SAIR47A Later Prehistoric Settlement and Metalworking Site at Seafield West, near Inverness, Highland
by Michael Cressey and Sue Anderson
with contributions by Ann Clarke, Trevor Cowie, Fraser Hunter, Andrew Heald, Katherine Eremin, Melanie Johnson, Ruth Pelling, Ian Mack and Gerry McDonnell
Illustrations by George Mudie, Alan Braby and Shelly Werner.
ISBN 978 090 390 352 3
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
Construction in 1996 at a major retail development site close to Inverness, Highland resulted in the destruction of two known cropmark sites. One set of cropmarks was found to be associated with a Bronze Age log-boat burial site and the results of the ensuing excavation are published elsewhere (Cressey & Sheridan 2003). The excavation of a second area of cropmarks forms the subject of this publication. The archaeological remains consisted of a series of negative features, post-holes and annular ditches which form parts of at least nine separate structures of a later prehistoric unenclosed settlement. A mould fragment indicated Late Bronze Age sword production in the vicinity. A palisaded enclosure produced a copper-alloy brooch that is a rare find for the region. Evidence of copper-alloy objects and metalworking from a smelting hearth and slags show that the occupants were of some status. Some of the structural and artefactual evidence compellingly points to an in situ ironworking workshop. A large cache of smithing charcoal found in association with a smelting hearth was radiocarbon dated to 180BC–AD70 and represents one of the few dated in situ Iron Age ironworking episodes in Scotland.
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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 | Previous work |
| 2.2 | Method and objectives |
| 2.2.1 | Fieldwalking and geophysical survey |
| 2.2.2 | Trial trenching (1996) |
| 3 | Excavation Results |
| 3.1 | Structure A |
| 3.2 | Structure B |
| 3.2.1 | Penannular ditch |
| 3.2.2 | Outer post ring |
| 3.2.3 | Inner post ring |
| 3.3 | Structure C |
| 3.4 | Structure D and adjacent features |
| 3.5 | Structure E |
| 3.6 | Structure F |
| 3.7 | Structure G |
| 3.8 | The smithing hearth |
| 3.9 | Structure H and 'lean-to' |
| 3.10 | Other structures |
| 4 | The Finds |
| 4.1 | Prehistoric pottery by Melanie Johnson |
| 4.2 | Coarse stone artefacts by Ann Clarke |
| 4.3 | Metal and glass objects by Fraser Hunter |
| 4.3.1 | Copper alloy dolphin-type brooch from Structure B |
| 4.3.2 | Copper-alloy headstud brooch from Structure C |
| 4.3.3 | Miscellananeous small finds |
| 4.3.4 | Discussion of Roman finds distribution |
| 4.4 | Ironworking debris by Andrew Heald, Gerry McDonnell and Ian Mack |
| 4.4.1 | The ironworking process |
| 4.4.2 | The residues |
| 4.4.3 | Scientific analysis |
| 4.4.4 | Slag distribution |
| 4.4.5 | Discussion |
| 4.5 | Fragments of Bronze Age sword moulds by Trevor Cowie with Katherine Eremin |
| 4.5.1 | Mould fragment from post-hole 085 |
| 4.5.2 | Mould fragment from pit 071 |
| 4.5.3 | XRF analysis of the mould fragments by Katherine Eremin |
| 4.5.4 | Discussion |
| 4.6 | Fired clay by Fraser Hunter |
| 5 | Environmental Analyses |
| 5.1 | Bone by Sue Anderson |
| 5.2 | Charred plant remains by Ruth Pelling |
| 5.2.1 | Introduction |
| 5.2.2 | Methodology |
| 5.2.3 | Results |
| 5.2.4 | Discussion |
| 5.3 | Charcoal by Michael Cressey |
| 5.3.1 | Roundwood and timber |
| 5.3.2 | Charcoal cache associated with the smithing hearth |
| 5.3.3 | Comparative species abundance at two nearby Prehistoric sites |
| 5.4 | Radiocarbon dating |
| 6 | Site Interpretation and Discussion |
| 6.1 | Introduction |
| 6.2 | Period 1 – Later Bronze Age |
| 6.3 | Period 2 – Iron Age |
| 6.4 | The settlement and its setting within the landscape |
| 6.5 | Conclusions |
| 7 | Acknowledgements |
| 8 | References |
| A1 | Appendix 1: Roman Finds from the Moray Firth |
| A2 | Appendix 2: Slag Catalogue |
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).
Use http://www.sair.org.uk/ to cite this page.
Page last modified by Seren Langley on Friday 8 April 2011.