Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 72

Excavation focussed on the outer face of the rampart and sections through the rampart. Although the whole interior of the fort was excavated to bed-rock, the number of relics recovered was small. Pottery and bone implements were totally absent. A broken flint scraper, two saddle querns and a looped and socketed iron axe and a bronze La Tene brooch were among the objects found. The brooch strengthens the evidence from Dunagoil and Duntroon for a date in the La Tene period for vitrified forts north of the Clyde-Forth line.

Two seals were found in the debris of the monastery of the Abbey of Arbroath. The church of the monastery was founded by King William the Lion in 1178 and dedicated to Thomas a Becket. The translation of the legend of one of the items is "Seal of Robert de Lambile". The second seal bears the legend "Prior W. (or Dom. W.) the son of Matheus, monk of Aberbrothock." Both the seals belong to the early thirteenth century, and are connected with Arbroath Abbey Monastery. They were probably made by the same person, and about the same time. They were probably used by a prior of the family of De Lambeley, which family gave at least two other officials to the monastery, Richard de Lambeley, Prior, and Radulph de Lambeley, Abbot; and a prior named W. whose father may have been one of the several persons called Matheus mentioned in the documents, and whose name may be recorded in a particular charter. The seals were probably in use by those Priors in the election of new Abbots, and when they acted as Vice-Regent in the Abbot's absence.

Doune Castle was built within the earthworks of an earlier dun or fort towards the end of the fourteenth century, by Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, Regent of Scotland in the reign of Robert III and James I. The castle is an irregular pentagon in plan, the habitable buildings being on the north and north-west sides, while the remainder of the enclosure is screened by a high and massive curtain wall. The components of the castle are described in detail. it has much in common with the French Chateau de Pierrefonds, erected by the Duc d'Orleans about 1390'”1400. There also similarities with Sanquhar Castle in Nithsdale.

The article is concerned with the dating of sculptured stones from churches of Fowlis Wester, St Vigean's near Arbroath, Invergowrie and Benvie. It is argued that the generally accepted early date of the stones is incorrect and that they are in fact medieval.

The bowl was found inverted in the soil while ploughing. It is a simple bowl of hammered bronze, made from a single sheet of metal without ornamentation. The most distinctive feature of the Awhirk bowl is a small circular perforation surrounded by a finely incised circle in the centre of the rounded base. The bowl is thought to be a clepsydra, or water-clock; and as such is in a separate category from the other cauldrons in Scotland, which in all likelihood were intended for culinary purposes or brewing. The clepsydra was at first a very simple affair '” a plain bowl with a\r\nsmall perforation in the base, which could be floated on water and gradually filled by percolation till it finally sank '” an attendant noting the time taken to fill, and the number of refills needed in a given period.

A list of all the socketed axes and leaf-shaped swords in Scotland is presented along with maps showing their geographical distribution. From the main body of these two groups, distinctive types have been selected and by comparative study an effort has been made to establish reliable connections with areas outside Scotland. The objects were not evolved here; in common with most of the Scottish Late Bronze Age metal types they originated outside the country. An attempt is made to explain the presence of these Continental types in Scotland.

A Neolithic burial cairn contained two separate but contemporary chambers, one above the other. Each chamber had a separate entrance-passage at its floor-level, the openings to them being placed diametrically opposite one another on the circumference of the cairn in a line running east and west. The lower chamber is entirely subterranean, and the upper has been constructed in the mass of the superstructure above the natural level of the ground. Pottery sherds, flints and a broken axe were recovered. A second circular cairn covered a central chamber and passageway. Pottery and stone tools were recovered along with evidence of later Iron Age activity. A third cairn was poorly preserved and had been investigated in the 19th century.

The two plates of pewter were presented to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland in 1870 in a small oaken chest, which also contained, amongst other articles, a note by the donor stating that the chest had been preserved in a gipsy family before coming into his possession and was known as the Charter Chest of the celebrated Border gipsy, Johnny Faa and his descendants. The plates are stamped with the marks of the members of the Edinburgh Pewterers craft. It is argued that they are samples of pewter of approved quality, on which each master pewterer has stamped his mark as an acknowledgment of his obligation to employ pewter of at least that fineness in making his wares.

Tolquhon is a sixteenth century baronial mansion in Aberdeenshire. It was greatly enlarged by William Forbes, the seventh laird between 1584-1589. An account of his life and activities is presented. The ruins of the castle are described and incorporate new discoveries. Removal of the ruins of the fallen Preston's Tower has enabled a complete plan of the east wing to be made. The work of consolidation disclosed a number of interesting features in the sixteenth-century buildings.

The remains of Bronze Age occupation were stratified below Viking/medieval layers at Jarlshof and included stone dwelling, walls, hearths, middens and paved floors. Stone and quartz tools were found in large numbers. Other artefacts included bone tools, querns and a carved bone plaque.

The article considers as many as possible, if not all, of the known specimens of glass armlets found in Britain, the periods during which the various forms were made, and what can be learned from a study of their distribution. Although there is a wide range of forms and colours, three main types are identified.