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MHG55810 - Early neolithic pits - Slackbuie Way, Inverness

Summary

A watching brief in 2010 along the proposed line of the Inverness Flood Relief scheme south of Inverness at Slackbuie produced evidence of occupation in the early neolithic period.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

A watching brief in 2010 by GUARD along the proposed line of the Inverness Flood Relief scheme south of Inverness at Slackbuie following previous evaluation and excavation phases produced evidence of prehistoric occupation. The work covered a linear route from Essich Road (NH 656 414) to Culduthel Road (NH 668 414) in the west and an area of land at Slackbuie in the east.

In Area B a total of 13 features were exposed and excavated spread across the area but with two loose clusterings. All the features were pits containing charcoal, burnt bone fragments, hazelnut shell fragments and in several, fragments of prehistoric pottery. <1>

Post-excavation work, including the obtaining of radiocarbon dates and environmental sample analysis has further refined the dating of the features found in Area B of the watching brief. One of the pits, 054, returned a radiocarbon date of 3960-3770 cal BC (early neolithic), calibrated to 2 sigma, from charcoal. Other pits, 028 and 039 returned dates of 3770-3630 cal BC and 3530-3360 cal BC respectively.The latter pit contained only hazel, willow and hazelnut fragments suggesting the presence of a possible wattle-work structure or object. Other pits were undated but contained similar fills and finds assemblages with charcoal derived from alder and hazel. <2>

Sources/Archives (2)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 65852 41373 (75m by 67m) (3 map features)
Map sheet	NH64SE
Civil Parish	INVERNESS AND BONA
Geographical Area	INVERNESS

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