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Newton DigMHG Report |
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Pictures of the event will continue to be added and hopefully some video of the dig process. From aerial photographs the field just to the north of Newton farm Cottages looked full of archaeology and to have a very impressive looking Iron Age fort in the middle of it. Outside of the fort a whole host of hut-circles, possible barrows, field enclosures, pits and all sorts. The Newton site is a mere 1.5km from the massive Balfarg prehistoric ritual landscape. It's entirely possible that some of the archaeology at Newton would be connected with the wider Balfarg prehistoric landscape. Although the fort looks Iron Age, we hoped excavation would end up revealing some complex story. E.g. it was originally a Neolithic enclosure that was adapted during the Bronze and Iron Ages. There also appeared to be a whole host of other, probably non-related enclosures, lumps, bumps, burials and enclosures in that field that would pre-date and post-date the fort. The Balfarg landscape was an immensely important and highly charged area of ritual landscape for perhaps some 3,000 years. This was no site in isolation. Prehistoric peoples for scores of miles around must have been in awe of this landscape. Hence, the archaeology of this field needed interpreted in a much wider context. The dig was blessed with good weather this weekend but not much else unfortunately. We proved the existence of ditches but the only ancient finds were small pieces of bone. Even the professional archaeologists were disappointed and struggled to see some of the features once excavation began. The aerial photography was so encouraging we all expected more from what seemed a fairly safe bet. Once soil analysis has been done, hopefully it will yield some more positive information. What was found though, at the very top of the hill site, was a number of WW2 artifacts, some complete with date, patent and part numbers. A defensive position and/or searchlight here makes sense since not only is there a surprisingly commanding view, it also overlooks the Stop Line. Thank you to to all the volunteers, the visitors who took the time to come and have a look at local archaeology in action, and to the farmer, John Lethangie, for allowing us access. Click here to run a slide show or on any picture for an enlargement.
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| Researching the past for our future...... |
