Late Neolithic and Late Bronze Age lithic assemblages associated with a cairn and other prehistoric features at Stoneyhill Farm, Longhaven, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, 2002–03

Authors: Torben Bjarke Ballin and Ian Suddaby

Contributors: Michael Cressey, Mhairi Hastie, Adam Jackson, Melanie Johnson, Kevin Hicks, George Mudie and Leeanne Whitelaw

Summary: Prehistoric remains were recorded by CFA Archaeology Ltd (CFA) in 2002–03 during a programme of fieldwork at the landfill site within the boundaries of Stoneyhill Farm, which lies 7km to the southwest of Peterhead in Aberdeenshire (NGR: NK 078 409). These included a clearance cairn with a Late Bronze Age lithic assemblage and a burial cairn, with Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age lithics and Beaker ceramics. Other lithic scatters of similar date had no certain associations, although pits containing near-contemporary Impressed Wares were nearby. Additional lithic assemblages included material dated to the Mesolithic and Early Neolithic. What may be proto-Unstan Wares in an isolated pit were associated with radiocarbon dates (barley) of the first half of the 4th millennium BC. These findings represent a substantial addition to the local area's archaeological record and form an important contribution to the understanding of lithic technology and ceramics in earlier prehistoric Scotland.

Keywords: Radiocarbon Dates Barley, Pit, Pits, Lithic, Beaker Ceramics, Fieldwork, Ceramics, Lithic Scatters, Burial Cairn, Lithics, Cairn

Periods: Late Neolithic, Earlier Prehistoric, Late Bronze Age, Early Neolithic, Prehistoric, Early Bronze Age, Mesolithic, Prehistoric

Location: Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK

This paper is dedicated to the memory of Ian Shepherd, whose site visits enlightened this and other projects undertaken by Ian Suddaby.

Published: 01-01-2010

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