Description

The monument comprises two enclosed settlements of prehistoric date, visible as cropmarks on oblique aerial photographs.

The monument lies in arable farmland at around 170m ODm, some 300m W of Claysike. Two superimposed enclosed settlements are visible from the air. The first is defined by a single ditch, about 2m wide, enclosing an approximately oval-shaped area, measuring some 50m E-W by about 45m N-S. There is a possible entrance through the SSE arc of the enclosure.

The second enclosure is defined by a narrower ditch, probably a palisade trench, enclosing a roughly D-shaped area which measures about 70m E-W by 50m N-S. A palisade is a stout timber fence of closely spaced posts set into a narrow continuous trench. Palisaded enclosures of this type are characteristic of the first half of the first millennium BC.

On the basis of the cropmark evidence alone, it is not possible to determine which enclosure was constructed first, nor the length of time between the construction of the two enclosures. Excavations elsewhere have shown that prehistoric enclosures normally denote domestic and defensive settlements and contain the remains of timber roundhouses and other buildings. In this case, it is reasonable to assume that the first enclosure had fallen out of use or been abandoned before the second enclosure was built, indicating a long period of use of this particular site, possibly over several hundred years or more.

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 100m as marked in red on the accompanying map. The fence marking the modern field boundary which runs through the site is specifically excluded from the scheduling to allow for its maintenance.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance because of its potential to contribute to an understanding of prehistoric settlement and economy. Its importance is increased by the fact that the site contains at least two major phases of construction and use, and therefore has the potential to elucidate changes in land-use, social organisation and architecture over a long period of time. Its importance is also enhanced by its proximity to other monuments of potentially contemporary date.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NO00SW 22.

Aerial photographs:

RCAHMS (1989) B24174 NO00SW22.

RCAHMS (1989) B24175 NO00SW22.

Reference:

RCAHMS (1991) B24173TR NO00SW22.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland