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Croft Moraig and the Chronology of Stone Circles

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 February 2014

Richard Bradley  and
Alison Sheridan
Richard Bradley
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of Reading, PO Box 218, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 2AB
Alison Sheridan
Affiliation:
National Museums of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF
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Abstract

The Perthshire stone circle of Croft Moraig was excavated 40 years ago and is usually taken to illustrate the classic sequence at such monuments in Britain. A timber setting, accompanied by a shallow ditch, was replaced by two successive stone settings. The pottery associated with the earliest construction was dated to the Neolithic period. A new analysis of the excavated material suggests that, in fact, most of the ceramics are Middle or Late Bronze Age. They provide a terminus post quern for at least one of the stone settings on the site. Further study of the evidence suggests an alternative sequence of construction at Croft Moraig, involving a change in the axis of the monument. It seems possible that other stone and timber circles were equally late in date and that their period of use in Britain and Ireland may have been longer than is generally supposed.

Résumé

Le cercle de pierres de Croft Moraig, dans le Perthshire, fut fouillé il y a 40 ans et on le considère, en général, comme un exemple de la séquence classique de ces types de monuments en Grande-Bretagne. Une assise en bois, accompagnée d'un fossé peu profond, fut remplacée par deux assises successives en pierres. La poterie associée à la construction la plus ancienne a été datée de la période néolithique. Une nouvelle analyse des matériaux mis au jour indique qu'en fait ces céramiques datent de l'âge du bronze moyen ou final. Elles fournissent un terminus post quem pour au moins une des assises en pierres du site. Un examen plus approfondi des témoignages indique une alternative à la séquence de construction de Croft Moraig qui implique un changement dans l'axe du monument. Il semble possible que d'autres cercles de pierres ou de bois aient également été d'une date plus tardive et que leur période d'utilisation en Grande-Bretagne et en Irlande ait pu durer plus longtemps qu'on ne le supposait en général

Zusammenfassung

Der Perthshire Steinkreis von Croft Moraig wurde vor 40 Jahren ausgegraben und wird gewöhnlich zur Illustration der klassischen Abfolge dieser Monumente in Großbritannien herangezogen. Ein Holzkreis mit flachem Graben wurde mit zwei aufeinander folgenden Steinkreisen ersetzt. Die zur frühesten Konstruktion gehörende Keramik wurde ins Neolithikum datiert. Eine neue Analyse des ausgegrabenen Materials deutet aber an, dass die Keramik in die mittlere oder späte Bronzezeit datiert. Sie liefert damit einen terminus post quem für mindestens einen der Steinkreise dieser Fundstelle. Weiterführende Untersuchungen der Befunde legen eine alternative Abfolge der Konstruktion in Croft Moraig nahe, die eine Veränderung der Achse des Monuments zur Folge hat. Es ist durchaus möglich, dass die anderen Stein- und Holzkreise ähnlich spät datieren und ihre Nutzungsdauer in Großbritannien und Irland länger als bisher angenommen gewesen ist.

Résumen

El Círculo de Piedra de Croft Moraig en Perthshire fue excavado hace 40 años y suele ser empleado para ilustrar la secuencia clásica de este tipo de monumentos en Gran Bretaña. Una estructura de madera acompañada de un foso poco profundo, fue remplazada por dos estructuras sucesivas en piedra. La cerámica asociada con la primera construcción fue datada como correspondiente al periodo neolítico. Un nuevo análisis del material excavado sugiere que, de hecho, las cerámicas datan de la Edad del Bronce Medio o Tardío. Ello proporciona un terminus post quem para al menos una de las estructuras en piedra del yacimiento. Posteriores estudios de la evidencia indican una secuencia alternativa para la construcción de Croft Moraig, que incluyen un cambio del eje del monumento. Parece posible que otros círculos de piedra y de madera puedan datar de una fecha igualmente tardía y que su periodo de uso en Gran Bretaña e Irlanda pueda haber sido más largo de lo que es generalmente aceptado.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society , Volume 71 , 2005 , pp. 269 - 281
Copyright
Copyright © The Prehistoric Society 2005

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