SAIR46Lockerbie Academy: Neolithic and Early Historic timber halls, a Bronze Age cemetery, an undated enclosure and a post-medieval corn-drying kiln in south-west Scotland

by Magnus Kirby

with contributions by S Anderson, M Hastie, A Jackson, M Johnson, R McBride, D McLaren, P Northover, A Sheridan, J Thoms and G Warren

Illustrations prepared by L Whitelaw, K Clarke, C Evenden and M O'Neil

ISBN 978 0 90390 353 0

Published in April 2011 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

Trial trenching carried out by CFA Archaeology Ltd in 2006 to the north of Lockerbie Academy identified four areas of archaeological significance covering a timescale from early Neolithic to post-medieval periods. The earliest site identified was the remains of a Neolithic timber hall, which was situated on top of the flat plateau towards the northwest end of the site (Area A). Pottery recovered from the Neolithic structure was of the Carinated Bowl ceramic tradition.

At the summit of the rounded knoll in the centre of the area (Area D) a Bronze Age phase consisting of a cremation and inhumation cemetery enclosed by a possible ring-cairn was identified. The Bronze Age cemetery included a Collared Urn and a copper alloy dagger of Butterwick type.

At the base of the rounded knoll, the remains of an Early Historic timber hall were identified (Area C). This Anglian timber hall reoccupied the site of a post-built structure, which was interpreted as a timber hall, possibly belonging to an earlier British tradition. Radiocarbon dates taken from the primary fill of two of the post-holes of the earlier structure gave dates which are broadly contemporary with the dates obtained for the Anglian hall, suggesting that the post-built structure immediately preceded it.

A corn-drying kiln was identified cut into the same knoll as the Bronze Age cemetery (Area D) and has been dated to the late medieval or early post-medieval period.

A segmented ditched enclosure was located towards the north-east end of the site (Area B), but the poor survival of this feature combined with a lack of finds and palaeobotanical evidence means that it remains undated and poorly understood.

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Report content

i	Title Page
iii	Table of Contents
v	List of Illustrations
vi	List of Tables
1	Abstract
2	Introduction
2.1	Archaeological background
2.2	Setting
2.3	Methodology
2.4	Summary of phasing
3	Neolithic Structure (Area A)
3.1	Introduction
3.2	Description of the structure/structures
3.2.1	The terminals
3.2.2	The side walls
3.2.3	Internal structural elements
3.2.4	Internal features
3.2.5	External features
3.2.6	Modern feature
3.3	Radiocarbon dates
3.4	Prehistoric pottery by Alison Sheridan
3.4.1	Introduction
3.4.2	Early Neolithic pottery
3.4.3	Early Iron Age pottery
3.4.4	Summary description of the illustrated vessels
3.4.5	Discussion of the pottery
3.5	Fired clay by Sue Anderson
3.6	Flint by Graeme Warren
3.7	Bone by Sue Anderson
3.8	Charred plant remains by Mhairi Hastie
3.8.1	Methods and results
3.8.2	Cereal processing and collection of wild resources
3.8.3	Cultivation of flax
3.9	Discussion of the Neolithic structure
3.9.1	Structure
3.9.2	Function
3.9.3	Destruction
4	Bronze Age Cemetery (Area D)
4.1	Introduction
4.2	The graves
4.2.1	Central grave F33
4.2.2	Cremation burial F34
4.2.3	Cremation burial F35A
4.2.4	Cremation burial with Collared Urn F35
4.2.5	Grave F37
4.2.6	Possible ring cairn F32 and cist F75
4.3	Radiocarbon dates
4.4	Collared urn by Melanie Johnson
4.4.1	Introduction
4.4.2	Description
4.4.3	Discussion with Alison Sheridan
4.5	Chipped stone by Graeme Warren
4.6	Stone objects
4.6.1	Hammerstone from F35 by Adam Jackson
4.6.2	The stone wristguard from F34 by Alison Sheridan and Adam Jackson
4.7	The antler pin by Dawn McLaren
4.8	The bronze dagger from the central grave (F33) by Alison Sheridan and Peter Northover
4.8.1	Description
4.8.2	Analysis of the dagger blade by Peter Northover
4.8.3	Discussion
4.9	Cremated bone by Sue Anderson
4.9.1	Description
4.9.2	Summary and discussion
4.10	Discussion of the Bronze Age funerary features with Alison Sheridan
5	Early Historic Timber Halls (Area C)
5.1	Introduction
5.2	Anglian hall
5.2.1	Phasing of the hall, annex and V-shaped ditch
5.3	Post-built structure
5.4	Internal features
5.5	Radiocarbon dates
5.6	Roman pottery by RM McBride
5.7	Fired clay by Sue Anderson
5.8	Slag by Dawn McLaren
5.9	Bone by Sue Anderson
5.10	Charred plant remains by Mhairi Hastie
5.10.1	Composition of plant remains
5.10.2	Cereal processing
5.10.3	Exploitation of local woodland
5.11	Discussion of the Anglian hall and earlier structure
6	Post-Medieval Corn-Drying Kiln (Area D)
6.1	Description
6.2	Slag by Dawn McLaren
6.3	Other finds by Sue Anderson
6.4	Animal bone by Jennifer Thoms
6.5	Charred plant remains by Mhairi Hastie
6.6	Discussion of the corn-drying kiln by Mhairi Hastie
7	Segmented Ditch Enclosure (Area B)
8	Conclusion
9	Acknowledgements
10	References

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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