SAIR 6:Resistivity imaging survey of Capo Long Barrow, Aberdeenshire

by Lindsey Collier, Bruce Hobbs, Tim Neighbour and Richard Strachan

with contributions by Graeme Warren and illustrations by George Mudie

ISBN 0-903903-75-X

Published in March 2003 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).

Report Summary

Non-invasive fieldwork carried out on the Neolithic long barrow at Capo, present-day Aberdeenshire (NGR NO 633 664) has considerably enhanced our knowledge of this monument. Topographical survey has provided the first detailed record of the barrow and its environs. Resistivity imaging has revealed key elements of the structure of the long barrow, including side revetment walls, a flat façade and possible mortuary structures, confirming that the barrow at Capo is of a similar morphology to the nearby (excavated) long barrow at Dalladies. The resistivity survey has demonstrated that rabbit burrowing and the roots of the tree stumps that covered the barrow have had little effect on the integrity of the major structural elements of the monument (the revetments and façade). However, it is not possible to assess the more subtle damage, such as mixing of archaeological layers, which may have been caused. It is concluded that, whilst resistivity imaging at the survey density employed here is time-consuming and would not be appropriate at many sites, as a management tool and as a means to explore sites that are unavailable for excavation, such as scheduled ancient monuments, it has been demonstrated to be of considerable value.

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Report content

	Title
	Table of content
	List of Illustrations
1	Summary
2	Introduction	Lindsay Collier, Bruce Hobbs, Tim Neighbour and Richard Strachan
3	Previous work	Lindsay Collier, Bruce Hobbs, Tim Neighbour and Richard Strachan
4	Topographical survey	Lindsay Collier, Bruce Hobbs, Tim Neighbour and Richard Strachan
	4.1 The long barrow
	4.2 Low mound by the long barrow
	4.3 Enclosure bank and ditches
	4.4 A flint knife from the bank	Graeme Warren
5	Geophysical survey	Lindsay Collier, Bruce Hobbs, Tim Neighbour and Richard Strachan
	5.1 The resistivity imaging technique
	5.2 Resistivity images
	5.3 Plan views of resistivity
	5.4 The mound to the east of the barrow
6	Conclusions	Lindsay Collier, Bruce Hobbs, Tim Neighbour and Richard Strachan
7	Acknowledgements
8	References