archaeological results
7.4.1	Introduction
7.4.2	Western perimeter camp ditch
7.4.3	Eastern perimeter ditch
7.4.4	'Field ovens'
7.4.5	Other pits and linear feature
7.4.6	Cultivation furrows and land drains
7.4.7	Modern features
7.5	Finds reports
7.5.1	Introduction
7.4.2	Samian ware sherd by FC Wild
7.4.3	Prehistoric pottery by D Alexander
7.4.4	Lithics by B Finlayson (1995) and T Ballin (2006)
7.4.5	Perforated stone weight by A Jackson
7.4.6	Sculptural fragment by F Hunter
7.4.7	Bangle fragment of shale or cannel coal by F Hunter
7.4.8	Decorated cast bronze fragment by F Hunter
7.4.9	Other metalwork by S Anderson
7.6	Environmental evidence
7.6.1	Wood charcoal identification by M Cressey
7.6.2	Archaeobotanical analysis by R Pelling and M Hastie
7.7	Radiocarbon dates
7.8	Discussion
7.8.1	Introduction
7.8.2	Prehistoric activity
7.8.3	Construction of the Roman camp - perimeter defences
7.8.4	'Field ovens' and other features
7.8.5	The date and associations of the Roman camp
8	Newfarm by I Suddaby
8.1	Introduction
8.1.1	Overview
8.1.2	Previous work
8.1.3	Strategy and methods
8.2	Early site use
8.2.1	Prehistoric features
8.2.2	Possible early medieval long cist
8.2.3	Undated features
8.2.4	Prehistoric pottery by M Johnson
8.2.5	Lithics by T Ballin
8.2.6	Coarse stone by A Jackson
8.2.7	Palaeobotany by M Hastie
8.2.8	Discussion of the prehistoric and other features
8.3	The post-medieval site
8.3.1	The post-medieval structure
8.3.2	Other post-medieval features
8.3.3	Historical evidence by F Oliver with I Suddaby
8.3.4	Post-medieval and modern pottery by S Anderson
8.3.5	Ceramic building material (CBM) and mortar by S Anderson
8.3.6	Clay pipes by S Anderson
8.3.7	Glass by S Anderson
8.3.8	Metalwork by S Anderson
8.3.9	Coarse stone by A Jackson
8.3.10	Gun-stone by DH Caldwell
8.3.11	Gunflint by T Ballin
8.3.12	Animal bone by J Thoms
8.3.13	Shell by S Anderson
8.3.14	Discussion: post-medieval land use and occupation by I Suddaby and S Anderson
9	An 18th-Century Designed Landscape: Perimeter Boundary Wall Surveys and Boundary Evaluations by M Cressey, I Suddaby and S Mitchell
9.1	Introduction
9.2	Survey results
9.2.1	Method
9.2.2	Dalkeith to Whitecraig, south-east boundary wall
9.2.3	Western perimeter boundary wall
9.3	The county boundary at Pickle Dirt
9.4	Castlesteads plantation boundary
9.5	Discussion
10	Industrial Sites
10.1	Introduction
10.2	General historical background
10.3	Smeaton brick and tile works by M Cressey
10.3.1	Introduction
10.3.2	Aims and methodology
10.3.3	The Smeaton brick and tile works by F Oliver
10.3.4	Excavation
10.3.5	Kiln 1
10.3.6	Kiln 2
10.3.7	Clay pits
10.3.8	Possible coal store
10.3.9	The finds
10.3.10	Discussion
10.4	Fuffet engine house
10.4.1	Introduction
10.4.2	Methods
10.4.3	Archaeological results
10.4.4	The finds
10.4.5	Conclusion
10.5	19th-century industrial landscapes
11	General Discussion and Conclusions by S Anderson
11.1	Introduction by R Strachan
11.2	The prehistoric landscape
11.2.1	Neolithic and Bronze Age evidence
11.2.2	Later prehistoric sites
11.3	Roman temporary camp
11.4	Early Historic and medieval evidence
11.5	The post-medieval landscape
11.6	Conclusions
12	Acknowledgements
13	References
13.1	Published sources
13.2	Cartographic and manuscript sources

Published by The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, in association with The Council for British Archaeology and Historic Scotland, in Adobe Acrobat format. Available free of charge (see Terms & Conditions of Use).

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