Monument record MHG55810 - Early neolithic pits - Slackbuie Way, Inverness

A watching brief in 2010 by GUARD along the proposed line of the Inverness Flood Relief scheme south of Inverness at Slackbuie following previous evaluation and excavation phases produced evidence of prehistoric occupation. The work covered a linear route from Essich Road (NH 656 414) to Culduthel Road (NH 668 414) in the west and an area of land at Slackbuie in the east.

In Area B a total of 13 features were exposed and excavated spread across the area but with two loose clusterings. All the features were pits containing charcoal, burnt bone fragments, hazelnut shell fragments and in several, fragments of prehistoric pottery. <1>

Post-excavation work, including the obtaining of radiocarbon dates and environmental sample analysis has further refined the dating of the features found in Area B of the watching brief. One of the pits, 054, returned a radiocarbon date of 3960-3770 cal BC (early neolithic) from charcoal. Other pits, 028 and 039 returned dates of 3770-3630 cal BC and 3530-3360 cal BC respectively.The latter pit contained only hazel, willow and hazelnut fragments suggesting the presence of a possible wattle-work structure or object. Other pits were undated but contained similar fills and finds assemblages with charcoal derived from alder and hazel. <2>

<1> Kilpatrick, M C, 07/2010, Inverness Flood Relief Channel: Data Structure Report (Text/Report/Fieldwork Report). SHG25320.

<2> Kilpatrick, M.C., 2012, Relieving Floods, Revealing History: Early Prehistoric Activity at Knocknagael Farm in South-West Inverness (Text/Publication/Article). SHG23404.