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Latitude: 56.6846 / 56°41'4"N
Longitude: -2.8828 / 2°52'58"W
OS Eastings: 346013
OS Northings: 755106
OS Grid: NO460551
Mapcode National: GBR VM.NSFS
Mapcode Global: WH7QD.P7FW
Entry Name: Battledykes, cairn 475m SSE of
Scheduled Date: 9 January 1998
Source: Historic Environment Scotland
Source ID: SM7234
Schedule Class: Cultural
Category: Prehistoric ritual and funerary: cairn (type uncertain)
Location: Oathlaw
County: Angus
Electoral Ward: Kirriemuir and Dean
Traditional County: Angus
The monument comprises a burial cairn of prehistoric date, visible as a low, tree-covered mound.
The monument lies in arable farmland, on a small natural eminence at around 75m OD. It consists of a low stony circular mound, some 40m in diameter and up to around 1.5m in height. There are several antiquarian descriptions of the mound which attribute to it further features not now visible, including fallen standing stones and a 'causeway', and which describe the finding of funerary urns and cremated remains.
The cairn is a burial mound of a type characteristic of the Bronze Age. Excavated examples of such monuments have shown evidence of complex multi-phase construction, often extending over many centuries and incorporating numerous periods of burial. It may be expected that the present monument will likewise contain evidence for several periods of construction and re-modelling. It is also to be expected that further burials will survive in addition to those excavated in the 19th century.
The area to be scheduled encompasses the cairn and an area around it within which evidence of associated deposits may be expected to survive. It is circular with a diameter of 60m, as marked in red on the accompanying map extract.
Source: Historic Environment Scotland
The monument is of national importance because of its potential to contribute to our understanding of prehistoric funerary and ritual practices.
Source: Historic Environment Scotland
Bibliography
RCAHMS records the monument as NO 45 NE 15.
References:
Jervise, A. (1853) The history and traditions of the land of the Lindsays in Angus and Mearns, with notices of Alyth and Meigle, Edinburgh, 177.
Nichols, J (ed.) (1780-90) Bibliotheca Topographica Britannica, Eight volumes, Vol. 5, 16-20.
Ordnance Survey (Name Book) Object Name Books of the Ordnance Survey, Book No. 75, 14, 17.
RCAHMS (1983b) The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. The archaeological sites and monuments of Central Angus, Angus District, Tayside Religion, The archaeological sites and monuments of Scotland series no 18 Edinburgh, 7, No. 9.
Roy, W. (1793) The military antiquities of the Romans in Britian, London, 66.
Source: Historic Environment Scotland
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