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

  SM12334_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600014209)

Summary

Description

The monument comprises an oval drystone enclosure of later prehistoric date. It is situated at the summit of Hill of Keir at around 220m above sea level.

The enclosure measures about 32.5m N-S by 29m transversely, within a stone wall up to 6m in thickness and 0.4m in height. The wall appears to consist of a double skin with a rubble core. There is an entrance on the east, where the wall terminals appear bulbous.

The area to be scheduled is irregular on plan, to include the remains described and an area around within which evidence relating to its construction and use may survive, as shown in red on the accompanying map.

Statement of National Importance

Cultural Significance

The monument's cultural significance can be expressed as follows:

Intrinsic characteristics

The monument is of drystone construction and is a good example of an enclosed settlement site, likely to date to the Iron Age, surviving in an area that has in the past been afforested. The monument is likely to contain archaeological deposits that can tell us about the economy of the inhabitants of the enclosure, the date at which the enclosure was constructed, used and abandoned, and the environment in which the enclosure was built.

Contextual characteristics

This is an exceptionally unusual monument type in this area, the architecture being more reminiscent of Atlantic duns or the circular homesteads or ring forts of Perthshire and Kinross and Angus than the earthwork forts of Aberdeenshire. As such, it has the potential to enhance significantly our understanding of later prehistoric drystone architecture in Scotland, as well of Iron-Age society in Aberdeenshire. Several nearby finds enhance this discovery: a Bronze-Age accessory cup with an ammonite inside and a flint arrowhead lying nearby. These have led to speculation that an enclosed cremation cemetery may have preceded the later prehistoric fort. The monument commands extensive views in all directions, owing to its hilltop location. Comparing and contrasting the enclosure to other examples both nearby and within the wider area can enable an understanding of how such sites are positioned within the landscape, as well as provide enhanced contexts for the Iron-Age economy and structure of society. Information gained from the preservation and study of this site can be used to gain an insight into the wider knowledge of Iron-Age enclosed settlement across Scotland.

National Importance

The monument is of national importance because it has an inherent potential to make a significant addition to the understanding of the past and, in particular, a type of monument that is unusual in Aberdeenshire but finds parallels elsewhere in Scotland. Domestic remains and artefacts from settlements have the potential to tell us not only about wider prehistoric society, but also its architecture, how people lived, where they came from and who they had contacts with. Archaeological deposits preserved within the enclosure may provide information about what the contemporary environment looked like and how the prehistoric farmers who lived here managed this resource. Proximity to the findspot of a Bronze-Age accessory cup, indicating the potential for survival of other Bronze-Age remains, enhances the monument's importance. The monument's loss would impede our ability to understand the placing of such monuments within the landscape both in Strathdon and across Scotland, as well as our knowledge of Iron-Age social structure, economy and building practices.

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.