EHG5961 - Watching brief - geotechnical test pits, A96 dualling Section 1 (Inverness to Gollanfield)

An archaeological watching brief was carried out by GUARD Archaeology Ltd in 2016, on behalf of Raeburn Drilling & Geotechnical Ltd and Jacobs UK Ltd, during preliminary ground investigation work being undertaken on the Inverness to Gollanfield section of the A96 Dualling Inverness to Nairn project. A total of 139 trial pits, 18 soakaway test pits and three borehole inspection pits were monitored alongside a 14 km stretch of the existing A96 road corridor. The work was undertaken between 21 March and 7 June 2016. Four trial pits (TP0309, TP0506, TP0911, TP1102) revealed potential archaeological features which were recorded but not excavated prior to the pits being backfilled and re-located a few metres away from the initial location. The features uncovered in TPP0309 and TPP0506 consisted of the edges of pits or linear features that had been cut into the natural subsoil below the topsoil. As these were not excavated as part of the project, and as no material culture was identified, it is not possible to determine their full nature at this time. The pit [022 uncovered] in TPP0309 was located closer to possible barrows and other indeterminate pits that were discovered as crop marks in aerial photographs and therefore may be associated with them. The linear feature [013] in TPP0506 was close to the known site of Upper Cullernie ring ditch, again discovered as a crop mark in aerial photographs, and therefore maybe associated with the prehistoric activity in this area. The features uncovered in TPP0911 and TPP1102 were isolated and could not be associated with any other known archaeology in the project area. These both contained very small amounts of charcoal but nothing from the trial pit would help to further identify the activity that took place in these locations. One fragment from a glass bottle was recovered from trial pit TPP0318 but no further material culture was found during the works. <1>