Monument record MHG8488 - Enclosure - Tarbat Old Parish Church, Portmahomack

NH98SW 25 915 840.
Large irregular enclosure centred on harbour and extending beyond parish kirk, noted during aerial reconnaissance in 1984. <1>

In June 1991 a small excavation was undertaken by J Harden to investigate the nature of the enclosure ditch and date its fills. The probable location of the ditch was estimated and a narrow (0.7m wide) trench then dug by hand to confirm this. Having located the edges of the ditch, an area 4m by 10m was laid out and the modern ploughsoil (0.8m deep) was removed manually. A long section 1.5m by 8.75m was excavated across the ditch. However, at a depth of 1.7m, the water table was reached. A pump was then used to remove the water from a small test pit. This enabled the recording of the depth of the ditch and the taking of samples of the organic rich layers at the bottom of the feature. The ditch must have been an important feature in the landscape for a considerable period. It had been recut on at least five occasions. The section across the ditch produced no artefacts, but the ploughsoil above contained post-medieval potsherds and other fragments. It was therefore presumed that the feature was pre-17th century. Organic-rich samples taken from the primary layers of the recuts provided enough material for C14 dates, received in November 1992, which gave a 95% certainty that the dates fell within 140-410 AD, 250-531 AD and 350-590 AD. The dates suggested that an enclosure had been created in the early Pictish period. The excavation produced no specific evidence to suggest that this linear feature could not be the bounds of an early Christian settlement centred around Tarbat Old Church (see MHG8475). <2> <3>

NH 9145 8391. Further details evident of the cropmark of the rectilinear ditched enclosure around Tarbat Old Parish Church.
Sponsors: RCAHMS, Highland Council, anon.
J Harden and J Bone, 1996i

Cropmark lies some way to the S of the current churchyard boundary. Visible on the S side and more intangibly in the E. Excavations show that there are two boundary ditches on the S side and an C8 building associated with metalworking lies between them. Suggestion therefore that this boundary ditch defines the precinct of the early Pictish religious centre - HAW 8/2004

<1> Jones, G D B and Keillor, I, 1984, Portmahomack (Tarbat p) enclosure, p.15 (Text/Publication/Article). SHG1363.

<2> Harden, J, 1991, 'Portmahomack, Ross & Cromarty (Tarbat parish)', Discovery and Excavation in Scotland 1991, p.43 (Text/Publication/Article). SHG1364.

<3> Carver, M. (ed.), 1996, Tarbat Discovery Programme Bulletin No. 1 1995, pp.17-19 & Fig 9 (Text/Report/Fieldwork Report). SHG25687.

<4> Harden, J. and Bone, J., 1996, 'Portmahomack (Tarbat parish), cropmark', Discovery and Excavation, Scotland 1996, p.56 (Text/Publication/Article). SHG1361.