Description

The monument was designated as the remains of a ring-ditch. It comprises the remains of a prehistoric roundhouse with internal postholes and entrance on the southeast, visible as a cropmark on oblique aerial photographs.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The assessment using the selection guidance found that this monument did not meet the criterion of national importance. This assessment has been informed by the following assessment of cultural significance

Intrinsic characteristics (how the remains of a site or place contribute to our knowledge of the past)

This monument has been recorded as cropmarks on aerial photographs. The cropmark indicates that there is a buried feature below the ploughsoil.  The monument, recorded as a ring-ditch, is a prehistoric roundhouse defined by a single ditch with a break for an entrance on the southeast and internal postholes which would have supported a timber structure. Around 90m to the north-northeast of the roundhouse is a sub-rectangular enclosure of uncertain date and function.

Buried archaeology monuments often contain features that are not visible on aerial photographs and can have well preserved stratified layers of archaeological deposits. There is therefore potential for the survival of archaeological features and deposits, including occupation and abandonment debris, artefacts and environmental remains such as charcoal or pollen within the roundhouse. It has the potential to provide information about the function and date of the roundhouse.

Contextual Characteristics

The feature has been interpreted as a prehistoric roundhouse, a widespread class of later prehistoric site, which survive both as upstanding features and as buried archaeological deposits. Roundhouses are often found in clusters, sometimes forming distinct settlements, as well as being found within prehistoric settlement sites set in a larger enclosure. This example is a single roundhouse, with no other archaeological features that confidently dated as prehistoric in the immediate vicinity. A sub-rectangular enclosure (scheduled monument SM7029) which is also recorded as cropmarks to the north maybe prehistoric, however, there is insufficient evidence to provide a certain date and function for this site. A burial mound (scheduled monument SM3402), located 180m to the east is likely to pre-date the roundhouse and has no direct connection with it. As a single, isolated roundhouse the significance of Ardgilzean, ring-ditch 430m ESE of is reduced.

There are other examples of roundhouses and settlements in the vicinity of this monument; Hill House, unenclosed settlement 100m NE of (scheduled monument: SM7178 – 2km northwest), Grassy Walls, Roman camp and prehistoric settlement, Sheriffton (scheduled monument: SM4072 – 2.4km southwest) and Byres, ring-ditch and souterrain 330m NE of (scheduled monument: SM7179 – 3.8km north-northwest). These prehistoric monuments, also visible as cropmarks, have clearly defined remains and multiple recorded related features at each site such as other roundhouses, a souterrain or are located within an enclosure.

Associative Characteristics

There are no known associative characteristics that contribute to the site's national importance.

National importance

The site is a roundhouse evidenced through cropmarks recorded on aerial photographs. Examples of other roundhouses which are designated as being of national importance often demonstrate evidence of internal features as in this example. However, they will also typically have further related archaeological remains such as multiple roundhouses or other features such as souterrains or an enclosure. Based on the current available evidence, the site therefore does not meet the criteria for national importance.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

Historic Environment Scotland http://www.canmore.org.uk reference number CANMORE ID 28172 (accessed on 30/01/2019).

Canmore

https://canmore.org.uk/site/28172/

Source: Historic Environment Scotland