Toolis, R. (2011). Neolithic domesticity and other prehistoric anomalies: excavations at Laigh Newton, East Ayrshire. York: Council for British Archaeology. https://doi.org/10.5284/1017938.

A series of archaeological evaluations and excavations at Laigh Newton in East Ayrshire revealed evidence for intermittent occupation of this valley terrace between the Mesolithic and the Late Iron Age. The plough-truncated archaeology included the remains of a rectangular building and associated features of the mid-late fourth millennium BC, a more ephemeral structure and related pits of the mid third millennium BC, a charcoal-burning pit of the mid-first millennium AD and two other rectilinear structures of indeterminate date.

The prehistoric remains were found in three discrete concentrations, the location of which is illustrated.

Summary note on the remains of a medieval farmstead which will be reported on elsewhere.

Two shallow pits contained flint chips and blades, prehistoric and medieval pottery sherds and carbonised grains.

A total of 195 sherds representing a minimum of 16 vessels from the early Neolithic to the Bronze Age was recovered. The assemblage included early Neolithic bowls, grooved ware and Beaker sherds.

The assemblage of seventy four lithics comprised chips, flakes, indeterminate pieces (flakes or cores), blades and microblades, cores and tools.

Ploughing had removed occupation layers and all but the deepest features, in addition to removing artefacts from their original contexts. A fragment of willow charcoal produced a Mesolithic date although no features could be attributed to the period. Coherent clusters of features have been tentatively tied into specific chronological episodes of occupation (early Neolithic, late Neolithic-early Bronze Age, Iron Age and medieval).