Documents

Where documents include maps, the use of this data is subject to terms and conditions (https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/termsandconditions).

The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.

• Type

  Legal Documents

  Title

  SM10504_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600013681)

Summary

Description

The monument comprises the remains of a multiperiod cemetery on the summit of a low hill at around 90m OD, some 150m N of Fenton Tower. This hill appears to have seen three thousand years of intermittent use, from the Bronze Age (second millennium BC) through to the Middle Ages.

The cemetery was discovered by workmen digging a trench to provide a water supply to Fenton Tower during its restoration. An archaeological evaluation was carried out subsequently. This revealed a large number of graves and suspected graves, spread across the top and sides of the knoll in apparent groups, their clustering dictated by ground conditions.

Most of the burials were contained in stone-lined long cists, but simple burials in dug pits were encountered near the summit of the knoll. Two probable short cists of likely Bronze Age date were also located. There were also traces of a building on the hill, possibly dating to the 12th or 13th century.

This appeared to post-date some of the stone-lined graves and pre-date the pit graves. A varied assemblage of artefacts was recovered, ranging from prehistoric pottery (including late Neolithic sherds), flints and hammer stones, through to medieval pottery, nails and a cross-incised stone.

The cemetery may have been truncated by quarrying to the E and W. It is defined by the quarry edges to the E and W, by the field boundary for part of its northern extent, and by the top of the slope to the S. The area is irregular in shape and measures approximately 75m E-W by 51m N-S, as marked in red on the accompanying map.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance as a well-preserved site with a particularly long-lived history of use. From the Bronze Age through to the Middle Ages it has been used as a ritual site, in particular for burials. This history has left its mark in a complex set of archaeological remains, spanning several periods. The site has the potential to enhance our knowledge of ritual and funerary practices over a long period of time.

References

Bibliography

About Scheduled Monuments

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

We schedule sites and monuments that are found to be of national importance using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).

The format of scheduled monument records has changed over time. Earlier records will usually be brief. Some information will not have been recorded and the map will not be to current standards. Even if what is described and what is mapped has changed, the monument is still scheduled.

Scheduled monument consent is required to carry out certain work, including repairs, to scheduled monuments. Applications for scheduled monument consent are made to us. We are happy to discuss your proposals with you before you apply and we do not charge for advice or consent. More information about consent and how to apply for it can be found on our website at www.historicenvironment.scot.

Find out more about scheduling and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.