News Item: : Ingleston Motte Update 2010
(Category: Misc)
Posted by Lizzie Penman
Monday 07 June 2010 - 17:35:07
Excavation has continued on the north- east end of the perimeter defences of the motte hill where the excavation levels have reached the burnt clay base of the original timber tower. This has revealed further evidence of fallen burnt main support timbers in the form of charcoal and nails. An unstratified section of trench, approx 1.0 meter wide has been discovered and at this stage of excavation must be speculated to have been the remnant of the rather hurried excavation carried out by Coles in the latter years of the 19th century. Further examination of the southern and western perimeters of the summit of the motte hill have revealed an extension of the area of cobbling previously reported to the south of the earlier excavation. Important finds recorded this season include a gilded bronze ring loop with screw and decoration in the form of animal heads at each end of the circle (see photograph). A clench nail of approx. 8.0 cms in length was recovered and proved to have been annealed by extreme heat and, as a result, was in almost perfect condition. Numerous iron nails, daub, charcoal, butchered animal bone and the local green galena glazed pottery of the region of the type previously reported in D & E 2008: 52; have been recovered in profusion from the later medieval layers. Progress has been drastically curtailed once again by the record rainfall of August which precipitated to the record breaking amount of 12.50 inches for the month, an amount never previously recorded and Dumfries & Galloway since records began. Excavation will continue once the site has dried out!
This news item is from Stewartry Archaeological Trust
( http://sat.org.uk/news.php?extend.21 )
(Category: Misc)
Posted by Lizzie Penman
Monday 07 June 2010 - 17:35:07
Excavation has continued on the north- east end of the perimeter defences of the motte hill where the excavation levels have reached the burnt clay base of the original timber tower. This has revealed further evidence of fallen burnt main support timbers in the form of charcoal and nails. An unstratified section of trench, approx 1.0 meter wide has been discovered and at this stage of excavation must be speculated to have been the remnant of the rather hurried excavation carried out by Coles in the latter years of the 19th century. Further examination of the southern and western perimeters of the summit of the motte hill have revealed an extension of the area of cobbling previously reported to the south of the earlier excavation. Important finds recorded this season include a gilded bronze ring loop with screw and decoration in the form of animal heads at each end of the circle (see photograph). A clench nail of approx. 8.0 cms in length was recovered and proved to have been annealed by extreme heat and, as a result, was in almost perfect condition. Numerous iron nails, daub, charcoal, butchered animal bone and the local green galena glazed pottery of the region of the type previously reported in D & E 2008: 52; have been recovered in profusion from the later medieval layers. Progress has been drastically curtailed once again by the record rainfall of August which precipitated to the record breaking amount of 12.50 inches for the month, an amount never previously recorded and Dumfries & Galloway since records began. Excavation will continue once the site has dried out!
This news item is from Stewartry Archaeological Trust
( http://sat.org.uk/news.php?extend.21 )