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Field Visit

Date November 1988

Event ID 881780

Category Recording

Type Field Visit

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/881780

No. 228 Charcoal-burning stances, Ardentraive, NS 103 788

Situated on the hillside overlooking the Kyles of Bute to the N of Ardentraive there are at least thirty circular platforms ranging from about 6m to 9m in diameter. One platform was excavated in advance of road-building by Miss J Kendrick in 1979 and a second was examined in 1988 in the course of the programme of research undertaken by Miss E B Rennie.

The first was found to be about 7m in diameter with large stones forming a downslope revetment; several post-holes were also discovered, but the character of the structure they represented was indeterminate. No artefacts were recovered. Two radiocarbon dates were obtained, the earlier providing a ‘terminus post quem for the construction of the platform’, ad 305 ± 65 (GU-1590), and the later suggesting the date ‘of the overlying layer on which the platform was built’, ad 835 ± 60 (GU-1589) (DES 1979, 33).

The second excavation revealed a platform measuring some 10m by 8.5m with an arc of well-preserved stone revetment on the downslope side. There was clear evidence of charcoal-burning, but this overlay features including a hearth and sockets for upright timbers which appear to be earlier. There were no small finds but a radiocarbon date was obtained (DES 1988, 23).

RCAHMS 1992, visited November 1988

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