Description

The monument comprises a hut circle, the footings of a prehistoric house between 2000 and 3000 years old. It is situated in rough pasture on a broad ridge on the S side of Knock Hill, within a group of prehistoric burial cairns, hut circles and relic field systems identified on Knock Hill and the environs.

The hut circle survives as an approximately circular, turf-covered stony bank measuring 16m in diameter overall and up to 0.6m high. The interior is 6m across, enclosed by the bank (wall footing) spread up to 4m wide. The bank is pierced by an entrance on the E side. The interior is uneven, with two distinct hollows.

The area to be scheduled is circular on plan, centred on the hut circle, to include the visible remains and an area around in which evidence relating to its construction and use may survive, as marked in red on the accompanying map extract.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

Cultural Significance

The monument's archaeological significance can be expressed as follows:

Intrinsic characteristics: The monument is in a relatively good state of preservation. It is upstanding and clearly visible in the landscape. The continued landuse as pasture and now as grouse moor has probably resulted in the preservation of further archaeological deposits within the structure. It therefore has the potential to reveal further information about local variations in domestic architecture and building use, as well as prehistoric upland landuse.

Contextual characteristics: As a well-preserved hut circle, the monument has the potential to reveal much about house building and domestic life in the later prehistoric communities of NE Scotland. Comparing and contrasting it to nearby upland hut circles, lowland cropmark sites and others outside the region can create an understanding of regional identity, economy and society. The identification of a group of later prehistoric monuments on Knock Hill and the environs further enhances the value of the monument.

National Importance: This monument is of national importance because it is well preserved, which is rare for this class of monument in this region. It has the potential to make a significant contribution to our knowledge of upland landuse and society in this locality and, by association, the rest of Scotland in the later prehistoric period. The loss of this rare and well-preserved example in this area would affect our future ability to research and understand these issues.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS record this monument as part of NJ40SE 45.

Aerial photographs:

Grampian SMR, nd, AAS/88/13/K4/4.

RCAHMS, 1996, 2888/po, Knock Hill, Rig.

RCAHMS, 1996, 2889/po, Knock Hill, Rig.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland