A Middle Bronze Age settlement near Mauchline, East Ayrshire

Authors

  • Stephen Cox Author
  • Fraser McFarlane Author
  • Laura Bailey Contributor
  • Beverley Ballin Smith Contributor
  • Michael Bamforth Contributor
  • Julie Franklin Contributor
  • Julie Lochrie Contributor
  • Fiona McGibbon Contributor

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.9750/issn.2056-7421.2026.113.1-36

Keywords:

Souterrains, Middle Bronze Age, Ayrshire, radiocarbon dating, enclosure, Neolithic

Abstract

The excavation of a parcel of land north of Mauchline, East Ayrshire, in advance of a housing development uncovered evidence of human activity from the Neolithic to the post-medieval period. The Neolithic period was represented by a well-preserved assemblage of charred hazelnuts and crab apples in a pit. During the later prehistoric period, the main focus of activity comprised a roundhouse and a souterrain within a fenced enclosure. Radiocarbon dates obtained from the roundhouse and the souterrain indicated a Middle
Bronze Age date for these features, strongly suggesting that souterrains existed in this part of Scotland much earlier than previously thought.

 

Canmore ID: 365701

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Downloads

Published

09-01-2026

Issue

Vol. 113 (2026): A Middle Bronze Age settlement near Mauchline, East Ayrshire

Section

Full issue

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

“A Middle Bronze Age Settlement Near Mauchline, East Ayrshire”. 2026. Scottish Archaeological Internet Reports 113 (January): 1-36. https://doi.org/10.9750/issn.2056-7421.2026.113.1-36.