21st Century
A 2007 watching brief was conducted at the same time of the building of a new path near the entrance of the fort, funded by Forestry Commission Scotland, with Dan Atkinson credited as the archaeologist. [1]
Near the forts’s entrance, a stone block was found, likely related to an earlier post-medieval or modern path. Just inside the entrance, two stone blocks were exposed crossing the path tray (the shallow trench created for a new path). Below them was a compact spread of cobbles. They excavated a small sondage below the cobbles, finding a gravelly-silt deposit directly on bedrock. [1]
This deposit was interpreted as the floor or surface of a building, which may correspond to roundhouses suggested by 19th-century investigations. Multiple fragments of oak charcoal were recovered from the deposit, and were radiocarbon-dated to AD 340-540 and AD 640-780. North of the sondage was a loose concentration of heat-affected stones (but not vitrified) interpreted as collapsed rubble. [1]
In June 2019, the Northern Picts project based in the University of Aberdeen began excavations in the fort. They created 7 trenches in multiple places around the fort. [1] [2]
Trench 1, positioned on the outer rampart, revealed a building platform raised about 1.5 meters above the original rampart base. [2] The base was constructed from large granite slabs resting on mounds of rubble. A midden deposit was also found, containing cattle, sheep and fish bones, [4] suggesting domestic activity. [1]
Trench 2 investigated the well recorded by Maclagan. Excavation uncovered a rectangular, stone-lined structure with steps [4] keyed into the rampart’s stonework, indicating it was integrated into the fort’s design. A clay lining was also found, possibly part of the original waterproofing. [1] [2]
Trench 3 was opened on the south-east side, over what had previously been interpreted as part of the outer bank. During excavation, the team noted that the stonework may not have belonged to a defensive bank. Instead, it may form part of a sub-rectangular building, placed just inside the outer citadel. However, the authors of the published summary noted that larger trenches would be needed to confirm whether the stonework is indeed part of a building rather than an incomplete defensive wall. [1]
Fragments of iron, an intact crucible, and slag were recovered, indicating metalworking activity. [2] Alongside handmade pottery sherds, these finds suggest domestic or industrial use within the fort rather than solely defensive functions. [1]
Trench 4 was positioned in the upper citadel. The team recovered animal bone fragments, teeth, charcoal, and artefacts, including a gaming piece recovered from clayey-silt layers, suggesting domestic or leisure use. [1]
Trench 5 was positioned on the southern side of the central tor. Immediately beneath the soil was a silty-sand layer containing modern glass, large pieces of charcoal, and a small fragment of corroded metal, suggesting a recent disturbance. Directly over bedrock, there were also concentrated pockets of heat-affected soil, indicating that fires were used repeatedly in this part of the fort. [1]
Trench 6 was positioned on the northern side of the inner citadel. Beneath the thin overburden was a clayey-silt occupation deposit containing moderate charcoal and stones, within which they noted a number of flat stones forming a level surface. The flat stones may represent a constructed surface or pathway, though their date and function remain uncertain. [1]
Trench 7 was positioned outside the fort on the northern side; its aim was to investigate a line of boulders and large stones. Immediately adjacent to the boulders, archaeologists recorded a deep peaty topsoil overlying a clayey-sand layer that contained frequent charcoal. [1]
