EHG3438 - Excavation and monitoring, Fort George, Ardersier

Minor excavations were carried out by Kirkdale Archaeology in advance of construction work close to the Barrack Square at Fort George. Four trenches were excavated to a depth great enough to allow the installation of service ducts. Trench 1 was placed to the rear (west) of the northwest corner of the artillery block within a walled courtyard measured 13.5m x 8.4m where a cabin was to be erected. The trench was excavated to a depth great enough to allow the excavation of an area under the north wall to feed service ducts through. North of the courtyard the trench was to continue to the north (Trench 2) to a service box and continue a short way further north (Trench 3) and then finally turning eastwards (Trench 4) to an existing service box. Trench 4 was excavated entirely within a previous service trench and the ast 6.15m was excavated without archaeological supervision. Five phases of archaeological deposits were recorded, the earliest being the original ground surface at the time of construction of the Fort, and a number of finds were recovered of which only the pottery was retained. <1>