Description

The monument comprises an unenclosed settlement dating to the Iron Age (800BC-AD400). The settlement comprises a souterrain, roundhouses and pits which appear as cropmarks on oblique aerial photographs. These cropmarks are visible as dark lines and patches on the aerial imagery. The monument is located in an arable field at around 50m above sea level.

The souterrain is located in the north of the scheduled area and is 15m long by 3m wide. There are also up to 7 roundhouses in the field, measuring between 20m and 10m in width. There are also numerous pits across the field ranging in size from 2m to 6m wide. Excavations beyond the southern boundary of the scheduled area have shown that some of these pits may date to the Mesolithic or Neolithic periods.

The scheduled area is irregular. It includes the remains described above and an area around within which evidence relating to the monument's construction, use and abandonment is expected to survive, as shown in red on the accompanying map.

The scheduled area extends up to but does not include the modern field boundaries. 

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as a group of settlement features of the prehistoric period. Even though the area is under the plough experience shows us that important archaeological deposits and structures will survive below plough level. The settlements show a range of features which have the potential to enhance considerably our understanding of prehistoric domestic, economic and agricultural activities. The monument is of particular importance because, unusually, the remains survive over an extensive area.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

Historic Environment Scotland http://www.canmore.org.uk reference number CANMORE ID 36919 (accessed on 16/11/2021).

Historic Environment Scotland http://www.canmore.org.uk reference number CANMORE ID 87292 (accessed on 16/11/2021).

Alexander, D. 1997 'Excavation of pits containing decorated Neolithic pottery and early lithic material of possible Mesolithic date at Spurryhillock, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire', Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, vol. 127, 1, 1997. Pp. 17-27 (Available at https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/psas/volumes.cfm accessed on 16/11/2021).

Canmore

https://canmore.org.uk/site/87292/
https://canmore.org.uk/site/36919/

HER/SMR Reference

NO88NE0038
NO88NE0051

Source: Historic Environment Scotland