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Table Rings, cairn 500m WSW of Penshiel

A Scheduled Monument in Haddington and Lammermuir, East Lothian

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Coordinates

Latitude: 55.8637 / 55°51'49"N

Longitude: -2.5814 / 2°34'53"W

OS Eastings: 363706

OS Northings: 663543

OS Grid: NT637635

Mapcode National: GBR B0DM.XW

Mapcode Global: WH8WK.9WZ6

Entry Name: Table Rings, cairn 500m WSW of Penshiel

Scheduled Date: 23 February 1999

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Source ID: SM7872

Schedule Class: Cultural

Category: Prehistoric ritual and funerary: cairn (type uncertain)

Location: Whittingehame

County: East Lothian

Electoral Ward: Haddington and Lammermuir

Traditional County: East Lothian

Description

The monument comprises a burial cairn of prehistoric date, visible as a prominent grass- and heather-covered mound with surrounding bank and ditch.

The monument occupies a prominent site in an area of rough grassland at around 345m OD. It comprises a round cairn measuring approximately 11m in diameter, with a flat top about 7m in diameter, enclosed by a ditch and external bank. The cairn stands to a height of about 1.5m above the base of the ditch, which measures about 5m in width.

The bank, to the outside of the ditch, measures about 3m wide and stands to about 0.7m high. On top of the cairn on the W there is a prostrate stone slab measuring about 1m long and about 0.5m wide, possibly associated with a burial.

Cairns of this type generally date to the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods, and may be expected to contain burials and related deposits covering a lengthy period of veneration and use.

The area proposed for scheduling comprises the remains described and an area around them within which related material may be expected to be found. It is circular with a diameter of 70m, as marked in red on the accompanying map extract. The modern sunken grouse butt which lies in the NE part of the scheduled area is excluded from the scheduling.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance because of its potential to contribute to our understanding of prehistoric funerary and ritual practices. Its importance is increased by its proximity to other monuments of potentially contemporary date.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NT 66 SW 3.

References:

Feachem, R. W. (1963) A guide to prehistoric Scotland, 76, London.

RCAHMS (1984) The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions of Scotland. Eighth report with inventory of monuments and constructions in the country of East Lothian, 139, No. 232, Edinburgh.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

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