Context and Results

Context: An archaeological watching brief was conducted on a section of gas pipeline during ground breaking activity.

Results: A large pit containing Beaker pottery from multiple vessels and some fragments of cremated bone was identified. The feature had been substantially disturbed by the incorporation of a field drain in relatively modern times.

Notes: An archaeological watching brief was conducted on a section of gas pipeline during ground breaking activity. This archaeological monitoring also included two sections of controlled topsoil removal under direct archaeological supervision on sites of significant potential identified from desk based research. Work on the gas pipeline, will form the basis of two separate phases of construction. This report details the findings of the watching brief during Phase I, with Phase II due to commence in the spring 2009.

The watching brief carried out during groundworks identified three sites which were excavated and recorded during a phase of archaeological mitigation. Site 1 uncovered the badly disturbed remains of Westerton Cottages, the known location of a group of shale miner’s cottages of late 19th century origin. Excavation of Site 2 revealed a cluster of possible pits of unknown date. Site 3 was the location of a large pit containing Beaker pottery from multiple vessels and some fragments of cremated bone. The feature had been substantially disturbed by the incorporation of a field drain in relatively modern times. A series of isolated features were also uncovered and recorded during the watching brief, which were largely attributed to farming practice and land management in the post-medieval period.
Text from Draft DES Entry in CFA Report

All the archaeological features recorded during the watching brief as part of Phase I occurred in isolation, with the exception of two pits located in Section 0, and several recorded features with a close relationship to Site 1 (Westerton Cottages RSK DBA Site 60). Contexts identified and recorded during the watching brief operation are pre-fixed WB and are listed separately in Appendix 1b.

Two pits were identified within Section 0 (WB015, 020), both of which were interpreted as the location of in situ burning (Fig. 2-4). Pit WB015 had a long axis northeast to southwest, steep sloping sides and a concave base. The primary fill WB018, comprising a heat-affected thin clay deposit, has been interpreted as a possible clay lining. This was overlain by WB017, a silty mid grey deposit with common charcoal and heat-cracked stone inclusions. The clarity of horizon suggested this is probably a secondary backfill of 015 after the primary burning event. The upper deposit 016 appears within 015 as a dark black, silty, charcoal-rich deposit, within which 019 were also recorded as a concentration of large, heat-affected stones. Both 016 and 019 are interpreted as continued activity of the site, and were probably deposited after 015 had been partially emptied.

In contrast, WB020 is interpreted as having one episode of deposition. This commences with 022, a series of large heat-affected stones noted predominantly in the base. These stones were surrounded by 021, a dark black, silty, charcoal-rich deposit. Pit 020 was observed as being partially covered by a north–south orientated hedge-bank, with visible root action having disturbed 021 post-deposition. The similarities between upper deposits in pits (020) and (015), possibly suggest these are contemporaneous, and may infer 015 is the earlier of the features. However, no firm dating evidence was recovered from either feature and the only dating that can be offered is a terminus ante quem of post-medieval origin, given the stratigraphic relationship of the overlying field boundary. Soil samples from 016 and 021 were retained for further analysis.

A linear gully (WB023), with steep sloping sides tapering to a flat base was recorded southeast of the pits (015, 020). It measured >3.8m in length from NGR: NT 09393 70736, orientated east–west and continued under the same north–south orientated hedge-bank which had partially obscured 020. Excavation revealed a width of 0.8m and a maximum recorded depth of 0.22m. The gully contained a single fill (WB024), comprising a sterile, mid orangey-brown mix of compacted silt, stone and gravel. No dating evidence was recovered and the precise function remains unclear. The preferred interpretation is a field boundary, of post-medieval date or earlier, based entirely on the stratigraphic relationship of the hedge bank.

A single linear feature was recorded (WB009) which comprised a surface of small, rounded to sub-rounded pebbles, forming a ‘meandering’ northeast–southwest orientated feature. The feature had an unequal width of approximately 0.95m and a truncated length of twenty metres from the northeast extent located at NGR: NT 09530 70726, rising on a gentle slope before complete truncation eradicated any further remains. It is possible WB009 represents the remains of an eroded trackway.

Five features were identified in Section 2, all of which are interpreted as being of post-medieval origin. Three of the features occurred in close proximity to Muirend Farm (RSK DBA Site 84). The first of these was a possible cobbled surface (WB013), centred on NGR: NT 09835 70754, measuring approximately 3m by 1.5m, with a north–south long axis. The surface comprised small to medium sized cobbles embedded into natural subsoil, which was heavily damaged by later ploughing activity. Southwest of 013, the truncated remains of a ditch (WB027) were partially excavated. When seen in plan, this feature appeared as an irregular feature 1.20m wide, by >6.30m in length from NGR: NT 09790 70723. It was orientated northwest–southeast, with the northwest extent visibly truncated by field drainage. Excavation revealed a steep sided cut, 0.42m in depth, with two fills (WB028 and WB029). Both fills comprised sterile, re-deposited natural material of mixed colour, with 028 predominated by a poorly sorted tip of mixed angular stones, which was in turn overlain by a friable sandy deposit (029). In close proximity to the above features, the well-preserved skeletal remains of a probable calf burial of modern origin were located at NGR: NT 09837 70744.

The remains discussed above are all interpreted as evidence of post-medieval activity associated with the previous agricultural practices of Muirend Farm (RSK DBA Site 84), which appears on Pont’s mapping of the early 17th century (Pont 1630). Surface WB013 may represent the remains of a haystand while WB027 has been interpreted as the probable remains of a field boundary from this period.

At the eastern end of Section 2, and close to the track that connects Muirend to the Union Canal Bridge at Lin’s Mill (RSK DBA Site 3), two further features were identified. The first of these, centred on NGR: NT 10058 70843 was interpreted as a modern rubbish pit (WB025; Fig. 21). The overall dimensions were 0.87m northwest–southeast, 0.50m wide, with a maximum excavated depth of 0.17m. This was filled by WB026, comprising firm silty clay, surrounding large boulders, with modern glass and pottery noted throughout. A deposit of cobbles (WB011) was uncovered during hedge-bank breakthrough approximately twenty metres northeast of WB025. The deposit, which was surrounded by a modern subsoil deposit, followed the length of the hedge-bank for 7.5m, with a maximum spread width of 1.5m and has been interpreted as post-medieval field clearance activity.

A single feature (WB010) was recorded in Section 3. Centred on NGR: NT 10435 7161, it comprised a linear spread of medium sized stone cobbles, 3.5m wide by 15m in length, orientated east–west (Fig. 18). Following machine excavation, the deposit was found to be 0.20m deep, with fragments of handmade brick and tile interspersed amongst its length. The feature is not interpreted as structural, but as a crude track or road. The material itself may have been reused following the demolition of ‘Hiddlefaulds’ farmstead, first depicted on Roy’s map in the mid 18th century (Roy 1745-55). Alternatively, the ‘track’ may have been an attempt to provide farm access toward the location of Birdsmill, of similar historical origin.

Agricultural Remains: Rig-and-furrow
Throughout the watching brief, a series of agricultural and cultivation remains were observed. Within all sections of Phase I, evidence of extensive field drainage was found, with both variations of ceramic and rubble drains representing post-medieval attempts at land improvement.

Evidence of rig-and-furrow cultivation could be seen in Sections 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6. Predominantly this comprised very truncated, shallow furrows, with a tendency towards north – south orientation; average spacing centre to centre 6- 7m. The only exception to this was in Section 6, where the spacing had increased to 9m, across the whole working length and width. This indicates the presence of broad rig continuing under and beyond the remains of the Kilpunt Mineral Railway (RSK DBA Site 63) into Section 5.

Site 1 (Westerton Cottages)
Monitored topsoil removal was carried out at the site of Westerton Cottages (RSK DBA Site 60). As a consequence, a number of features were exposed which required further archaeological mitigation. The site was renumbered Site 1.

Site 1 consisted of a layer of demolition debris containing stone, brick and ash. The location of the debris corresponded with the position of Westerton Cottages as illustrated on the 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey map (Ordnance Survey 1897). A few small areas of brickwork may still have been in situ; however, this did not clearly indicate the foundations of any structure. A series of five trial trenches were excavated through the demolition debris, but there were no structural remains or floor deposits identified. This would indicate that the foundations had been ‘grubbed-out’ when the cottages were demolished. A number of shallow pits had been excavated in order to dispose of the demolition debris and some of the demolition debris had been used to level out the southwestern corner of the field.

Five features were identified of which four (WB003, 004, 007 and 008) were the remains of masonry structures. The remains of two red brick walls located within shallow trenches were broadly interpreted as the truncated foundations of garden walls, fronting onto the road directly to the southeast. Forming a discontinuous right angle, due to truncation, the southeast elevation would have been kerbed by a series of whinstone slabs (WB004), > 6.50m long with an intervening gap of 0.90m, and within which no evidence of a path could be found. Within the area interpreted as gardens, a shallow, oval pit (WB005) filled with an organic silty deposit (WB006) was partially excavated. The deposit contained a large degree of modern pottery, glass and the remains of a small mammal; species unknown.

To the northeast of the demolition debris, three parallel northeast to southwest orientated lines of sandstone pads (43A – 43H) were identified. The rows were situated 5m and 8m apart and the stones within each row were situated c.10m apart. Each stone pad measured c.0.6m by c.0.6m and contained the remains of a cut off iron post, which had been inserted into a hole in the centre. Immediately to the north-east of the pads there were the remains of a 10.3m length of brick wall WB007, with a length of foundation footings comprising two header courses, with a course of stretchers in between, amounting to a total width of 0.60m and set within a shallow bedding trench. The location of the stone pads corresponded with the position of a large enclosed area at the north-eastern end of the rows of cottages, which is depicted on the 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey map (Ordnance Survey 1897). A feature at this end of the row of cottages is annotated ‘Hall’, although the map does not make it clear exactly what this refers to.

Although very little in the form of structural remains were encountered from the accumulation of evidence from Site 1 (Westerton Cottages RSK DBA Site 60) during the watching brief, from the subsequent excavation and from documentary analysis, it is possible to construct a broad picture of the cottages and their primary day to day functions. The monitored topsoil removal uncovered a large spread of demolition material, which, when surveyed and compared with the 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey map (1897), correlates to a row of cottages on a northeast–southwest orientation. Of the three rows of cottages depicted, the centrally positioned row is the only one represented. From the survey, areas which lack demolition material appear to correlate with areas devoid of dwellings. This is most evident in the appearance of a central ‘alleyway’ separating the southwest and central rows of cottages. Along this ‘alleyway’, there was a linear arrangement of services, largely comprising salt glazed drainpipe, which at regular intervals presumably branched towards individual cottages. This may be in the location of the square protuberances which probably refer to ‘outhouses’ located at the rear of the cottages. Evidence from the 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey map (1897) and watching brief results strongly suggested that masonry features WB003 and 004 probably define the position of gardens. This confirms the cottages were single rows built in terraced style.

The stone pads 43A-H (Fig. 7) may be the remains of a building, and if so, it
is presumed by the nature and arrangement of the masonry that the building
was relatively open plan in design, given the lack of supporting masonry and
demolition debris. This lack of supporting evidence may suggest this structure
could have been pre-fabricated in design, with 43A-H supporting an ironwork
frame, which was clad and roofed. However, the Scottish Mining website
describes a contemporary account of the cottages, and notes the presence of a
drying green; the stone pads in the northeast area of Site 1, therefore, may be
the location of a drying green, with the pads supporting iron washing line
posts (Scottish Mining Website 2005-2008). The hall marked on the map is
probably the converted wing of a cottage used as a billiard room and library,
as mentioned by the Scottish Mining website (2005-2008).

The above contemporary account of ‘Westerton Rows’ also describes fortyone houses, with a population of 257, belonging to Messrs Young’s Mineral Oil Company. Each cottage was of equal size, with two rooms measuring 12ft x 12ft one of which functioned as a kitchen. All the dwellings had a small garden with outside dry closets and coal cellars, although it may be speculated that those cottages to the southeast appear to have larger gardens than those set back from the road (ibid). The demolition process in the mid-20th century appeared to be thorough, and evidence of the character described above was not evident following monitored topsoil removal. The cottages were noted on Ordnance Survey maps from the Second Edition of 1897 until 1957.

Site 2
Site 2 consisted of seventeen possible pit features (003, 005, 007, 009, 011, 013, 015, 017, 019, 021, 023. 025, 027, 029, 031, 033 and 035). The pits measured up to 1.3m by 1.25m by 0.3m deep and contained a single fill of the same colour and consistency as the topsoil. Modern pottery was identified in pits 007, 013, 017, 023, 025 and 027. The pits were situated within an area with a high quantity of rounded stones set within the subsoil and it is thought that they represent naturally in-filled cavities left by stones that had been removed by the plough. Three soil samples were retained for analysis.

Site 3
Site 3 consisted of a large sub-oval pit measuring 2.4m north-east to south-west by 1.6m north-west to south-east by 0.6m deep. The pit had been cut by a 19th century field drain (041), which had bisected it, from north-east to south-west. The field drain cut through the base of the pit into the subsoil below, resulting in the contents of the pit being heavily disturbed.

The primary fill (042) of the pit consisted of a thin lens of dark charcoal-rich material with a depth of c.0.05m, which merged into the main fill (039/040) of grey brown sandy silt. A number of sherds of prehistoric pottery were recovered from fill 039/040 at the interface with fill 042, along with some lithics and fragments of calcified bone. The pottery is of a type known as ‘Beaker pottery’, which dates to the Early Bronze Age. This type of pottery can be found in a funerary context, and, along with the fragments of bone recovered from contexts 039/040, may suggest that this feature was a burial pit. A single sherd of re-deposited Beaker pottery was also recovered from the fill (038) of the field drain. Samples from all the pit fills were retained for analysis.
Text from CFA Archaeology Data Structure Report

Archaeological features
Site 2 consisted of seventeen possible pit features (003, 005, 007, 009, 011, 013, 015, 017, 019, 021, 023. 025, 027, 029, 031, 033 and 035), located at NGR: NT 1077 7204 . The pits broadly measured up to 1.3m by 1.25m by 0.3m deep and were filled by deposits of the same colour and consistency as the topsoil. Modern pottery was identified in pits 007, 013, 017, 023, 025 and 027. The pits were situated within an area with a high quantity of rounded stones set within the subsoil and it was thought that they represent naturally in-filled cavities left by stones that had been removed by the plough. The detailed analysis of three soil samples from pit fills 006, 010 and 022 also confirmed the presence modern pottery, unidentified iron objects and specifically in the case of 006 a plastic button. The presence of vitrified charcoal and cinder in the samples confirms their lack of antiquity.

Site 3 consisted of a large sub-oval pit (037) measuring 2.4m north-east to south-west by 1.6m north-west to south-east by 0.6m deep, located at NGR: NT 1092 7219. The pit had been cut by a 19th-century field drain (041), which had bisected it, from north-east to south-west. The field drain cut through the base of the pit into the subsoil below, resulting in the contents of the pit being heavily disturbed in that area. The primary fill of the pit (042) consisted of a thin lens of dark charcoal-rich material with a depth of c.0.05m, which merged into the main fill (039 &/040) of grey-brown sandy silt. Forty-three sherds of Beaker pottery were recovered from fills 039 and 040 at the interface with fill 042, along with lithics and fragments of calcified bone. Radiocarbon determinations on two fragments of Hazel charcoal produced dates ranging between 2350–2020 cal BC.

FINDS AND ENVIRONMENTAL EVIDENCE
The Finds
3.1.1 Introduction, by Sue Anderson
The quantities of finds by material type is summarised below:
Find type No Wt (g)
Pottery: prehistoric 43 434
Lithics 11 119
Fired clay 4 4
Pottery: post-medieval 55 386
Ceramic building material 3 3
Glass 9 2
Iron 2 9
Copper alloy 1 1
Plastic 1 1
Burnt/melted material - 11


Prehistoric finds from Site 3, by Melanie Johnson
Forty-three sherds of Beaker pottery, weighing 434g, were recovered from the fills of a large isolated pit, Pit 037, which had been disturbed by the insertion of a field drain.

The pottery was recovered during hand-excavation and was recorded by context on site. The pottery was cleaned and dried and is stored in zip-loc polythene bags according to context number. The assemblage was recorded in accordance with the Guidelines for Analysis and Publication set out by the Prehistoric Ceramics Research Group (1997). Full descriptions can be found in the catalogue.

Description
The pottery was recovered principally from contexts 039 and 040, the main fill of the pit, and a single sherd in 042, the primary fill. A single sherd was also found in context 038, the fill of the field drain trench cutting across the pit, where it had presumably been re-deposited following this disturbance.

Four rim sherds, a base sherd, four neck sherds, four shoulder sherds and 30 body sherds were recovered, all of which were decorated with comb impressions. A maximum of 24 different vessels are present, some of which are represented by only one sherd. However, given the likelihood of variation in firing across the same pot and inconsistent mixing of inclusions, it is possible that some of these sherds belong to the same vessel and that the actual number of pots is lower, Much of the pottery is abraded and none of the pots have substantial portions of their profiles surviving.

Decoration was all impressed with square or rectangular-toothed combs, probably in alternating decorated and plain zones bordered by either single or double horizontal lines. A limited range of geometric motifs were recorded: these included diagonal lines, infilled linked triangles, zigzags and herringbone.

The neck and shoulder sherds were fragmentary but indicate that slightly concave necks were present and that both gently rounded shoulders (P9–10, P19) and a more carinated example (P8) are included. The decorated shoulder sherds indicate that decoration was in zones with a blank panel generally found just above the widest part of the shoulder.
Three of the four rim sherds have internal bevels (P14, P16, P17). The fourth was pointed in profile, with a small angled bevel to each side (P15). All of the rim sherds were decorated, and each had either a single or double horizontal line of comb immediately below the rim tip on the exterior. Beneath this a range of motifs have been recorded, although the sherds are small, including diagonal lines (P16, P17), possibly panels of diagonal lines (P14, Fig. 4), and possibly infilled triangles (P15).

The base sherd (P13) was slightly footed and was decorated with two horizontal comb impressed lines at the base of the wall with diagonal lines above.

The wall thickness ranged between 7–14mm. A number of the vessels had slipped exterior surfaces with the interiors smoothed, and were generally orange or brown in colour; some vessels were fully oxidised while others retained a grey core. Fabrics tended to include up to 10% small quartz grit and sand, with some mica recorded, with a minority of vessels more heavily gritted up to 20%. There were a number of instances of interior surfaces displaying a corky texture, perhaps the result of heavy abrasion and the leaching out of mineral inclusions or the burning out of organic temper. There were no surface deposits recorded and many of the sherds were very abraded.

Discussion
There have been a number of major categorisations of Beaker vessels – Clarke’s styles (1970), Lanting and van der Waals steps (1972), Case’s styles and stages (1977 & 1993) – with a variety of regional, chronological and stylistic associations. In 1991 the British Museum radiocarbon dating programme appeared to demonstrate that there was no clear chronological patterning and that all that could be said of Beaker dating was that they fell somewhere between 2600–1800 BC (Kinnes et al 1991). Since that time, further dating programmes of Scottish Beakers have been undertaken (Shepherd 2005) and extensive re-dating of Beakers is currently underway with two major, inter­related research projects, the Beaker People Project and the Beakers and Bodies Project (Sheridan 2007; Sheridan et al 2006; 2007; Curtis et al 2007), the latter specifically dealing with the north-east of Scotland. Needham (2005) has also recently published a comprehensive review of Beakers, suggesting a new scheme for understanding their development.
The neck and shoulder sherds suggest that the vessels may be Short-necked (SN) Beakers (Needham 2005) although it is difficult to be certain with such a fragmentary assemblage. The general period of use of such an assemblage would be expected to be
c. 2250–1950 BC (Sheridan 2007), which fits very well with the radiocarbon dating results (see Table 3 below) and confirms Sheridan and Needham’s schemes. The overall period of use of Beaker pottery in Scotland is 2500/2400 BC to 1950 BC: comb-impressed Beakers would traditionally have been seen as slightly later in date than All-Over-Cord (AOC); however, the Beaker dating programmes (Sheridan 2007) indicate that there is little difference.

The pit is unlikely to have had a funerary function, despite the presence of a barbed­and-tanged arrowhead, as there are many small sherds from a variety of vessels rather than just one vessel accompanying a burial. However, a domestic context also seems unlikely; the fill of the pit and its isolated location do not accord with the disposal of domestic refuse, and nor is the feature part of a dwelling. It could represent transient use by a small group passing by the location, but the number of different vessels represented also makes this unlikely. It is possible that the pottery became incorporated accidentally during the infilling of the pit, which could either occur naturally through silting up or from deliberate manual backfilling; if the pit was manually backfilled, the sherds may have been specifically selected for deposition within the pit.

Very few examples of Beakers are known from West Lothian or the City of Edinburgh and the NMRS only records one known findspot, of two AOC Beakers in a sand quarry near Bathgate (NS96NE 10; Mann 1906), and one example of a Beaker within a cist at Tartraven (NT07SW 6). As a result, the discovery of this assemblage adds greatly to the known distribution of Beakers in this part of the country.

Lithics, by Ann Clarke
A mixed group of seven flaked lithics was recovered from the main fill 039/040 of pit 037. As well as a broken barbed-and–tanged point (F1), there was a retouched quartz flake (F5), an agate core (F6), a flint blade (F2), a flake of quartz (F4) and chunks of flint and chert (F3 and F7).

The barbed-and-tanged point (F1) has been broken down the length leaving one finely shaped barb. It is of a dark grey/ black colour and may be made from a good quality chert.

A large primary quartz flake (F5) has been flaked around one steep end to form a denticulate outline. It may be some form of heavy duty scraper though it does not look much worn.

There has been some attempt to flake the agate chunk (F6) but this has resulted in some severe step fractures and the core was most likely discarded before any useful flakes could be detached.

A short flint blade (F2) was also present as well as a tiny amount of chunky debris which, apart from the flint chip, may be natural products.

Considering the tiny size of this assemblage and that it is from one context there is a wide range of materials present. The flint, chert, agate and quartz would all have been available as rolled pebbles from local gravel sources. The possible selection of a black chert for the barbed-and-tanged point indicates the potential quality of such stone though usually flint was chosen over chert for retouched pieces: the analysis of a lithic scatter at Carnwath demonstrated that flint was preferred over chert particularly for projectile points from all periods (Clarke 1989).

Barbed-and-tanged-points are closely associated with Beakers, often being found together in burial contexts. It is not clear whether the other flaked lithics were deposited at the same time as the barbed-and-tanged point. None is dateable to any particular period and perhaps they could have entered the pit with the backfill or through later disturbance.

Fired clay, by Sue Anderson
Four tiny abraded fragments of fired clay, possibly small pieces of prehistoric pot, were collected from contexts 038 and 039 during sample processing.

Bone, by Sue Anderson
The fills of pit 037 (including field drain fill 038 which cut it) contained 41 small fragments (14.3g) of calcined bone. Identifiable pieces were all non-human and several fragments were abraded. Pieces of skull and long bone were present, but the species was not identifiable.

Post-medieval finds, by Sue Anderson
Fifty-two sherds of pottery (381g) were recovered from three contexts on Site 2. From pit fill 006 there were five sherds of refined whiteware with a brown transfer print, and a fragment of unglazed redware. Pit fill 010 contained the most fragments, comprising 40 sherds of refined whiteware, one piece of refined redware with a rusticated white slip externally, a plantpot base, and three fragments of brown-glazed stoneware teapot. The whitewares included two tankards, a spongeware cup, a small bowl with handpainted blue lines and flowers externally, a polychrome spongeware plate, and several transfer-printed sherds. Pit fill 022 produced a tiny sherd of refined whiteware from a sample.

Three small fragments of ?pantile were collected from pit fill 006, which also contained five tiny fragments of vessel glass, an iron object and a small plastic button. Pit fill 010 produced one thin fragment of window glass, three tiny fragments of uncoloured vessel glass and two pieces of green bottle glass, and a copper alloy washer. A small iron nail fragment was found in pit fill 022, along with fragments of fuel ash slag. Tiny pieces of calcined animal bone were found in all three features.

Three sherds (5g) of a transfer-printed base were found in field drain fill 038, cutting the prehistoric pit 037 on Site 3.
All of this material is likely to be of late 19th or early 20th-century date and represents domestic waste which may have reached the fields through manuring or night soil distribution.

Charcoal, by Mike Cressey
Methods
Thirty-seven samples of charcoal, obtained from a series of pit fills, have been examined for species identification (Appendix 4). The size of the charcoal examined was between 2–4mm. Charcoal was collected by hand during the excavation and by post-excavation flotation of bulk soil samples. Smaller samples were processed using routine methods. In all cases, counts were limited to 25 identifications per sub-sample using a binocular microscope at magnifications ranging between x10 and x200. Generally identifications were carried out on transverse cross-sections. Anatomical keys listed in Schweingruber (1992) and in-house reference charcoal was used to aid identifications. Asymmetry and morphological characteristics were recorded. Vitrified charcoal fragments, possibly a result of secondary burning were recorded but in general this material is usually not identifiable owing to increased fusion of the vascular structure. Samples <2mm were considered to below the level of identification (BLOI) due to the amorphous nature of the majority of these smaller fragments. Cinder was recorded in four contexts.

Results
The analysis of the charcoal assemblage has shown that the assemblage is very poor with most of the charcoal being very amorphous. Three species of wood are present and in order of abundance include Corylus avellana (hazel), Quercus (oak) and Salix (willow). Hazel is the most frequent species in the total assemblage and is present in all the pit fills. Oak is present in only two contexts (pit fills 039 and 042). Willow is confined to pit fill 039.

Site Species No of IDs Weight (g) Feature
2 Corylus avellana 13 3.1 Pit fills 006, 016, 021
3 Corylus avellana 172 64.0 Pit fills 038, 039, 040, 042
Quercus sp. 8 2.2 Pit fills: 039 & 042
Salix sp. 2 0.9 Pit fill 039

In all cases the species are in low amounts. The presence of vitrified charcoal and cinders at Site 2 seen in fills 006, 010, 022 and 038 relates to an industrial source of 19th-century date for this material. The charcoal within the pit at Site 3 may represent domestic residues from hearths or occupation areas.

Conclusion
The general amorphous condition of the charcoal assemblage and the presence of highly vitrified charcoal along with cinder which is the residue from coal burning suggest that the bulk of the charcoal from Site 2 is of fairly recent date. The assemblage for this site therefore holds no potential for any further meaningful discussion. Charcoal from Site 3 was sent for radiocarbon dating, the results of which are presented below.

Radiocarbon dating
Table 3 shows the results of the radiocarbon dating on two samples of hazel charcoal recovered from the basal fill of pit 037 at Site 3.
The dates provide a calibrated range of 2350–2020 BC, the Early Bronze Age, which accords well with the artefactual evidence and can allow us to surmise that the archaeobotanical and artefactual materials were from taphonomically secure contexts.

SUERC Site & context Species Radiocarbon Cal. Date (1s) Cal. Date (2s)
Lab No. age uncal. BP
27604 Site 3, 042 Corylus avellana 3725 ± 35 2200–2040 BC 2280–2020 BC
27605 Site 3, 042 Corylus avellana 3795 ± 30 2290–2140 BC 2350–2050 BC


DISCUSSION
Site 2 consisted of seventeen possible pit features each containing a single fill similar to the overlying topsoil in composition. Modern pottery was identified in the fills of pits 007, 013, 017, 023, 025 and 027. Other artefactual evidence returned after wet sieving the fills of pits 005, 009 and 021 also comprised a large proportion of modern pottery as well as glass, iron objects and plastic. The soil samples that were analysed contained the poorly preserved remains of vitrified charcoal. Cinder was also noted within the pits.

The pits were situated in an area with a high quantity of medium to large rounded stones set within the boulder clay subsoil. It is therefore suggested that the pits represent naturally in-filled cavities left by large rounded stones that had either been removed during stone clearance or by post-medieval ploughing. The 19th- and 20th­century material contained within them may have either been dumped into the resulting cavities which, for example, may explain the high percentage of pottery fragments seen in pit fill 010, or the pit fills could be the result of slumping of the topsoil into the open features, incorporating material which had been distributed by manuring using ‘night soil’. In any case, the artefacts represent domestic waste. The Newliston Shale Mine (RSK DBA Site 66) which operated from the late 19th to mid 20th centuries may have been the source of contamination with regard to the vitrified charcoal and cinder residues, particularly as the mineral railway ran parallel to Site 2 at this location.

Site 3
The pit that comprises Site 3 contained a number of different materials. The main fill of the pit contained a mixed deposit of burnt animal bones as well as Beaker pottery from a number of vessels and wood charcoal, which produced radiocarbon dates ranging from 2350-2020 BC, the Early Bronze Age.

The charcoal analysis showed three types of species were represented in very small quantities and the survival is poor. The basal fill 042 contained predominantly hazel remains although a small amount of oak was recovered. Oak was also found in fill 039 with willow also present. Hazel dominated the assemblage and was found in various concentrations throughout all deposits, with the highest percentage noted in fill 040; almost twice the amount found in 039. The very small amount of oak recovered from the basal fill (042) may have been within the merging horizons of 042 and 039, as oak is slightly more prevalent in the latter. There was no evidence of in situ burning within the pit.

A number of lithics were recovered from the main fills of the pit (039 & 040), including a fragment of a barbed-and-tanged arrowhead found in 039 and a possible scraper found in 040. An unusually wide range of raw materials are present, including flint, chert, agate and quartz. Although barbed-and-tanged points are closely associated with Beaker pottery and are often found together in burial contexts, it is not clear whether all of the objects were deliberately deposited with the pottery at the same time or derive from backfill or later disturbance as they are not closely datable.

The majority of the pot assemblage was recovered from fills 039 and 040, with a single sherd recovered from the basal fill 042. However, the feature had been heavily disturbed to the point of destruction in the immediate area of the field drain cut. This upheaval would have removed and subsequently scattered any previously in situ remains. The abraded pot and calcined bone fragments found within the field drain cut are likely to have been within the pit prior to its disturbance and became incorporated into the backfill of the drain cut. It is possible that other artefacts have been lost and ended up scattered over the wider area as a result of the drain’s excavation. The slightly higher proportion of pot and charcoal remains in 040, which fills the smaller half of the pit, may indicate a direction of deposition from the north­west. The single sherd of pot found in the basal fill (042), may have been deposited with the rest of the assemblage and subsequently impressed into the thin basal layer during the backfilling process.

That a body is not present does not necessarily preclude that an individual or individuals are represented by the assemblage. Pots can be biographically imbued and receive and possibly retain personhood (Owoc 2001, 198), depending on how humans act with the material culture. The relationship is dynamic and is open to change. Given the fragmentary nature of the assemblage and its association with small quantities of burnt animal bone and wood charcoal, the material may well represent domestic waste. However, the pit itself may have acted as a transformative receptacle, not just for the deposition of pot, but for the remembrance, re-enforcement or re­working of social or biographical ties (Jones 2002, 145–56). Through the act of deposition the individuals present may have reaffirmed or created new social bonds, celebrated existing ties or consigned older traditions to memory as a form of transition. This last point may have been particularly poignant if the pot was ancient prior to deposition, which may have helped venerate ancestry. In these models, the deposition of pot is a catalyst in which onlookers and performers are needed to give meaning to the act of deposition to reinforce or negotiate the social sphere and the act of deposition can transform the performers, the sherds and the pit. Thus pits can act metaphorically as vessels. The intention my have been to mix up the sherds by rapid interment within a single deposit within a pit. The pit has no structure to it apart from a thin primary basal deposit of material which may have accrued if the pit was left open for a short time.

Artefacts can be external receptacles of memory, that is to say they invoke remembrance rather than store memory and therefore both person and artefact in a sense impart or receive meaning. If the sherds are biographical then retention of any remaining sherds may form an act of ancestral veneration or remembrance. Humans engage with this material world to create symbolism (Renfrew 2001). In this instance the deposition of pottery or material culture may have triggered social change such as the reinforcing or renegotiation of social ties or responsibilities. All these states of being are very much concerns of the living as well as the dead, and it may be as important to consider where or what happened to the remainder or rest of the vessels retained prior to deposition. Were they deposited elsewhere? Were they retained? Were the fragments abraded prior to deposition?

We might also think that the sherds in their partible state, i.e. now smaller fragments of larger vessels, as having inalienable or alienable qualities (Weiner 1985): this may have been increasingly true if the vessel sherds had ‘antique’ qualities at the time of deposition. Giving away a piece of the pot may metaphorically indicate separation from whatever biography or symbolism that particular sherd held, while retention of other sherds could allow the meaning to continue, and it is possible both cases may have been desirable. An instance of this could be a symbolic burial of a person, the termination of a bond or ideologies and social ties associated with the biography of the group and the pot fragments. The act of deposition itself becomes pivotal in the process of remembrance or possibly forgetting. The fragmentation may have been part of a protracted process and the pot fragments could have been circulated as mobile artefacts or stored for some time prior to deposition which accrues further meaning (Woodward 2002, 1040–7). In order to give meaning to biographical objects or mobile artefacts, people must be able to trace them.

If fragmented vessels can be biographical then a pit becomes a receptacle for this biography or other meaning, which, rather than disposing of contents as we may be inclined to think, could become a fixed place or ‘axis mundi’ for those attending. Thus the location could bring together a number of possible performers all playing a part in the deposition with various sherds originating from various vessels. The interring of the sherds may either preserve their imbued nature, or transform them once interred. So, simply put, the sherds enter the pit as predominantly separate sherds from different vessels, but by the combination of interment, and or any transformative ritual which may have taken place, could be seen symbolically as one vessel.

The setting of the deposition may appear to be inconspicuous, but the site, on a terrace near the River Almond, places the location in a prominent place, possibly near a trade route. The geology close to the River Almond can comprise alluvial drift deposits which may have been more favourable for agriculture. This could have made the waterway and its immediate environ a focus of prehistoric activity. At Clifton Hall, approximately 1km to the south, a Bronze Age cinerary urn was also discovered which again indicates the close proximity of Bronze Age depositional activity. Research has indicated that geography may have been important and deliberately selected for Early Bronze Age activities. Elements such as water can be interpreted as transformative, with watercourses such as rivers often tied to cosmological notions of rebirth (Fowler 2004, 8). Morphy (1995) sees this ‘flow of life’ as symbolic and geographically nuanced. The cosmological cycle of life can has often linked death, rebirth, fertility and agriculture to the overall fecundity of society.

Due to the fact that the feature was disturbed and incomplete, with only a proportion of the assemblage present, the true nature of the depositional process can only be surmised and tentatively theorised. Taphonmic processes, which include the disturbance of the field drain as well as other activities, could have led to the decay or truncation of remains. This places the interpretative emphasis on the physicality of what remains. The broader interpretation is also subject to the constraints of the excavated area, which were limited; and because of this, it remains unclear as to whether this feature is solitary or isolated, or one of a number of related features throughout the wider area. The circular nature of the discussion only serves to reinforce the potential complexity surrounding structured deposition in Early Bronze Age society, particularly where no human remains have been found.
The discovery of this Beaker pottery adds significantly to the known distribution of this ware from the West Lothian and Edinburgh regions.
Text from CFA Archaeology Ltd data structure report