A cremation pit at Howford, Strichen, Aberdeenshire

Moira Greig (Author)

Sue Anderson (Contributor)

Ann Clarke (Contributor)

Michael Cressey (Contributor)

Jacqueline McKinley (Contributor)

Dawn McLaren (Contributor)


Keywords:
Cremation Pit, Clay ornaments, Human remains, Cinerary urn, Unidentified flint, Cremation cemetery, ivory fragment
Location(s):
Howford Farm; Strichen; Aberdeenshire; Scotland; UK
Period(s):
Bronze Age

Abstract


A small emergency excavation was undertaken under extreme conditions in 1984 after receiving a report that a Bronze Age urn was visible in an eroded embankment after a heavy frost. Cremated remains of a female adult and infant, 11 burnt flints, a possible fragment of ivory and five pierced clay ornaments were subsequently recovered from the remains of a cremation pit, but no urn was recorded. A radiocarbon determination 3510 ± 30 BP (SUERC-33727) was obtained from birchwood charcoal within the pit and a date from oak charcoal of 3600 ± 30 BP (SUERC-33728). Unfortunately, a few of these artefacts have been mislaid since deposition in a museum so were unavailable for analysis. The same site produced two other cremation pits, one in 1970 and another later in 1986, which produced a date of 3460 ± 35 BP (GrA-28622), suggesting a larger cemetery exists.

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Published
30-11-2017
How to Cite
Greig, M., Anderson, S., Clarke, A., Cressey, M., McKinley, J., & McLaren, D. (2017). A cremation pit at Howford, Strichen, Aberdeenshire. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 146, 91–102. https://doi.org/10.9750/PSAS.146.1208
Section
Articles

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