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

  SM12343_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600014211)

Summary

Description

The monument comprises a burial cairn of probable Bronze-Age date. It survives as a low, grass-covered earth and stone mound with a slight central depression. The cairn sits in open, rolling pasture at 145m above sea level and is located on a gentle, S-facing escarpment approximately 5km to the north of the River Don.

The cairn measures approximately 6m in diameter at its widest and is less than 0.5m in height. It is circular in plan and the mound that defines its extent appears to have been reduced, possibly by the removal of some of its loose stone structural material.

The area to be scheduled is circular on plan, centred on the cairn, to include the remains described and an area around within which evidence relating to their 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

This cairn survives with its structural detail intact, despite its low profile. It is likely to seal a central burial or burials and may overlie a prehistoric land surface containing environmental evidence. It therefore has the potential to tell us about the architecture of burial monuments, the practice of burial and commemoration of the dead, aspects of the local environment, and when the cairn was constructed.

Contextual characteristics

The cairn belongs to a numerous and common group of prehistoric monuments seen across Scotland. It is a small example of its class, one of nearly 200 examples in the Strathdon area, and is a key component of the extensive Bronze-Age use of this landscape. The River Don is a central feature in this exploitation and the extensive views from the cairn along the river suggest that its placement here may have been deliberate. The cairn can therefore help us understand more about prehistoric burial along the higher side margins of river systems such as Strathdon, and the wider exploitation of land by Bronze-Age communities.

National Importance

The monument is of national importance because it has an inherent potential to make a significant contribution to our understanding of the past, in particular prehistoric burial architecture and the deliberate positioning of monuments commemorating the dead in relation to natural features, and the views to and from them. The loss of the monument would impede our ability to understand the nature of prehistoric activity in this part of Scotland.

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.