Excavations in the ceremonial complex of the fourth to 2nd millennium BC at Balfarg/Balbirnie, Glenrothes, Fife

Abstract

The portions of the Balfarg/Balbirnie ceremonial complex excavated between 1983 and 1985 are described and related to the portions dug previously: Balbirnie stone circle (76/3594) and Balfarg henge (83/10516).The prehistoric ceremonial use of the area seems to have lasted from early in the third millennium until late in the second millennium BC (in terms of uncalibrated radiocarbon dates). The sequence began with pit-digging and pottery deposition in two parts of the site, near Balfarg Riding School (BRS) and to the west of Balfarg henge. Then, two timber structures, possibly with a mortuary function, were erected at BRS, probably in the early/mid third millennium BC (uncalibrated). The later of the two was mounded over and surrounded by a circular ditched enclosure (a henge?); this activity was associated with the deposition of Grooved Ware. At about the same time, at the west end of the site, a similar deposition of burnt and broken Grooved Ware predates the construction of the Balfarg henge, with its timber and stone circles, and there is evidence of the first use of the Balbirnie stone circle.Later in the third millennium BC (uncalibrated) and in the second millennium, during the prolonged use of the Balfarg henge and the Balbirnie stone circle, a complex sequence of events unfolds at BRS, including the digging of a ring--ditch and the erection of two concentric ring--cairns and a further cairn.Late in the use of the complex there are episodes of burial associated with Beaker and Food Vessel pottery. Most burials are simple cremations, mainly in the area of Balbirnie stone circle, all apparently late in the sequence of the sites on which they are found. At the west end of the complex, cremations were deposited in simple urns.There are specialist contributions as follows. `Summary report on the topography, soils and sediments' (54--6), `Soils buried beneath ring--cairn A' (121) by D Jordan; `The prehistoric pottery: an introduction to the reports' (56--7) and `Catalogues of pottery' (microfiche A5--C9) by T G Cowie & A S Henshall; `The Neolithic pottery: vessels P1--P40: plain Neolithic pottery (Group 1 & Group 2)' (65--76), `Later Neolithic Impressed Ware: vessels P83--P114' (121--6), `Beaker pottery: vessels P115--P153' (127--35), `The Food Vessels P154--P155' (138--40), and `The Bucket Urns: vessels P156--P158' (145--6) by T G Cowie; `The Grooved Ware: vessels P41--P82' (94--108) by A S Henshall; `Basketry and textile impressions on the Grooved Ware' (108) by V J McLellan; `An assessment of the residues on the Grooved Ware' (108--10) by B Moffat; `The jet: summary and discussion' (140--2) by I A G Shepherd; `The stone assemblage' (151--9) and `Catalogue of stone artefacts' (microfiche C10--D4) by C R Wickham--Jones & D Reed; `The charcoal samples and radiocarbon dates' (159--60) by G Cook & R McCullagh; `The calibration of the radiocarbon dates' (161) by M Dalland; `The fieldwalking exercise' (162--5) by J Downes & C Richards; `Contextual analysis of the Grooved Ware at Balfarg' (185--92) by C Richards; and `Analysis of the timber structures' (169--75) by D J Hogg. BOC

Neolithic domesticity and other prehistoric anomalies

“…Excluding the evidence of medieval contamination, Structure A is therefore likely to be Neolithic in date. The carbonised remains from Structure A were very different, however, from those recorded in Neolithic timber rectilinear structures at Balbridie (Fairweather & Ralston 1993), Claish (Barclay et al 2002), Balfarg (Barclay & Russell-White 1993) and Eweford (MacGregor & Stuart 2007). These structures, unlike Structure A at Laigh Newton West, showed extensive use of oak in the construction process, were associated with finds of significant quantities of grain (barley or wheat) but showed little evidence for general domestic occupation debris.…”

Excavation of a Neolithic occupation site at Chepelfield, Cowie, Stirling

“…Although the contemporary dates obtained Chapelfield in the upper fills was also present at Balfarg (Barclay & Russell-White 1993) from carbonized wood from pits II and V seem to support Mesolithic activity, the possibility and North Mains, Perthshire (Barclay 1983).…”

Excavation of a kerbed funerary monument at Stoneyfield, Raigmore, Inverness, Highland, 1972–3

“…With the exception of the Iron Age (P58) and Romano-British (P59) sherds, the Food Vessel (P53) and Cordoned Urn (P54), the bulk of the ceramic material (where classifiable) from the pits, post-holes and beneath the cairn belongs to the Grooved Ware tradition and is a useful addition to the corpus of this ware from the Scottish mainland, providing a further link between the Orcadian material and North English sites, as indeed have other recent discoveries in Scotland, for example at Beech Hill House, Perthshire (Stevenson 1995), Balfarg (Barclay & Russell-White 1993) and Balbirnie (Ritchie 1974) in Fife.…”