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MHG62839 - Charcoal burning platform - Ardmolich, Moidart

Summary

A charcoal burning platform at Ardmolich, Moidart.

Type and Period (1)

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Full Description

A charcoal burning platform at Ardmolich, Moidart.

The feature was recorded by AOC Archaeology Group during a pre-felling walkover survey of Ardmolich Wood in 2016: Flat recessed D -shaped platform with stone revetment around front (northern edge) and sides. Cut into natural slope at back (south) and a drop of c. 1.2m to natural slope at front from platform lip. Site adjacent to current path and drainage and water erosion has clipped W side of site, small deer track across the top running E-W. Track to east of platform follows a slight terrace - perhaps the remains of a pony track/original route to the site that contours down the hill? A growth of 5-6 birch trees on top/edges of platform.

The site was subsequently excavated as it was located along the route of a proposed forwarding track for felling. This revealed that a natural bedrock terrace was utilised, extended and built up. The platform is sub circular, measuring 11m by 9m across, and cut into the natural slope at the back with natural subsoil being spread forward to create a platform. Presumably additional soil and material was sourced from nearby. A stone and boulder defined revetment wall held the material back and was roughly built but substantial, maintaining a flat, well defined platform surface. This is similar to many other platforms identified across west coast Scotland. A relatively thin layer of charcoal-rich material was spread across the platform surface, representing a single or series of events of charcoal burning. There was no clear sign of previous or multiple uses of the site and it appeared to have been constructed for and used solely as a simple charcoal production platform and may even have seen a short lived use. There was no evidence of hearths, occupation deposits or truncated cuts in features such as post holes, which could have indicated another structure had been present.

Two pieces of roundwood charcoal from the primary burning layer were selected for radiocarbon dating to confirm when the burning activity had occurred. The pieces selected for dating were taken from short lived plants functionally related to the context of charcoal burning to ensure that the dates related to the burning activity itself. The samples returned calibrated dates cal1677-1940 AD (95.4% Betula sp.) and cal1669-1945 AD (95.4% Corylus avellana). This confirmed that the burning activity on the platform had occurred sometime between the late 17th century and the early 20th century. Although the dating did not pin down the activity to a tighter range, it confirmed it was related to the postmedieval period and that there was no evidence of earlier processes occurring on the site. The documentary evidence for the surrounding area implies that this process would have been occurring in Moidart from the mid to late 18th century which fits in with this date range. <1>

Sources/Archives (1)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NM 7101 7171 (14m by 14m)
Map sheet	NM77SW
Civil Parish	ARISAIG AND MOIDART
Geographical Area	LOCHABER

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Related Investigations/Events (2)

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