Fieldwork 2003

During April and May 2003 fieldwalking took  place  on fields  at Wormiston, West Loch, Cloich and Darnhall—but with only limited results.

One of the fields on West Loch produced a lithic scatter, which included a microlith. However among the more recent material from the field was a piece of what was thought to be a bomb dropped during WWII. Another chert source - a natural outcrop - was found in another West Loch field.

During the summer months as well as the usual commitments, we helped Tarn on his Weston site; assisted the team from the Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society to carry out a resistivity survey of the Cloich cropmark in advance of its excavation in December, and surveyed the Murray cemetery in the grounds of Barony Castle. Peggy Ferguson has started to transcribe the inscriptions.

Walkover survey resumed in October on Portmore Estate, more particularly the valley of the Longcote Burn, and continued with the lands of Burnhead Farm, Windylaws Farm, and the grounds of Barony Castle. The usual suspects have been turning up again, such as burnt mounds and monuments relating to sheep management.

However some areas have been more rewarding—unusually well preserved sheepfolds, clearance cairns and other features high up the course of the Weary Burn, an unenclosed platform site with 6 house platforms spotted by Joyce at Windylaws.

In early December, assisted by EAFS members, we excavated some trial trenches in the site of the Cloich crop-mark, which was probably the ploughed out remains of a turf-built sheepfold or ring enclosure, and in late December helped Tarn at the excavation of a Bronze Age house platform in Fruid reservoir.

A combination of bad weather, the very considerable amount of research and other work required for the Clues to the Past Exhibition, and the demands of the Certificate in Archaeology course (upon Jack, Joyce and Bob), have meant that progress on the survey has been slower than it might otherwise have been.

Thanks are due to those who helped with fieldwork over the course of the year in one way or another, including Jack, Joyce, Maureen, Gillian, Alison, Michael, Bob(!) and Trevor; also Charles Connor, Elizabeth McLean, John Rogerson, Gordon, Callum and Julie Stephen, and the Delamore family— visitors from New Zealand who helped out at Cloich!

Bob Knox