Site Event/Activity record EHG4448 - Trial trenching - Seafield West, Inverness

Trial trenching was carried out in fields at Seafield West (Stoneyfield) by the Centre for Field Archaeology in 1996 in advance of the construction of a proposed business and retail park. A total of 1940m² was excavated, which took the form of nine trenches. Trenches 1, 8 and 9 were initially positioned to intersect features recorded as cropmarks, whereas trenches 2-7 were positioned to locate potential archaeological features identified during an earlier geophysical survey carried out by GUARD in 1993 (see EHG4445). A substantial circular ditch was identified in Trench 1 which fixed the absloute position of a large circular cropmark. Additional features around it were also identified, including potential cist burials and cremation pits. A substantial ring ditch was also identified in Trench 8, again fixing the position of the cropmark feature. A substantial charcoal-rich layer was recorded within its interior which suggested protracted human occupation. A copper alloy fibula or bow brooch was recovered from the fill of the ring-ditch. No features were exposed in trenches 2-7. <1> An additional trench, not mentioned in the text of the evaluation report <1> but shown on the plan of the evaluation area was apparently excavated along the crest of the ridge aligned approximately east-west from the west end of trench 1. It was 200m in length. This was opened to locate the presence of a suspected pit-alignment and enclosure recorded in the NMR. In the event, no archaeological features were encountered. This is reported on in a draft of a subsequent full excavation report (the features of trench 1 were subsequently subject to full excavation, referred to as Area 1 - see EHG865) intended for publication. <2> However, these details were omitted from the final published report. <3> The findings of trenches 8 and 9 and their subsequent full excavation (referred to as Area 2 - see EHG247) were published separately. <4>