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Clova, Kildrummy

Cup Marked Stone (Prehistoric), Souterrain (Prehistoric)

Site Name Clova, Kildrummy

Classification Cup Marked Stone (Prehistoric), Souterrain (Prehistoric)

Alternative Name(s) Muirs Of Kildrummy

Canmore ID 160272

Site Number NJ41NE 1.02

NGR NJ 4610 1927

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/160272

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Aberdeenshire
  • Parish Kildrummy
  • Former Region Grampian
  • Former District Gordon
  • Former County Aberdeenshire

Archaeology Notes

NJ41NE 1.02 4610 1927

This souterrain is situated under a small stand of trees 330m SW of Muirs of Kildrummy steading (NJ41NE 74) and appears to be covered by a low mound measuring no more than 0.6m in height. The interior is accessible by way of the original entrance at the NE end, where a wooden doorway of relatively recent date has been placed a short distance into the passage. The passage is orientated NE and SW, and is roughly S-shaped on plan, measuring about 10.5m in length and varying in breadth from 1.2m at the entrance to 2.5m close to the SW end. The walls of the passage, which are up to 1.6m in height, are constructed of dry-stone rubble set on a basal course of large boulders, and are corbelled to such an extent that along the SE side the top of the wall overhangs the base by as much as 0.6m. Several corbel-stones appear to have slipped out of position and fence-posts have been placed under them to prevent them collapsing into the chamber. The roof of the souterrain is constructed of large granite slabs and, except for a length of about 1.5m where the slabs have been removed at the entrance, is complete.

The entrance is framed by two short jamb-stones set 0.7m apart and measuring 0.8m in height, and at least three steps (which may be modern) can be seen descending within the narrow entrance passage, which measures 0.9m in breadth and has a surviving length of 0.9m.

Two of the basal stones of the main passage are cupmarked. One of them, which lies midway along the SE side, is heavily cupmarked, and measures 1.2m in length and at least 0.45m in height, and on its face there are at least 37 cups, the largest measuring up to about 40mm in diameter. The second stone has been incorporated into the basal course on the NW side some 2.4m from the NW door-jamb. The stone measures 0.42m in length by 0.33m in height, and there are at least four cupmarks on its face, the largest measuring up to 60mm in diameter.

Visited by RCAHMS (JRS), 15 October 1997.

Scheduled [with NJ41NE 1.01] as Muirs of Kildrummy, souterrains 230m W of and 350m SSW of...

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 2 December 2003.

Activities

Field Visit (26 July 1943)

This site was recorded as part of the RCAHMS Emergency Survey, undertaken by Angus Graham and Vere Gordon Childe during World War 2. The project archive has been catalogued during 2013-2014 and the material, which includes notebooks, manuscripts, typescripts, plans and photographs, is now available online.

Information from RCAHMS (GF Geddes) 4 December 2014.

Note

Date fieldwork started: 11/05/2019

Compiled by: ScRAP

ScRAP ID: 989

Location notes: The location of this panel is as described, within the souterrain passage. It is one of two cupmarked rocks within this souterrain. At the time of visiting the passage entrance was partly filled with in-wash and difficult to access. The passage becomes more open within about 2m of the entrance, but there are wooden uprights supporting the roof slabs, which constrain movement in some places, and partly obscure some of the wall coursing stones. A second souterrain (Canmore 160271, ScRAP 771) with cupmarked rocks is situated about 400m due N. Both souterrains and their cupmarked rocks are mentioned in the Canmore record 17079 (ScRAP 2284).

Panel notes: The panel is an elongated rectangular stone situated mid-way along the SE wall, in the lower layer of coursing. Its base is now partly covered with soil that may be obscuring additional carvings. Visual and physical access were very constrained, but it was possible to see at least 37 cupmarks of various sizes, including a roughly triangular-shaped group of 20 cups towards the S end of the panel.

Note

Date fieldwork started: 11/05/2019

Compiled by: ScRAP

Location notes: The location of this panel is as described, within the souterrain passage. It is one of two cupmarked rocks within this souterrain, the other being ScRAP ID 989. At the time of visiting the passage entrance was partly filled with in-wash and difficult to access. The passage becomes more open within about 2m of the entrance, but there are wooden uprights supporting the roof slabs, which constrain movement in some places, and partly obscure some of the wall coursing stones. A second souterrain (Canmore 160271, ScRAP 771) with cupmarked rocks is situated about 400m due N. Both souterrains and their cupmarked rocks are mentioned in the Canmore record 17079 (ScRAP 2284).

Panel notes: This panel is though to be behind the roof supports and wooden frame of the temporary door that has been installed. The wall here is very unstable and partly obscured by in-wash. No attempt was made to remove soil in order to view the carvings.

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