Aberdeenshire HER - NK02NW0046 - SANDS OF FORVIE

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Main Details

Primary ReferenceNK02NW0046
NameSANDS OF FORVIE
NRHE Card No.NK02NW47
NRHE Numlink 165124
HES SM No. NULL
HES LB No. NULL
Site Form Standing Structure
Site Condition Complete 2
Details Three midden mounds, mainly consisting of mussel shells, sit on a main post glacial raised beach. A detailed topographical survey of two of the middens was carried out in 1999. Two short seasons of fieldwork were carried out on the shell middens in April and October 2010. Excavations at Midden C (the southernmost), located near the present shoreline limit, showed that the midden sequence consisted of 2.9 m of deposits, extending for over 35 m in length. An upper midden lay on top of a significant sand dune (up to circa 1.3 m deep), which had formed above a series of earlier more discrete shell deposits. Various pits were found dug into the sand dune, one of which, an intact fire pit, consisted of a layer of fire-cracked stones on top of a charcoal deposit. It has been interpreted as a steaming pit used to open the mussels for consumption. There were few finds apart from a net sinker in the lowest level and one or two lithic pieces, including one in the fire pit. Six radiocarbon dates were obtained from the lowest levels to the upper parts of the upper midden deposits. The basal charcoal-rich layer dated to 325-555 cal AD with all the layers above this forming rapidly in the period of 715-985 cal AD. Midden A (the next one north) is a low roughly circular mound, circa 20 m in diameter, located on the main raised beach. Within three test pits located on the western face of the midden, two major shell midden layers were found slumping down the raised beach. The midden layers, like those at Midden C, were located on top of a major sand blow event, suggesting that this midden is also likely to be of later date, probably in the 1st millennium AD. The only finds were intrusive pieces of Victorian glass. Midden B (the northernmost of the three) is an irregularly shaped mound, roughly horseshoe in plan, circa 35 m long and circa 10-15 m wide with a depression at its centre. This was mainly made up of mussel shell with a small percentage of periwinkle and the occasional cockle. Five test pits were excavated, three on the east part of the horseshoe and two near the shoreline edge on the west part of the midden. The midden was much shallower than A and C, a maximum of three shell bearing layers were recorded in each test pit. Fire pits were found dug into the underlying sand layers. One test pit towards the southwest limits of the site found midden layers of an unusual character, although still dominated by mussel, there was a much higher percentage of cockle and periwinkle shells and the upper layers also contained animal and fish bone. An iron rivet or nail was also found in this part of the midden, suggesting that this zone may date to the 1st millennium AD or later. No direct dating evidence is yet available for Middens A and B, but evidence suggests they may be contemporary with Midden C. A series of five soil test pits was excavated in an area circa 200 m northeast of Midden A (NK 008 261), to investigate the soils and land use of the surrounding area before, during and after the formation of the middens. This area contains the remains of rig and furrow and a field boundary. This indicated a period of agricultural activity predating a a major episode of aeolian sand deposition and formation of sand dunes in the area sometime in the 1st millennium BC. This windblown sand deposit was subsequently buried in the medieval or post-medieval period by the field boundary, which was constructed of sandy turf and large stones. Following the excavations in 2010 a series of geophysical, topographical and geoarchaeological landscape surveys have been conducted in the vicinity of the midden. Site visit in October 2022 as part of the SCAPE Coastal Zone Assessment Survey noted middens A and B situated behind the coast edge and well vegetated, but midden C eroding from the bank.
Last Update21/02/2024
Updated Bycpalmer
Compiler 
Date of Compilation 

Google Map for NK02NW0046

National Grid Reference: NK 0074 2573



Event Details

Event DateEvent TypeOASIS ID
1999 Field Survey
2010 Evaluation
2022 Field Observation

Excavations and Surveys

Date MDate YTypeDurationDirector / OrganisationAuspicesFundExtent
 2010 Excavation  Univ AberdeenUOAUOA 
 1999  G WarrenEU  

Artefact and Ecofact

Ecofact

Samples Samples of shells, sediment micromorphology samples and pollen samples were taken from Midden C in the 2010 excavations.
Palynology
Ecofact Notes

Monument Types

Monument Type 1Monument Type 2Monument Type 3OrderProbability
PITSFIRE C100
NET-SINKERS  D100
LITHICS  E100
SHELLSPERIWINKLE F100
SHELLS COCKLEG100
BONES ANIMALH100
NAILSIRON I100
MIDDENS SHELLA100
SHELLS MUSSELB100