Cairnpapple Revisited: 1948–1998

Abstract

It is 50 years since Stuart Piggott excavated the prehistoric complex at Cairnpapple. At that time there were few excavated parallels in Scotland, and interpretation inevitably relied heavily on sites excavated in southern Britain. Much more locally relevant data are now available and the sequence at Cairnpapple can now be reassessed its regional context.Piggott identified five Periods, commencing with a stone setting, ‘cove’ and cremation cemetery of ‘Late Neolithic date’ around ‘c. 2500 B.C.’. Period II was a henge monument, consisting of a ‘circle’ of standing stones with ceremonial burials in association, and an encircling ditch with external bank – ‘Of Beaker date, probably c. 1700 B.C.’ Period III comprised the primary cairn, containing two cist-burials ‘Of Middle Bronze Age date, probably c. 1500 B.C.’ Period IV involved the doubling of the size of the cairn, with two cremated burials in inverted cinerary urns. ‘Of final Middle Bronze Age or native Late Bronze Age date, probably c. 1000 B.C.’ Period V comprised four graves ‘possibly Early Iron Age within the first couple of centuries A.D.’The present paper, using comparable material from elsewhere in Scotland, argues for a revised phasing: Phase 1, comprises the deposition of earlier Neolithic plain bowl sherds and axehead fragments with a series of hearths. This is comparable to ‘structured deposition’ noted on other sites of this period. Phase 2 involved the construction of the henge – a setting of 24 uprights – probably of timber rather than stone, probably followed by the encircling henge ditch and bank. The ‘cove’ is discussed in the context of comparable features in Scotland. Phase 3 saw the construction of a series of graves, including the monumental ‘North Grave’, which was probably encased in a cairn. Piggott's ‘Period III’ cairn was then built, followed by the ‘Period IV’ cairn. The urn burials seem likely to have been inserted into the surface of this mound, which may have covered a burial (since disturbed) on the top of the Period III mound, or may have been a deliberate monumentalising of it. The four graves identified as Iron Age by Piggott seem more likely to be from the early Christian period.The reassessment of Piggott's report emphasises the value of the writing of a clear, and sufficiently detailed account. While no report can be wholly objective it can be seen that Piggott's striving for objectivity led him to write a paper that is of lasting value.

Cremation Practices and the Creation of Monument Complexes: The Neolithic Cremation Cemetery at Forteviot, Strathearn, Perth & Kinross, Scotland, and its comparanda

“…2009) confirms Piggott’s attribution of the cemetery to the Neolithic and more specifically to the late 4th/early 3rd millennium cal bc .

Fig. 19 Plan showing the locations of the cremated human bone found at Cairnapple Hill (after Piggott 1948 & Barclay 1999; drawn by Alison Sandison)

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“…Late 4th/early 3rd millennium cal BC cremation cemeteries in Scotland The closest regional parallel for the Forteviot cemetery is Cairnpapple Hill, c. 45 km to the south (Piggott 1948;Barclay 1999). There, Piggott identified a prehenge phase focused on an arc-shaped 'stone setting' (Fig.…”

“…Plan showing the locations of the cremated human bone found at Cairnapple Hill (after Piggott 1948 & Barclay 1999; drawn by Alison Sandison)…”

Report on the Excavation at the Duggleby Howe Causewayed Enclosure, North Yorkshire, May—July 2009

“…The dismantling of the stone circle, the construction of the henge earthwork and the Beaker burials at Cairnpapple Hill may also have taken place at this time (Piggott 1950;Barclay 1999). Why this widespread need for monumental construction should have happened more or less simultaneously across the country is difficult to answer, particularly because of the paucity of finds from the excavations at the sites cited above.…”

Mapping material culture: exploring the interface between museum artefacts and their geographical context

“…In the event, resources were unavailable; however, it was still possible to convey the potential of MAGI as a means of re-uniting objects and the sites and landscapes from which they derive. For demonstration purposes, the relatively artefact-rich excavated site at Cairnpapple Hill was used as a case study (Piggott 1948;Barclay 1999). Focussing on the development of the complex Bronze Age cairn as an example, the hypothetical MAGI user would, on the one hand, be able to see information held on the RCAHMS database, including digitised copies of the site plans and artefact drawings, and, on the other, to review information and images relating to the objects held by the NMS.…”