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

  SM11587_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600014038)

Summary

Description

The monument comprises a ring-ditch house of prehistoric date, visible as an upstanding monument in heather moorland on the NW flank of Soliken.

It comprises a near-circular ditched enclosure, measuring internally 8.3m in diameter within a thick stony bank up to 3.2m in thickness by 0.2m in height. The ditch lies immediately within the bank and is about 1.5m wide, petering out in the E sector of the house. The entrance is on the WSW sector. Excavation of such ring-ditches shows them to represent the remains of roundhouses of later prehistoric date.

The area proposed for scheduling is circular on plan, to include the remains described and an area around them within which related material may be expected to be found, as marked in red on the accompanying map extract.

Statement of National Importance

Cultural Significance

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

Intrinsic characteristics: The monument is a well-preserved example of a later prehistoric ring-ditch house. The remains of the ditch and bank are visible on the ground. Given the site's current use as sporting moorland, it is likely that archaeologically significant deposits relating to the construction, use and abandonment of the structure remain in situ.

The site has considerable potential to enhance understanding of later prehistoric roundhouses and the daily lives of the people who occupied them, whether or not it was occupied for a long period of time, or on a seasonal basis.

Contextual characteristics: The monument is the product of later prehistoric domestic activities and is an example of a widespread type, which is relatively rare in this part of Aberdeenshire. It is a good representative of what may have once been a numerous class; the rarity of such sites in the area may be due to poor survival owing to intensive agricultural practices since the later prehistoric period. Together with the other ring-ditches in the area, this site has the potential to provide information about later prehistoric settlement patterns. Comparison of local architectural features in this area with those of other prehistoric roundhouses in Scotland may enhance our understanding of regional variation in later prehistoric settlement.

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, in particular the later prehistoric period. Its relatively good preservation, and its group value when considered with the other ring-ditch nearby, enhances this potential. The loss of or damage to the monument would significantly diminish the capacity of the class to contribute to our understanding of the development of later prehistoric architecture, society, economy in Scotland in general and the prehistory of Western Strathdon in particular.

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.