Description

The monument is a burnt mound, a prehistoric site generally thought to be associated with food preparation. It survives as a turf and gorse covered mound within an area of heather moorland, on the W bank of a burn, at a height of approximately 315m above sea level, on the SW-facing slopes of Millhuie Hill.

The mound is roughly oval on plan and measures 11m from NE-SW by 8.5m transversely. Facing towards the burn, on it SE side it has a U-shaped hollow that is 3m wide. A rabbit scrape, recorded in 2002, revealed a core of angular, reddened fragments of stone in a matrix of black earth. This is characteristic of burnt mounds. On excavation, burnt mound sites typically reveal heaps of burnt and fire-cracked stones mixed with charcoal-bearing soil. People heated the stones on adjacent hearths and dropped them into a water-filled pit or trough to boil water. Such sites are invariably sited close by a source of water. Interpretations vary, but they are generally thought to be cooking places and the great majority of dated, excavated examples in the N of Scotland have proved themselves to be of Bronze-Age date, although any date from the later Neolithic to the early medieval period is possible.

The area to be scheduled is circular on plan, to include the visible remains and an area around in which evidence relating to the construction and use of the site may be expected to survive, as shown in red on the accompanying map.

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 good state of preservation. It is upstanding, clearly visible in the landscape and preserves all of the field characteristics of this class of site. The continued landuse as pasture and now also as grouse moor is likely to have resulted in the preservation of high-quality archaeological deposits within and adjacent to the burnt mound. It therefore has the potential to reveal further information about the local economy, diet and food preparation in the later prehistoric period.

Contextual characteristics: As a well-preserved burnt mound, probably Bronze Age in date, the monument is an intrinsic part of the pattern of later prehistoric rural settlement and landuse. It has the potential to reveal much about the economy, diet and food preparation practices in the later prehistoric communities of NE Scotland. Comparing and contrasting it to other burnt mounds in the locality and those outside the region can aid an understanding of regional economy and society. The close proximity of another burnt mound, 135m WSW, further adds to the research potential of this example.

National Importance

This monument is of national importance because it appears to be particularly well preserved. 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 well-preserved example in this area would affect our future ability to understand these issues.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS record the site as NJ41NW 99.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland