Survey and excavation at Tarradale, Highland

Abstract

Report on the trial excavation between 1991 and 1993 of a cropmark enclosure. Excavation revealed three possible phases of activity. These include possible Mesolithic activity; a probable unenclosed phase of settlement dating to the Late Bronze/Early Iron Age; and finally a phase of enclosure which may be associated with the formation of a substantial settlement dating to the middle centuries of the first millennium AD. Includes

Excavations by the late G D B Jones and C M Daniels along the moray Firth littoral

“…At the nearby site of Tarradale, located at the head of the Beauly Firth, for example, a comparable corner tower arrangement was also found associated with a large ditched enclosure. In this instance, however, artefactual evidence suggests that this putative tower dates to the middle centuries of the first millennium  and was associated with a large native site (Gregory & Jones 2001). Presumably, in the absence of secure dating evidence, a similar situation may apply to the Easter Galcantray enclosure and its associated features, although it does appear that architectural features of this kind are unusual in a late Iron Age/early historic settlement context.…”

“…This contrasts with the formation of more organic silts associated with less acidic soils, which make the detection and identification of archaeological remains easier elsewhere (Grattan 1992). These factors were certainly relevant at Boyndie, where the cropmark was only visible for a few days and despite continued observation over the 1990s has not occurred since, but would also appear to be the case at the excavated sites at Thomshill and Tarradale (Gregory & Jones 2001). In both these examples, the cropmarkings were again found to be somewhat retarded, presumably due to the construction of these enclosures on similar Boyndie Series deposits.…”

“…Even though the buildings may not have been connected to Roman military activity it is likely that they do date to the earlier half of the first millennium . This is indicated by the discovery of a biconical bead from building D. Although it is unfortunate that very little is known of domestic architecture during the early/middle centuries of the first millennium  in this region (cf Foster 1998), similar post-defined rectilinear buildings have been identified at the Tarradale enclosure (Gregory & Jones 2001), whilst at Green Castle (Area 1, Structure U2), Portknockie and Tarbat (Sector 1, Structure 2) the foundation trenches for rectilinear building have also been identified (Ralston 1987;Carver 1995). At all these sites these structures seem likely to date to a similar period as the Easter Galcantray buildings and, in turn, may represent a fairly standard form of architecture constructed by the proto-historic and early historic communities of this region.…”