Archaeologists uncover exciting artefacts at local quarry

Tarmac Limited have funded an extensive archaeological investigation at Loudounhill Quarry, Darvel.

Colin Hume, Tarmac's senior estates surveyor for Scotland said: "We gave an undertaking to carry out this investigation when Tarmac was granted planning permission for a quarry extension. We commissioned Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division (GUARD) to carry out the work."

From the beginning of March to early June this year, a team of nine archaeologists braved the elements on a relatively exposed hillside facing Loudoun Hill, to excavate two areas that had previously been identified as being likely to produce important archaeological information. The topsoil was removed carefully and their findings in the subsoil have surpassed expectations.

The higher area uncovered a prehistoric settlement that looked like a pale expanse of level sand and gravel. Into this material prehistoric people erected their buildings, lived, celebrated and buried their rubbish. The area has been heavily ploughed over the centuries and only the bottoms of structures survived.

Beverley Ballin Smith, GUARD's project manager said: "We are confident that three large wooden buildings were built on the summit of this hillside during the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods. One circular building had a large central post, to hold up the roof and another was a long house with four or five substantial timber posts running parallel through the centre of the building.

"The shape of the third building is more uncertain but it is likely to have been rectangular or square. Unfortunately, the floors of these buildings have long since disappeared, and no hearths have been found. Artefacts from the area are fairly scarce but include a few sherds of dark pottery."

The second area, a few hundred metres down the hillside, is a more sheltered platform where a completely different site was unearthed. Instead of a prehistoric settlement, the archaeologists uncovered the remains of an enclosed farm or homestead dating from the medieval period. The farm nestled into the lee of the hill and would have had good views across the valley towards Loudoun Hill. The archaeologists found the remains of the stone foundations to what was probably the farm house, which had two hearths, and a nearby barn or byre. A second barn was also found on the platform with a stone floor. Pottery found amongst the stones is thought to date to about the fourteenth century. The farmstead may have been enclosed or fortified by a ditch or ditches cut into the sand and gravels which encircled the platform to keep them and their animals safe. Dark traces in the sandy subsoil indicate where other buildings may have stood. At the back of the platform are the remains of a corn-drying kiln.

Beverley continued: "People may have lived on this spot for a couple of hundred years before the farmstead was abandoned and new farm buildings were built elsewhere. Even though settlements may have moved around the hillside over time, medieval farmsteads are rarely found in Ayrshire.

"An enclosed medieval farmstead is even more rare and similar examples are more commonly found in Ulster and England, this makes this particular site very important. The excavation has showed that this hillside has been used and farmed for at least a thousand years and possibly as much as five thousand years, given the prehistoric activities on the top of the hill.

"These discoveries are filling in some of missing pieces of the fascinating picture of life in prehistoric and medieval Ayrshire."

Colin added: "Due to the nature of quarrying, preserving archaeological finds is always a priority and without quarrying many of these artefacts, which show an insight into our past, would never have been found."
Tarmac will fund further work that will include analysis of the soil samples, pottery and other artefacts that were uncovered and publication of the results.

For further information please contact Rebecca Jackson, PR Officer on 01902 382896.