1 10 7 https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/18/569/GGLP-CYDI-Technical-Note-1-Polmaddy.pdf 9c57f9d92a091987661bf16e01722df9 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Can You Dig It – Technical Notes – 1 Polmaddy Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Technical Notes Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource GGLP Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Galloway Glens ‘Can You Dig It’ Community Archaeology project – Technical notes. #1: Polmaddy Deserted Settlement – The Auchendrain that never was PUBLIS HED: FRIDAY, 1 5 FEBRUARY 201 9 Sitting roughly 700m west of the A713, between Carsphairn and St John’s Town of Dalry, are the remains of the deserted settlement of Polmaddy. The site is located in an area of open ground within the Galloway Forest Park, bounded to the south and west by a loop in the Polmaddy Burn. Car parking facilities and a picnic area are provided nearby by Forestry Commission Scotland, who have also created a walking route which allows access to the site. FCS Access Sign Its History A settlement was first recorded here in 1505 AD, when King James IV granted the lands of Polmaddy to the McClellands of Bombie, a well-known local family with strong connections in the area around Kirkcudbright and the Dee Valley. The ruined buildings that survive today appear to be much later: the settlement probably remained occupied until the late 18th or early 19th century. At this point, it was abandoned, as part of a wider re-organisation of the agricultural landscape across south-west Scotland. Improvements During this period of change, known as the agricultural improvements, the traditional small communities or ‘ferm-touns’ were abandoned. They were replaced with much larger enclosed farms tenanted by a single famer who were encouraged to use a variety of techniques - such as applying lime or seaweed to the soil as fertiliser to improve yields and profits. The tenants of the fermtouns, who had traditionally eked out a living through growing a range of crops and livestock on often poor soils, faced losing their tenancy when lands were organised. Often, they were forced to seek alternative employment in nearby towns and cities or even further afield. The Fermtoun Polmaddy provides us with an unusual and well-preserved example of a traditional post-medieval fermtoun in lowland Scotland. A total of twenty-three different buildings were identified here during a detailed survey of the site which took place in 1971, their walls sometimes surviving to over 1m in height. A number appear to have been houses, but the remains of a byre were also found, identified by the presence of drainage holes at the base of the wall. Five kilns for drying corn were also found, as well as the ruins of the mill building where grain grown by the community would have been ground into flour for making bread. The mill would have been waterpowered: the mill pond and lade can still be seen in the centre of the settlement, to the north of an area which shows traces of the raised rigs where crops would have been cultivated. One of the buildings at Polmaddy The Pack Road An even more unusual survival at Polmaddy are the remains of an inn, built to serve the needs of travellers using the Pack Road which passed close to the settlement, and which had its origins in the medieval period. It is known to have run from near Glenlee to Carsphairn, but may originally have formed part of a much more extensive road linking Ayr to Kirkcudbright. The route forded the Polmaddy Burn just southwest of the settlement of Polmaddy, skirting its northwest edge. The inn sat slightly apart, to the east of the road, which can still be seen in places as a rough track which now survives as a hollow. Waymarker at the Inn The excavations The 1971 excavations revealed a number of finds in and around the investigated structures which helped shed light on the lives of their inhabitants. There were large numbers of fragments from clay tobacco pipes, and sherds derived from glazed red and white earthenware vessels. The assemblage was dominated by artefacts of late 18th or early 19th century date, i.e. material lost or discarded close to the time of abandonment. Some small pieces of structural ironwork and a single coin with an illegible legend were also found. Saving Polmaddy In 1971, the importance of Polmaddy became more widely known when the area was acquired for forestry. A local resident, Mr Ansell, championed the site, which was preserved in a clearing within the afforested area. At the time, the aim was to create a local amenity which featured a reconstructed house and kiln. This would have created a facility similar to the open air museum at Auchendrain, which had been established in Argyll in the mid-1960s. Unfortunately, due to financial constraints, the plans never came to fruition, making this the Auchendrain that never was. Its Current Status The recognition of Polmaddy’s importance in the 1970s meant that it was protected in an open space in an area which formed part of a much larger forestry plantation, now included in Galloway Forest Park. Its unique and valuable role in Scotland’s heritage was further highlighted in 1992, when it was granted statutory protection as a Scheduled Monument. This means that metal-detecting and ground disturbance without consent is illegal across the site, with disturbance of the standing structures similarly prohibited. This ensures that the site and all its component parts will remain intact and undisturbed for future generations to enjoy and appreciate. Further Reading Yates, M J. (1978) 'The excavations at Polmaddy, New Galloway', Trans Dumfriesshire Galloway Natur Hist Antiq Soc, 3rd, vol. 53, 1977-8. Page(s): 133-46 Created by Rathmell Archaeology for the Galloway Glens, February 2019. http://www.rathmell-arch.co.uk/  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Can You Dig It – Technical Notes – 1 Polmaddy Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GGLP_109 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource GGLP Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource GCAT Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2019 Description An account of the resource Prepared as part of the Galloway Glens Can You Dig It scheme, these notes summarise some of the historic archaeological excavations to have taken place in the Galloway Glens area. archaeology GGLP https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/18/570/GGLP-CYDI-Technical-Note-2-Carminnow.pdf fe9be615325a236fd664ebb8f06da7b5 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Can You Dig It – Technical Notes – 2 Carminnow Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Technical Notes Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource GGLP Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document OFFICIAL Galloway Glens ‘Can You Dig It’ Community Archaeology project – Technical notes. #2: Carminnow Fort – A footnote in the career of V.G. Childe PULISHED: ·FRIDAY, 8 MARCH 2019 Located west of the B729 at Glenkens Fish Farm, just southeast of Carsphairn, are the remains of Carminnow Fort. The site lies within an area of rough pasture on the edge of the Galloway Forest Park, and is bounded to the southwest by Kendoon Loch. Today the site can be viewed via access through the fish farm. It was excavated and recorded by Australian-born archaeologist Vere Gordon Childe. Appointed Abercrombie Professor of Archaeology at Edinburgh University in 1927, Childe remained in this post for a further twenty years, during which time he worked extensively in Scotland. Its History The fort was first recorded in the 1890s as a ‘supposed Roman camp’ by Fredrick R. Coles: his survey, which provided descriptions and illustrations of motes and forts throughout the Mid Stewartry of Kirkudbright, was published in the 1892 volume of the Proceedings of the Society of Scotland. 1935 saw the excavations by Childe: these were followed in 1951 by a survey, conducted by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS). OFFICIAL OFFICIAL V. Gordon Childe 1852-1957 Vere Gordon Childe One of the most widely known archaeologists of the twentieth century, Childe was respected for his work in incorporating regional research into the broader picture of European and Near Eastern prehistory. With emphasis placed on technological advancement and the development of economic structures within human society, he become celebrated in particular for his theories of the Neolithic Revolution and the Urban Revolution. He also excavated some well-known Neolithic sites on Orkney, including the settlement of Skara Brae and the chambered tombs of Maeshowe and Quoyness. Childe was a known socialist, at a time when this was viewed with suspicion, and his work was deeply influenced by Marxist ideas, particularly with regard to how societies developed and changed over time. His penchant for poetry and fast cars was also widely known. Today, his theories have been largely disproved, but he remains a highly respected figure. OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Coles' 1892 plan of Carminnow The site Carminnow provides us with an example of a promontory fort with triple ramparts: in plan, its interior is lozenge-shaped, measuring 45m x 59m in extent. The curving ramparts, which cut across the promontory, measure a maximum distance of 55m in length. The eastern edge of the promontory is the best preserved: here, two ramparts survive, standing 2.1m high to either side of an intervening ditch. To the west, both promontory and rampart are difficult to see. The site is not so well preserved now as it was in 1892, as at no point do all three ramparts survive together. OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Section from the 1935 excavation The excavations Childe’s 1935 excavations of Carminnow Fort took place with funding assistance from Sir Alexander Gibb and Sir Robert Macalpine & Sons. Sections were cut through the inner rampart, revealing a core of large stones surrounded by earth and rubble packing. Childe notes that during the excavation, no evidence of any kind of structures was obtained from the fort’s interior. A small and modest selection of artefacts were recovered, including fragments of bone, two flint chips and a minute fragment of what was thought to be pottery. Although not the most glamorous of OFFICIAL OFFICIAL finds, they still indicted some form of occupation on the site. The results of the excavation were published in the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. Its Current Status On the 14th of December 1994, Carminnow was removed from the list of scheduled monuments as it no longer fulfilled the criteria for being of national importance. This was due in part to the raising of the water level of Kendoon Loch, which had caused much of the promontory to become submerged, leaving only fragments of the defensive ramparts exposed. These can still be viewed today. Despite the fort’s change in status, it remains an important site as the information obtained through excavation and recording is still invaluable in assisting archaeologists to research and categorise similar sites today. Further Reading Childe, V G. (1936b) '(1) Carminnow Fort; (2) Supplementary excavations at the vitrified fort of Finavon, Angus; and (3) some Bronze Age vessels from Angus', Proc Soc Antiq Scot, vol. 70, 1935-6. Page(s): 341-7 Coles, F R. (1892) 'The motes, forts, and doons of the Stewartry of Kirkcudbrightshire', Proc Soc Antiq Scot, vol. 26, 1891-2. Page(s): 166-9 fig.71 Created by Rathmell Archaeology for the Galloway Glens, March 2019. http://www.rathmell-arch.co.uk/ OFFICIAL  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Can You Dig It – Technical Notes – 2 Carminnow Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GGLP_110 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource GGLP Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource GCAT Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2019 Description An account of the resource Prepared as part of the Galloway Glens Can You Dig It scheme, these notes summarise some of the historic archaeological excavations to have taken place in the Galloway Glens area. archaeology GGLP https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/18/571/GGLP-CYDI-Techinical-Note-3-Park-of-Tongland.pdf cca1fbbf64c571bb888270b0120d480b Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Can You Dig It – Technical Notes – 3 Park of Tongland Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Technical Notes Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource GGLP Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Galloway Glens ‘Can You Dig It’ Community Archaeology project – Technical notes. #3: Park of Tongland Bronze Age cremation cemetery – A complex prehistoric site with unusual pottery… PUBLISHED: MONDAY, 1 APRIL 2019 Located west of the A711 and northwest of Tongland Park, Tongland Cemetery and standing stones occupies a small terrace overlooking the River Dee. The site’s location can be characterised as an undulating plateau which features a number of linear, north-south running rocky outcrops. The land is currently used as pasture. Its History The site was first interpreted as a stone circle by Coles in 1895, who noted on his plan a potential for the existence of an outer circle made up of much smaller stones. The outer circle was later dismissed by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland in 1914, on the basis that the smaller stones could not be absolutely associated with the standing stones. It was not until 1971 that Aubrey Burl classified the site as a ‘four poster’ stone circle. The Excavation The excavation by McCullagh of Tongland cemetery took place in 1987. The excavation area incorporated all three of the standing stones which made up the possible outer ring of stones first noted by Coles. It was deemed necessary at the time to undertake a full excavation, as there had already been considerable disturbance to the site. Plan from McCullagh excavations The excavation indicated that there were four sequential phases of activity. The first two phases were the most distinct, with the first phase consisting of the excavation of a series of burial pits and the erection of two standing stones. One of the standing stones had fallen before the second phase, which involved the construction of a cairn and the erection of two further standing stones. It should be noted that at no point were there more than three stones standing upright at any one time at Tongland. Radiocarbon dates recovered from the site supported the argument that the site was sequential, as opposed to multi-phase, as the dates were very close together. The burial rite exclusively involved cremation, with the large quantities of charcoal suggesting that these cremations would have taken place within the immediate surroundings of the site. The incomplete nature of the funerary deposits suggests that only a token deposit of bone from the cremated body was necessary to complete the funerary rite. The Finds The 1987 excavation unearthed a significant addition to the known Bronze Age pottery corpus from the south west of Scotland with the discovery of two collared urns and an accessory vessel. The materials used to manufacture them came from the local area, and it was suggested that their poor quality and mediocre character meant they may have been made by the same individual. The lattice decorated collared urn One of the funerary urns exhibited a repeated lattice pattern which had been incised into the surface of the clay before firing. This was unusual; while the pattern itself is not rare, it tends to be made by pressing a twisted cord into the clay rather than cutting into it. The morphology and decorative pattern of the two collared urns meant that they were interpreted as later in the sequence: an estimated date age range of c.1450 – 1250 BC was attributed to these objects on typological grounds, but unfortunately no radiocarbon dates were recovered which could support this. Its Current Status The excavations at Tongland Cemetery provided us with a rare excavated example of a Bronze Age cremation cemetery, giving us a glimpse into the funerary rites and traditions in the southwest of Scotland at this time. The work involved during the excavation and post-excavation phases, and the site’s subsequent publication, was part funded by Historic Scotland. The access route to the stones is signposted Three of the four standing stones can still be seen at the site today. It is still accessible through the farm via a route signposted on a barn as you approach. The site can be accessed using gate which respects the existing field boundary. No climbing is required. This archaeological site is protected as a Scheduled Monument and must not be disturbed. Further Reading Burl, A. (1976) The stone circles of the British Isles. London and New Haven Coles, F R. (1895) 'The stone circles of the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright', Proceedings of the Society of Antiquarians of Scotland, vol. 29 McCullagh, R. P. J. (1992). The Excavation of the Bronze Age Cemetery and Standing Stones at Park of Tongland, Kirkcudbright Dumfries and Galloway, Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, vol 58 Created by Rathmell Archaeology for the Galloway Glens, April 2019. http://www.rathmell-arch.co.uk/  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Can You Dig It – Technical Notes – 3 Park of Tongland Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GGLP_111 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource GGLP Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource GCAT Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2019 Description An account of the resource Prepared as part of the Galloway Glens Can You Dig It scheme, these notes summarise some of the historic archaeological excavations to have taken place in the Galloway Glens area. archaeology GGLP https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/18/572/GGLP-CYDI-Technical-Note-4-Threave-Castle-Excavations.pdf cdcaf7f7708d69f0cef9893ea11be311 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Can You Dig It – Technical Notes – 4 Threave Castle Excavations Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Technical Notes Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource GGLP Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document OFFICIAL Galloway Glens ‘Can You Dig It’ Community Archaeology project – Technical notes. #4: Excavation at Threave Castle – The Stronghold of the Black Douglases PUBLISHED TUESDAY, 7 MAY 2019 Threave Castle (NX 73920 62282) is located on a 10ha low-lying island within the River Dee, approximately 1.5m West of Castle Douglas. The Castle is in the care of Historic Environment Scotland and there are car parking facilities off the A75 at Kelton Mains. OFFICIAL OFFICIAL It’s History Threave Castle is not mention in the written records until 1400 when Archibald ‘The Grim’, the third Earl of Douglas died on the site. It is thought that Archibald The Grim commissioned the construction of the tower house in 1369 on the island after his elevation to the Lord of Galloway. Threave Castle remained the stronghold of the ‘Black Douglas’ family throughout the 15th century. The growing influence and power of the ‘Black Douglas’ family became a perceived threat to the Scottish Crown, which prompted extreme action by King James II, starting with the annexation of the Earldom of Wigtown in 1450. Then in 1452, James II murdered William, the 8th Earl of Douglas while he dined at Stirling Castle. In the summer of 1455 James laid siege to Threave Castle but failed to inflict substantial damage upon the Douglas’s stronghold. Only after a long siege and by bribing the garrison was James able to take the castle. Threave Castle and the lordship was taken into crown ownership and the ‘Black Douglas’ family destroyed. Through the subsequent centuries, Threave Castle waned in significance and was reported to have fallen to disrepair. In 1638 the Threave Castle was in the hands of Robert Maxwell, Earl of Nithsdale and keeper of Threave. Maxwell garrisoned a small number of men with a large amount of arms, ammunition and provisions within it to withstand a lengthy siege. This was in response to OFFICIAL OFFICIAL concerns about the Covenanters, who would ultimately lay siege to the Castle in 1640. Despite the improved heavy ordnance of the day at the disposal of the Covenanter force, they found that the defences at Threave Castle held fast, and the siege was broken only after the garrison were given royal permission to surrender. The War Committee of the Covenanters decided to systematically dismantle Threave Castle. Its stone was used in other construction projects and thereafter it was allowed to decay, apart from work being completed in the 19th century to enable the Tower House to house French prisoners of war. The Excavations The excavations at Threave Castle took place between 1974 and 1978, extensive trenching was conducted across the whole site, which covered both the landward and river defences, various structures and enclosure both external and internal. The excavations were too extensive to go into detail in this piece. The first phase of Douglas occupation saw the construction of a tower house in the 14th century, the excavation produced evidence that suggested that during the ‘Black Douglas’ Families occupation that Threave Castle was largely selfsufficient if evidence for activities such as wood-turning, smithing, lead smelting being carried out on the island. It was also suggested from the data gathered during the excavation that there was little in the way of new construction after the Threave Castle was removed from the Douglas family, the excavation showed that during the 16th century the turf bank of the N side of the tower-house was rebuilt and the main ditch was re-instated. During the 17th the main was recut again with an outer bank to the N and E, 2 new buildings were constructed and down pipe added to the tower house serving as a latrine. OFFICIAL OFFICIAL The Finds There was a large assemblage of finds recovered from Threave Castle, the assemblage was made up of a broad array of artefacts which were placed into 4 distinct phases to help create a material chronology for the site: Phase 1: Pre – Douglas (- 1370) Phase 2: Douglas era (1370 - 1455) Phase 3: Post – Douglas era (1455 - 1640) Phase 4: 1640 onwards Silver locket and seal of Douglas family crest from Threave Castle Numerous worked metal objects were recovered during the excavation many of these items were utilitarian in design knifes, handles from cooking pots, keys giving insight into a functioning community at the castle. There were also a small number of precious silver and gold artefacts recovered, including a silver Maltese cross and locket along with a gold earring and strap-end. Wooden objects were prominent in the assemble with many wooden vessels being discovered along with carpentry timbers, a wooden rudder was recovered from the harbour area, along with many leather finds such as shoes and off cuts. For a more detailed assessment of the artefacts please see the further reading. OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Conclusion Threave Castle was the power base of the Black Douglases during the 15th century, the family rose to such prominence that it their influence became of concern to James II which ultimately led to the families demise, the castle sphere influence also waned shortly after, also with standing multiple sieges the changing political and military climate ultimately lead to the castle being put out of commission on purpose. The archaeological data from Threave Castle provides an insight to the workings of a medieval castle with evidence suggesting that the level of self-sufficiency on the island help make it the stronghold it was. Further Reading Good and Tabraham, G L and C J.(1981) 'Excavations at Threave Castle, Galloway, 1974-78', Medieval Archaeology, vol. 25, 1981. Page(s): 90-140 Created by Rathmell Archaeology for the Galloway Glens, May 2019. http://www.rathmell-arch.co.uk/ OFFICIAL  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Can You Dig It – Technical Notes – 4 Threave Castle Excavations Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GGLP_112 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource GGLP Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource GCAT Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2019 Description An account of the resource Prepared as part of the Galloway Glens Can You Dig It scheme, these notes summarise some of the historic archaeological excavations to have taken place in the Galloway Glens area. archaeology GGLP https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/18/573/GGLP-CYDI-Technical-Note-5-Glenlochar-Roman-Fort.pdf 7b132fa4ea12479dc96d8947d5ca6df2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Can You Dig It – Technical Notes – 5 Glenlochar Roman Fort Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Technical Notes Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource GGLP Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document OFFICIAL Galloway Glens ‘Can You Dig It’ Community Archaeology project – Technical notes. #5: Glenlochar Roman Fort “Great empires are not maintained by timidity” Tacitus PLUBLISHED TUESDAY, 4 JUNE 2019 Glenlochar Roman Fort is located on the east bank of the River Dee two miles north of Castle Douglas and approximately one mile north Threave Castle. The site is bisected by the modern day B795. It has had two residential properties constructed within what was the interior and has been overlain by rich arable fields. OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Its History Originally misinterpreted as the remains of an Abbey, Glenlochar Roman Fort was first identified in 1949 by Dr Kenneth St. Joseph through the presence of cropmarks. St Joseph was an early pioneer of aerial photographic techniques, assisting in identifying countless sites across the British Isles. Five camps were also identified by St Joseph attesting the importance of this location for Roman activity in Scotland. Aerial photograph of Glenlochar Roman fort It was known at the time of discovery of the fort that there were a series of Roman sites lying along an east-west road running along the Solway coast. To the east on the Nith there are sites at Carzield from the Antonine period and at Dalswinton from the Flavian period. Further west there was a smaller fort at Gatehouse of Fleet, which was also discovered by St Joseph using aerial OFFICIAL OFFICIAL photography. The location of these forts along this westward road, coupled with the Roman road from Glenlochar, towards Ayrshire suggests the development of the Roman system of cordon control. The excavations The excavation at Glenlochar took place across March and April 1952. The excavation consisted of one main trench and two minor trenches. The trenches were laid out to assess the nature of the defences and to assess the layout of structures within the interior of the fort. Trench excavated during the 1952 season The excavated trenches revealed that there had been a series of three superimposed forts, which for the most part retained common alignments. The first had been constructed in the Flavian period and may have been OFFICIAL OFFICIAL destroyed by fire. The second was constructed in the Antonine period, while the third represented later improvements also during the Antonine period. To the north of this known fort, there is the suggestion there was an earlier Flavian (Agricolan) fort on a different site: a large ditch, visible on the aerial photographs at the northern end beyond the limits of the Antonine phases. This suggests that an earlier site may be situated just north of the B795 on the higher ground. Five Roman camps are also known at Glenlochar - showing the temporary encampment of military units - suggesting the importance of this location on the eastern bank of the Dee throughout the Roman campaigns in Scotland. The Finds 65 fragments of pottery were unearthed during the excavation in 1952. They came from 17 different vessels, of which it was possible to create drawings of 6 of the vessels. Of those 6 vessels which were reconstructed, 3 were coarse ware vessels, while the remaining 3 were of samian ware. The pottery recovered was able to assist in determining the stratigraphy and chronology of the site, with there being two distinct dated pottery types: a Flavian group and an early Antonine group. Conclusion The Roman activity is a reminder of the an Age of Invasion when the Roman empire controlled the indigenous populations of south west Scotland. The site represents repeated and continued attempts to assert some form of control/presence within the Galloway Glens area. The excavations have given us the briefest of insights into the importance of Glenlochar locally, but also suggest its importance in the large national narrative of the Roman occupation of Scotland. OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Further Reading Richmond and St Joseph, I A and J K (1953) 'The Roman fort at Glenlochar, Kirkcudbrightshire', Trans Dumfriesshire Galloway Natur Hist Antiq Soc, 3rd, vol. 30, 1951-2. Page(s): 1-16 Jones, R (2011) Roman Camps in Scotland, Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. Page(s): 215-6 Created by Rathmell Archaeology for the Galloway Glens, June 2019. http://www.rathmell-arch.co.uk/ OFFICIAL  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Can You Dig It – Technical Notes – 5 Glenlochar Roman Fort Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GGLP_113 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource GGLP Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource GCAT Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2019 Description An account of the resource Prepared as part of the Galloway Glens Can You Dig It scheme, these notes summarise some of the historic archaeological excavations to have taken place in the Galloway Glens area. archaeology GGLP https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/18/574/GGLP-CYDI-Technical-Note-6-Castledykes-Kirkcudbright.pdf c3b037554900ffc6282292d5da811216 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Can You Dig It – Technical Notes – 6 Castledykes, Kirkcudbright Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Technical Notes Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource GGLP Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document OFFICIAL Galloway Glens ‘Can You Dig It’ Community Archaeology project – Technical notes. #6: Castledykes – The Castle of the King PUBLISHED TUESDAY, 2 JULY 2019 Castledykes (NX 6771 5088) is located within Kirkcudbright, lying to the west of Kirkcudbright Academy and southeast of the sewage works. The monument is accessible by Castledykes road. It appears as a series of grassy banks with scrub woodland covering some portions of the site. OFFICIAL OFFICIAL It’s History The first mention of the castle at Kirkcudbright was in 1288, when John Comyn, sheriff of Wigtown, was noted as being the guardian of ‘the castle and lands which belonged to the King in Kirkcudbright’. This castle was probably the structure erected at Castledykes. The office of guardian was combined with that of Dumfries and Wigtown in 1291-2. Castledykes (centre) from an aerial image During the first phase of the Wars of Independence, Edward I evidently intended Kirkcudbright as a supply port when his fleet lay off the Dee estuary in 1300. The castle was held by the English throughout this period, with Edward I camping at Kirkcudbright for ten days in the summer of that year. Thereafter the king turned his attention to the east of Scotland, leaving the west to his son Edward who may have come to Kirkcudbright in July 1301. Kirkcudbright appears to have been used as supply base again in 1306. OFFICIAL OFFICIAL After Edward I’s death in 1307, the castle is unlikely to have been significantly used by the English, and the town was reported as waste in 1335-6. The castle of Kirkcudbright was included in a grant of the lordship of Galloway to Edward Bruce, brother of the king, in the early 14th century, but virtually nothing was heard of the castle after that date. There is no record that the castle was used at all by the Douglas family up until their forfeiture in 1455 and the castle probably lay in ruins. Sir Thomas Maclellan acquired the site in 1577 and he appears to have used much of the material from the castle to build his house (Maclellan’s Castle) which still stands within the town. In 1964 Castledykes was recognised as a nationally important site with the motte being designated (and so protected) as a scheduled monument The Excavations The motte at Castledykes was investigated through substantial excavation works by Robison in the 1911, 1912 and 1913. These works were successful in recording the foundation courses for the curtain wall and corner towers of what appeared to be the late 13th to early 14th century castle. The layout was revealed to be a rubble-built rectangular enclosure with a round tower at each corner. The eastern tower formed one side of two externally buttressed gatehouse towers, with the other sitting along the northeastern wall, placing the entrance for the castle as coming from the northeast. The buttresses on the gatehouse towers and the adjacent curtain wall are unusual for this period but it is possible that they were designed to carry machicolations near the wall-top, perhaps even arched, as seen at Haughton Castle, Northumberland. The footings at the western corner revealed this tower to be larger in size and it probably represented the keep. The plan reproduced by the excavators represents this tower as a later addition buttressing that corner of the enclosure inside and out, but this may perhaps represent the sequence of construction. OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Plan showing Castledykes in relation to earthwork The latter tower and the one to the north both contained the remains of spiral staircases, which presumably gave access to the upper floors. Robison wrote that the defences of the outer bailey had disappeared but that he presumed they would have been on a stockade principle and, if so, that no trace of them would remain. These excavations followed the approach of ‘wall chasing’ - excavating a series of narrow linear trenches that followed obvious structures. While this was a common approach in the early 20th century, it is now considered a poor strategy as it fails to examine, in plan, the sequential development of sites. OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Wall chasing trench from 1911 Since Robison’s work, there has only been two further instances of archaeological interventions at Castledykes, both of which were small-scale. In 2002, Brann monitored civil engineering test pits and boreholes in advance of a proposed expansion of the Waste Water Treatment Works. Another watching brief by Rathmell Archaeology in 2005 supported the construction of a pipeline running to the works close to the access road. No significant archaeological features or deposits were recorded by either. The Finds Artefacts recovered from the 1911-13 excavations included pottery sherds, fragments of ironwork and a small-toothed comb made from bone. The finds were discussed in more detail by Dunning, Hodges and Jope in 1957-58. OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Depiction of imported jugs from Dunning, Hodges & Jope The pottery represented at least 50 jugs and four cooking pots. There were no dishes, bowls or more specialised shapes. At least six (and probably eight) of the jugs were imports from southwest France. Of the remaining, a variety of styles and fabrics suggested several different sources, some probably being brought from England. A number showed an underlying uniformity of fabric which could have been made at or near Kirkcudbright. The French pottery was identified as being late 13th to early 14th century in date, with one fragment coming from a medieval polychrome pitcher - the only example of this type from Scotland at the time of the article. The transport of this pottery has been associated with the extensive Gascon wine trade to Britain. These artefacts are held by Dumfries and Galloway Council within the collections of the Stewartry Museum. OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Conclusion No upstanding structures remain of the castle and the site survives as a massive earthwork comprising a roughly oblong mound surrounded by a ditch. Excavations undertaken in the 1910s revealed the layout of the castle as a rectangular enclosure with a round tower at each corner and a substantial gatehouse to the northeast. Pottery sherds recovered from the excavations were dated to the late 13th to early 14th century, which matches with the short-lived period of use suggested by the historic references. Modern interpretation of the Motte placed in the Outer Bailey OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Further Reading Robison, J 1914 ‘Account of the excavation of the Edwardian Castle at Castledykes, Kirkcudbright’, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Vol. 48 pp 381-394 Dunning, G C, Hodges, H W M and Jope, E M 1957-58 ‘Kirkcudbright Castle, its Pottery and Ironwork’, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Vol. 91 pp 117-138 Created by Rathmell Archaeology for the Galloway Glens, July 2019. http://www.rathmell-arch.co.uk/ OFFICIAL  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Can You Dig It – Technical Notes – 6 Castledykes, Kirkcudbright Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GGLP_114 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource GGLP Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource GCAT Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2019 Description An account of the resource Prepared as part of the Galloway Glens Can You Dig It scheme, these notes summarise some of the historic archaeological excavations to have taken place in the Galloway Glens area. archaeology GGLP https://glenkensarchive.scot/glenkens_archive/files/original/18/575/GGLP-CYDI-Technical-Note-7-Clatteringshaws-Hut-Circles.pdf 51bb43d4ae61defba810da3f74e02d70 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Can You Dig It – Technical Notes – 7 Clatteringshaws Hut Circles Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Technical Notes Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource GGLP Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document OFFICIAL Galloway Glens ‘Can You Dig It’ Community Archaeology project – Technical notes. #7: The Hut Circles of Moss Raploch – Reconstructing the Iron Age Located within the Galloway Forest Park, the original site of Moss Raploch is within north-east corner of Clatteringshaws Loch (NX 55307765) east of the A712. Parking is available at the Forestry & Land Scotland visitor centre, located at Clatteringshaws Farm. Walking the path to Moss Raploch, you pass the remnants of the reconstruction. OFFICIAL OFFICIAL The discovery of submerged houses Clatteringshaws Loch was created in 1937 by the damming of the Black Water of Dee. This process flooded the surrounding landscape, including the bog at Moss Raploch. Progressive erosion over the following decades revealed in May 1974, during drainage operations, two hut circles on the bed of the reservoir at Moss Raploch. The Moss Raploch hut circles lay 80m apart on level ground on the east side of the valley, at a point where Clatteringshaws Lane flows westwards towards the Black Water of Dee. Both hut circles appeared as penannular stone banks 1.4m broad enclosing an area 5.5m in diameter. The excavations During July and August 1974 the more readily accessible hut circle was excavated due to the danger of further erosion damaging the archaeological site. The excavation, which covered an area 10m square, removed a residual thin layer of silt and peat to reveal over a brown loam extensively flecked with charcoal. Stripping off this loam revealed the floor plan of the hut. The circular interior contained as slight platform to the rear, defined by an arc of stones. A central hearth was identified formed by a 0.2m deep patch of reddened, heat affected clay. This clay, set into a pit, contained small fragments of burnt bone. The hearth was surrounded by a small area of paving, slightly recessed into the ground. The entrance the hut was located to the south-east arc of the structure, it was paved with a raised sill-stone that was embedded in the subsoil. The sill stone aligned with a possible setting of upright stones which projected towards the hearth creating a possible porch area. OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Excavation plan of hut circle The hut’s wall, sectioned in the north and south, was shown to have a width of 1.4m. The wall was formed by kerb stones on the outer face, these were more evident in the southern arc, with a rubble core behind. There was no evidence that this wall was at any point more than a single course high. Post holes were uncovered on the inner face of this wall in the north, west and south of the interior, these post holes ranged from 0.25m-0.30m in diameter and were stone packed. The posts that would have rested in these holes presumably supporting the roof. Works outside the entrance revealed a narrow spread of rough paving forming a causeway that extended towards the course of the burn - though at the point where the ground falls to the burn the paving petered out. There was also a small cobbled surface that formed a rubble foundation measuring 0.8m by 1.2m in plan outside the entrance, extending from the hut in an irregular arc. OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Finds There were very few finds from the excavation, suggesting that the occupants had regularly cleared the interior and that the structure had not been used for dumping after its abandonment. A small selection was recovered: from the cobbled foundation outside the hut a fragment of a blue glass ring and a flake of flint thought to be a scraper; from the causeway a fragment of white glass ring, streaked with blue and green; amongst the stones overlying the hearth a minute fragment of bone with incised cross hatching; and from the loam over the northwest arc of the hut wall a grooved whetstone of micaceous mudstone. The two glass ring fragments were tentatively ascribed a 1st to 2nd century AD date, suggesting a late Iron Age date for the settlement - during the Roman campaigns in Scotland. Grooved Whetstone Discussion Unenclosed round houses such as that at Moss Raploch are typically ascribed to the Bronze Age, the marked tendency being for round houses in the Iron Age to be sited within enclosures or to be of overly robust character. The dating evidence at Moss Raploch places this unenclosed round house in the late Iron Age, making the unenclosed and slight character of the site notable - OFFICIAL OFFICIAL perhaps a reminder that general trends in settlement do not constrain all settlement. In terms of the use of space, the Moss Raploch house exhibits many common characteristics from later prehistory. A circular floor plan with the entrance in the south east; interior space focused on a central hearth which has been formally constructed. There are no clear radial divisions, though the edge set stones forming the ‘porch’ do suggest some internal partitions. The raised platform to the rear is proposed by the excavator as for storage, though a sleeping platform has equal merit. The slight, but broad, form of the wall suggests the potential for turves to have been used in the superstructure. Equally the presence of only three earthfast timbers to support the roof (assuming all timbers were earthfast and not supported by heel stones) suggests that the typical architectural form of the time - a ring beam to support rafters forming a conical roof - is not credible. The overall picture is of a conventional floor plan and use of space, but with an unusual, slighter superstructure compared to most excavated examples of later prehistoric round houses. From Reconstructed Round House to Hut Circle The Forestry Commission (as they then were) decided to build a reconstruction of the Moss Raploch site next to the visitor centre at Clatteringshaws Loch. Given the uncertainty as to the roofing and form of the walls, a liberal interpretation was followed with the reconstruction owing more to better understood more substantial round houses. Over time the thatched roof was not renewed, the timber roof structure was removed and now only the stone wall remains - a modern hut circle, though still much more robust and substantial than the excavated site. OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Reconstruction partway through loss of the superstructure Conclusion Moss Raploch provides us with a glimpse into a domestic native structure during the Roman campaigns in Galloway, challenging some of the easy assumptions as to the character and form of these buildings. The surviving reconstructed hut circle, while not representative in terms of its robustness, offers the ability to consider the use of space within such a home. Further Reading Condry, J & Ansell, M (1978) ‘The Excavation of a Hut Circle at Moss Raploch', Trans Dumfriesshire Galloway Natur Hist Antiq Soc, 3rd, vol. 53, 1977-8. Page(s): 103-113 Created by Rathmell Archaeology for the Galloway Glens, August 2019. http://www.rathmell-arch.co.uk/ OFFICIAL  Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Can You Dig It – Technical Notes – 7 Clatteringshaws Hut Circles Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GGLP_115 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource GGLP Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource GCAT Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2019 Description An account of the resource Prepared as part of the Galloway Glens Can You Dig It scheme, these notes summarise some of the historic archaeological excavations to have taken place in the Galloway Glens area. archaeology GGLP