The excavation of Neolithic pits and a Bronze Age burial site at Ness Gap, Fortrose

Authors: Nuala C Woodley, Julie Lochrie, Alison Sheridan, Trevor Cowie and Claire Christie

Contributors: Julie Franklin, Laura Bailey, Tim Holden, David Henderson and Suzanne McGalliard

Summary: An investigation by Headland Archaeology (UK) Ltd took place in early 2013 in advance of a housing development at Ness Gap, Fortrose, Highland (NGR: NH 73290 56510). The excavation revealed domestic activity dating from the Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age. A cluster of Neolithic pits provided insights into the development of agriculture in the area, with evidence for cereal production and the gathering of wild resources. The use of the site changed in the Bronze Age, with the landscape utilised for funerary practices, which were represented by stone cists and cremation burials, both urned and unurned. Analysis has further informed on the burial practices of the Bronze Age and added to our understanding of a unique peninsular landscape rich in prehistoric activity.

Keywords: burial, cist, cremation, pits, cordoned urn, cinerary urn, faience, metalwork

Location: Highland, Scotland, UK

Periods: Neolithic, Bronze Age

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