Three Forts on the Tay : : Excavations at Moncreiffe, Moredun and Abernethy, Perth and Kinross 2014-17.

• Author: Strachan, David.
• TeilnehmendeR: Cook, Martin.; McLaren, Dawn.
• Place / Publishing House: Oxford : : Archaeopress,, 2023.; ©2023.
• Year of Publication: 2023
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (336 pages)

Despite a resurgence in Scottish fort studies, few sites have been investigated, especially at the scale reported in this volume. Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust (with AOC Archaeology Group) excavated three hilltop forts on the Tay estuary to explore their enclosing works and internal buildings, uncovering an impressive assemblage of small finds.

Table of Contents

Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright page -- Contents Page -- List of Figures -- 1. Introduction -- Figure 1.1: The central east coast of Scotland showing Moncreiffe Hill, Abernethy, sites from the Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland (Lock and Ralston 2017) and the extent of Figure 1.6 in white. -- Figure 1.2: Some of the 338 project volunteers with staff from Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust and AOC Archaeology Group in 2017 (George Logan/PKHT). -- Figure 1.3: Moncreiffe Hill dominating head of the Tay estuary: a late 19th-century view from Newburgh (Culture Perth and Kinross Local and Family History). -- Figure 1.4: The solid geology of the area showing all three sites occurring on outcrops of the Ochil Volcanic Formation above Old Red Sandstone deposits of the Glenvale Formation (Contains British Geological Survey materials © UKRI 2023). -- Figure 1.5: Complex drift geology with mainly glacifluvial sand and gravel overlain by late glacial estuarine deposits at more than one height level, fronted on the lower ground by latest Devensian pink silts and sands. These are partially buried by the H -- Figure 1.6: Sites from the Atlas of Hillforts (Lock and Ralston 2017) showing excavated examples in chronological order: Hurly Hawkin (1) -- Dunsinane Hill (2) -- Castle Law, Forgandenny (3) -- Castle Law, Abernethy (4) -- Drumharvie (5) -- Clatchard Craig (6) -- Cas -- Figure 1.7: 'MacBeth's Castle' on Dunsinane Hill at 310 m OD. Scarred by early excavations, it remains undated, but has been re-excavated in 2022 (photo: D. Strachan 2001 © PKHT). -- Figure 1.8: The complex series of forts on Castle Law, Forgandenny, at 275 m OD, range in size from 0.12 ha to 0.93 ha (photo: D. Strachan 2001 © PKHT).

Figure 1.10: SERF excavations of the oval, uni-vallate hilltop contour fort of Rossie Law c. 2.3 ha at 324 m OD produced Late Bronze Age and Iron Age dates (photo: D. Strachan 2001 © PKHT). -- Figure 1.9: The hilltop inland promontory fort on Ben Effrey, at 360 m OD, has three lines of ramparts enclosing 0.21 ha and has produced Early Iron Age dates (photo: D. Strachan 2001 © PKHT). -- Figure 1.11: The internal area of forts shown in Figure 1.6 based on Lock and Ralston (2017). Note the area of sites discussed in this volume have been refined in GIS: Castle Law, Abernethy (0.06 ha) -- Moredun 1 (0.15 ha) -- Moncreiffe Hill (0.2 ha) -- Moredun -- Figure 1.12: Comparative plans of selected forts within 10 km of Moredun fort (including Castle Law, Abernethy, Moncreiffe and Moredun). -- Figure 1.13: Comparative plans of selected forts shown in Figure 1.6 beyond 10 km of Moredun fort. -- Figure 1.14: Topographic position of the forts shown in Figure 1.6. -- Figure 1.15: The relative heights above sea-level (OD) of the forts in Figure 1.6 with Moncreiffe (36) and Moredun (44) in black and Castle Law, Abernethy (45) in red. -- 2. Moncreiffe fort -- Figure 2.1: The location of the Moncreiffe (1) and Moredun (2) forts on Moncreiffe Hill, with possible Iron Age sites in the immediate area (Appendix A), including the forts The Roundel (3) and Dow Hill (4). -- Figure 2.2: Aerial view of Moncreiffe fort, bottom right, and Moredun fort, top left (© Crown Copyright: HES). -- Figure 2.3: The OS 1st Edition 25-inch map of 1863 (Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland). -- Figure 2.4: The OS 1:2,500 revision of 1966 first recognised the west entrance and suggested the east entrance to the north of the path (Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland). -- Figure 2.5: The Oxford North Archaeology survey from 2012.

Figure 2.6: The 2014 laser-scan topographic survey indicating the lines of possible entrances identified. -- Figure 2.7: View of the south-east of the fort, taken from the east, showing the modern path cut into the profile on the left and the proposed original entrance in the centre-left of the frame. -- Figure 2.8: Geophysical survey results: magnetic (above), and resistivity (below). -- Figure 2.9: The topographic survey showing the trench layout and the lines of Ramparts A-D. -- Figure 2.10: Rampart A [119] outer face [104] in Trench 1. -- Figure 2.11: Platform [110] and slot [112] to the right and collapse [102] and Rampart A in the centre, looking north-east across Trench 1. -- Figure 2.12: Working shot of Rampart A [210] showing the inner stone facing [209] in the foreground with the outer stone facing [203] beyond. -- Figure 2.13: The outer stone face [203] of Rampart A [210] in Trench 2. -- Figure 2.14: The inner stone face [209] of Rampart A [210] in Trench 2. -- Figure 2.15: Rampart B [1014] in Trench 1a looking to the south-east. -- Figure 2.16: Rampart B [2004], Rampart C [2005] and Rampart D [2006] with terraced foundations of bedrock [2003] in Trench 2, looking west. -- Figure 2.17: Plans of Trench 1a showing Ramparts B, C and D. -- Figure 2.18: Plans of Trench 2a showing Ramparts B, C and D. -- Figure 2.19: Sections through Trenches 1 and 2 detailing Ramparts A, B, C and D. -- Figure 2.20: Trench 4 plans and section showing details of the manipulated bedrock entrance [412] with Ramparts A and B to the north. -- Figure 2.21: The western entrance [412] showing cut bedrock [433]. -- Figure 2.22: Trench 3 showing the overburden [303] overlying a bedrock cut channel [306]. -- Figure 2.23: The area of possible paving [307 and 309] in Trench 3.

Figure 2.24: Trench 5 plan and section showing bedrock [502], glacial till [504], colluvial hill wash deposit [503] and turf/topsoil [501]. -- Figure 2.25: Chronological model for the radiocarbon dates from Moncreiffe. Each distribution represents the relative probability that an event occurred at some particular time. For each of the radiocarbon measurements two distributions have been plotted, -- Figure 2.26: Span of the Iron Age activity at Moncreiffe. The probability distribution is derived from the chronological model shown in Figure 2.25. -- Figure 2.27: Sample of sherds representing Vessel 2 from [1005]: a) body sherd (SF1026), b) body sherd (SF1030), c) basal angle sherd (SF1030). -- Figure 2.28: The fragmentary and heat-affected saddle quern (SF221). -- Figure 2.29: A selection of coarse stone, shale and struck lithics: a) stone lamp (SF412), b) grinder (SF220), c) spindle whorl (SF2001), d) shale bangle fragment (SF302), e) jet bead fragment (SF01), f) flint arrowhead (SF1017), g) core-rejuvenation flak -- Figure 2.30: Heavy-duty stone maul (SF409). Note pecked notches for hafting on opposing long edges. -- Figure 2.31: A suggested reconstruction of the sequence of ramparts A-D based on Trench 1. -- Figure 2.32: A reconstruction of the fort: multi-vallate with two entrances and in a dramatic location overlooking lower Strathearn (artist Chris Mitchell). -- 3. Moredun fort: survey and excavation results -- Figure 3.1: The location of Moncreiffe and Moredun forts on Moncreiffe Hill, and possible Iron Age sites in the immediate area (Appendix A). -- Figure 3.2: Aerial view of Moredun showing successive circuits of fortification (© Crown Copyright: HES).

Figure 3.3: The OS 1st edition map of 1863 showing only the inner enclosure and with a path leading to the 'Strange Little Mound' recorded in the Name Book entry (Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland). -- Figure 3.4: The site as mapped by Christison (1900b: 81, fig. 37 -- Reproduced by kind permission of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland). -- Figure 3.5: The RCAHMS survey of 1953. Note direction of north in the top left corner (© Crown Copyright: HES). -- Figure 3.6: The 2012 survey by Oxford North Archaeology showing the scheduled area. -- Figure 3.7: The 2014 RCAHMS survey annotating archaeological features as used in the text (© Crown Copyright: HES). -- Figure 3.8: The magnetic survey of 2013-14 highlighting key anomalies discussed in the text (background image © Crown Copyright: HES). -- Figure 3.9: The resistivity survey from 2013-15 highlighting key anomalies discussed in the text (background image © Crown Copyright: HES). -- Figure 3.10: The trench plan 2015-17 (background image © Crown Copyright: HES). -- Figure 3.11: Plan of the monumental roundhouse in Trench 1 and Trench C. -- Figure 3.12: Elevations of the surviving walls of the monumental roundhouse in Trench C. -- Figure 3.13: Trench 1 in 2015 showing wall [124] with external terraced bedrock to the left. -- Figure 3.14: Trench C in 2016 showing the outline of the outer face of the wall [C003/2016 and C010/2016] and the entrance containing an area of burning [C018/2016] identified by the geophysics (photo: Ken Ward). -- Figure 3.15: Terraced bedrock in Trench 1 (2015) with lower courses of surviving wall [124] at the top. -- Figure 3.16: Detail of pecked bedrock in Trench 1. -- Figure 3.17: Detail of pecked bedrock in Trench 1. -- Figure 3.18: The deposit fine quarry rubble [114] at the base of the terraced bedrock [108] in Trench 1 (2015).

Figure 3.19: The external façade of the monumental roundhouse wall [C010/2016], constructed onto bedrock [C011/2016] above a cut step, in Trench C.