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Excavations at Three Early Bronze Age Burial Monuments in Scotland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 February 2014

C. J. Russell-White ,
C. E. Lowe ,
R. P. J. McCullagh ,
S. Boardman ,
S. Butler ,
G. Collins ,
T. Cowie ,
C. Dickson ,
A. Crone  and
D. A. Davidson
...Show all authors
C. J. Russell-White
Affiliation:
20 Waverly Park, Abbeyhill, Edinburgh EH8 8ET
C. E. Lowe
Affiliation:
AOC (Scotland) Ltd, The Schoolhouse, 4 Lochend Road, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 8BR
R. P. J. McCullagh
Affiliation:
AOC (Scotland) Ltd, The Schoolhouse, 4 Lochend Road, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 8BR
S. Boardman
Affiliation:
AOC (Scotland) Ltd, The Schoolhouse, 4 Lochend Road, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 8BR
S. Butler
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology and Prehistory, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN
G. Collins
Affiliation:
Border View, Birgham, Coldstream, Berwickshire
T. Cowie
Affiliation:
Royal Museum of Scotland, Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 1JD
C. Dickson
Affiliation:
Botany Department, University of Glasgow
A. Crone
Affiliation:
AOC (Scotland) Ltd, The Schoolhouse, 4 Lochend Road, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 8BR
D. A. Davidson
Affiliation:
Environmental Science, Stirling University, Stirling
B. Finlayson
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, 19 George Square, Edinburgh
D. W. Hall
Affiliation:
SUAT, 55 South Methven Street, Perth
F. Lee
Affiliation:
Holm Lea, Clay Lane, Marton, Winsford, Cheshire
J. I. McKinley
Affiliation:
12 Victoria Road, Warminster, Wiltshire BA12 8HE
V. J. McLellan
Affiliation:
AOC (Scotland) Ltd, The Schoolhouse, 4 Lochend Road, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 8BR
A. O'Berg
Affiliation:
Royal Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF
C. M. Rushe
Affiliation:
5 Parkfield Place, Highfields, Sheffield
J. A. Sheridan
Affiliation:
Royal Museum of Scotland, Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 1JD
K. M. Speller
Affiliation:
GUARD, Department of Archaeology, Glasgow University, Glasgow
J. B. Stevenson
Affiliation:
Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, John Sinclair House, 16 Bernard Terrace, Edinburgh EH8 9NX
R. Tipping
Affiliation:
Nether Kidston Cottage, Nether Kidston, By Peebles, Borders EH45 8PJ
P. Wilthew
Affiliation:
Royal Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF
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Abstract

The excavations of the cemetery groups at Balneaves, Loanleven and Park of Tongland facilitate an examination of many aspects of Bronze Age burial practices in Scotland. They are notable as much for the differences in burial ritual they imply as for the very narrow chronological period in which they were used. The three sites produced a total of seventeen 14C dates, two of which are aberrant, with means of the remaining fifteen falling within a period of 250 years (3370–3610 bp in radiocarbon years). The excavations were sponsored by Historic Scotland (formerly Historic Buildings and Monuments, Scotland).

At Balneaves, a penannular ditch enclosed sixteen features, including a group of seven pits with cremation burials, four of which were associated with a distinctive assemblage of collared urns. The cremated bone was well preserved. At least one large standing stone had been erected on the site, and this was buried in the medieval period.

At Loanleven, only a segment of the enclosing ring-ditch survived, within which were four cists, two containing inhumations and two cremations, one of the latter (Cist 2) associated with a fragment of a food vessel. A decorated slab, in so-called ‘Passage Grave Style’, was recovered from Cist 1, and the same cist produced palynological evidence for grave furnishings in the form of a mat of plant material which probably underlay the body. 14C dates give a terminus ante quem of 3620±50 bp (GU–2543) for the re-use of the decorated slab, and a terminus post quem of 3410±50 bp (GU–2542) for the food vessel grave.

Park of Tongland, regarded as a Four-Poster stone circle, was excavated after the fall of a standing stone. It was shown to be of multi-period construction, consisting of a cairn which overlay seven pits containing fragmentary cremation burials, two associated with collared urns. The standing stones may not all have been erect at the same time. A series of 14C dates fell within the range of 1480–1530 bc.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society , Volume 58 , Issue 1 , 1992 , pp. 285 - 323
Copyright
Copyright © The Prehistoric Society 1992

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