STAR Monograph

This monograph begins with a brief introduction to the project -- excavation of sites to provide information for policies to conserve rich upland archaeological areas -- and to the island of Arran. The second section describes the results at Tormore on Later Bronze Age hut circles and field banks, with earlier clearance cairns; at Kilpatrick on Neolithic burial cairns, a Later Bronze Age unenclosed platform settlement and Neolithic and Iron Age fields; and at Machrie North on Mesolithic activity, Neolithic fields with a house, Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age clearance cairns, Early Bronze Age burnt mounds and Late Bronze Age hut circles. The third section summarises this work, comparing the sites of the three areas and assessing their contribution to Scottish prehistory and to future excavations in comparable soils and settings. There is particular discussion of soils and archaeological features, peat formation, field systems, the end of the Later Bronze Age and of implications for cultural resource management. There are seven pottery reports by A MacSween: `The pottery from 10/1' (21), `Pottery from 16/2' (41), `Pottery from 16/3' (46), `Pottery from 24/3' (84--5), `Pottery from cairn 24/7C' (89--91), `Pottery from 24/01' (94) and `Appendix I; Pottery catalogue' (169--72). N Finlay contributes eighteen reports on: `Chipped stone from 10/1' (22--5), `Flint' (27--9), `Flint and pitchstone artefacts' (29--30), `Flint and pitchstone artefacts' (38--9), `Flint and pitchstone' (41--2), `Flint and pitchstone' (46--7), `Flint and pitchstone' (48), `Flint and pitchstone' (49), `Flint and pitchstone from the Fernie Bank' (58--60), `Flint and pitchstone from the soil test pits' (65--7), `Flint' (80), `Flint and pitchstone from 24/3' (86--7), `Flint from 24/7C' (91), `Flint and pitchstone from 24/01' (94--5), `Flint and pitchstone from cultivation area 24/50' (109), `Flint from 24/51' (112), `Lithics from the Arran sites; summary and discussion' (131--6) and `Appendix II; lithics catalogue' (173--80). Other contributions are: `Carbonised plant remains' by A D Fairweather & R McCullagh (13--21), `Kilpatrick soils' S Carter (34), `Chemical analyses of samples from soil pits' S Carter & M Dalland (64--5), `Vegetation survey' S Greshon (72--5), `Charred plant remains from 24/3' S Boardman (85--6) and `A radiocarbon-dated pollen diagram from Machrie Moor' by D E Robinson & J H Dickson (113--20). BOC

Extensive occupation deposits survived, despite drainage of the surrounding loch and subsequent excavation in the nineteenth century. Radiocarbon dating indicated that Buiston crannog was built during the Roman period, but dendrochronological analysis of the structural timbers showed that most of the surviving occupation deposits related to a short period of activity in the seventh century AD. Settlement on the crannog consisted, at any one time, of a single round-house within a defensive perimeter. A wide range of organic artefacts complemented the assemblage recovered in the earlier excavations. The natural environment, nature of the settlement, the status of its inhabitants and their relationship to the elite of British Strathclyde are among the themes explored. Chapters deal with: chronology; the Romano--British and earlier crannog; the early historic crannog and the natural environment, followed by details of its construction, occupation and economy; the whole concludes with a discussion. Within this there are contributions on:

Housing developments at Port Seton provided a unique opportunity for detailed investigation of two adjacent cropmark enclosures. Linked by a series of radiocarbon dates between 400 cal BC and 560 cal AD, the two investigations encompassed studies of the archaeological remains, artefacts, animal bones, plant remains and sediments. The two Fishers Road sites were in contemporary use for at least part of their lives, though the East site probably continued longer, and the nature of their relationship is explored.