Woodend Loch
Lithic Implement(S) (Stone)
Site Name Woodend Loch
Classification Lithic Implement(S) (Stone)
Canmore ID 45770
Site Number NS76NW 3
NGR NS 707 669
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/45770
- Council North Lanarkshire
- Parish Old Monkland (Monklands)
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Monklands
- Former County Lanarkshire
NS76NW 3 707 669.
Chert and flint tools (? Mesolithic) by North shore of Woodend Loch. Found by Mr Wm McLean and exhibited to Glasgow Archaeol Soc (Area centred NS 7075 6692).
Information from A S Robertson, 1951
Mr McLean states that he had picked up his specimens along a band bordering the Loch at its NE end - from a point where a belt of trees extends from Woodend Farm to the waters edge, and as far East as the end of the loch (say 350 yds).
The area of any discoveries is covered by a loch marginal length of about 100 x 10 yds - the central portion ('A') being about 250 yds east of the Woodland strip. The possibility that the artifacts may have been washed down from a settlement on the southern exposure of the hill overlooking the loch cannot be disregarded.
771 artifacts were found, over a period of years, by Davidson - they are in various shades of flint, brown, green and black chert and mudstone. They comprise core and blade tools of upper palaeolithic aspect, with a large number of fragmented tools (fragmentation is a feature common to upper Palaeolithic sites where flint is scarce). Also flakes, blades and scrapers, comparable with Mesolithic littoral type of the Hiberno-Scottish province - a Larne pick, and tanged flakes similar to NE Ireland early Larnian, Mesolithic prototype. A tranchet (comparable with Irish Littoral early Neolithic artifacts) and an end scraper with a re-touched butt-end (a feature akin to tools of the same series). Microliths (including 3 of upper Palaeolithic style) comparable with the Tardenoisian Culture. Micro-Burns and notched flakes (associated with advanced British Tardenoisian). Total of definable artifacts 385. Miscellaneous waste (chips, flake, struck cone pebble fragments 386.
The series of finds points to the slay of hunters and fishers - the site also being a stopping place for migrants and settlers. The Woodend industry cannot be dated critically as palaeobotanical and other factors are lacking - the chronology is based solely on stone artifact typology.
J M Davidson, J Phemister and A D Lacaille 1951
No further finds were made during field investigation. At 'A' where the concentration of finds was located, a grass verge now occupies the site. Mr J M Davidson confirmed the siting at NS 7080 6690 as being the centre of the concentration of the artifacts, and had nothing further to add to his account.
Visited by OS (JLD) 4 October 1952
Flint tools found on shore by J Harrison Maxwell and exhibited to Glasgow Archaeological Society, 21 January 1932.