DOI Artikel:
Carter, Stephen: Radiocarbon dating evidence for the age of narrow cultivation ridges in Scotland
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49004#0095
RADIOCARBON DATING EVIDENCE FOR
THE AGE OF NARROW CULTIVATION
RIDGES IN SCOTLAND
By
Stephen P. Carter
Areas of narrow cultivation ridges have been
reported in Britain by archaeologists since at
least the 1970s (Gillam et al 1973) and the
term cord (=corduroy) rig has now been ap-
plied to systems with a furrow to furrow in-
terval of roughly 1.0 to 1.5 m (Topping 1989).
Survey work during the 1980s by the Royal
Commissions on Ancient and Historical
Monuments of England (RCAHME) and
Scotland (RCAHMS), on both sides of the
Anglo-Scottish border, identified a great
many areas of narrow ridging. These survived
as surface features only on hills above the
limit of post-medieval cultivation. When
Topping (1989) reviewed the current state of
knowledge he was able to list nearly 150 sites.
These were distributed from Hadrian’s Wall
in southern Northumberland northwards to
Midlothian as well as the ridges under the
Early Bronze Age mound at North Mains,
Perthshire (Barclay 1983, 1989). The available
dating evidence allowed Topping to suggest
that “ cord rig appears to have ended as an
arable system on or before the development
of the Hadrianic frontier ... Little evidence
exists to suggest the technique continued into
the Roman Period, although the poor chro-
nology of most native settlement types
should be taken into account” (Topping 1989,
171). This conclusion reflected the reliance for
dating evidence on Roman sites that cover
cord rig in Northumberland (Gillam et al
1973; Welfare 1985).
Since 1989, more sites have been discov-
ered, or published, that extend the known
distribution of narrow ridges both in time
and space. In England, recent excavations
along the line of the A66 road on Stainmoor
revealed a small area of parallel furrows,
spaced at 0.7 to 1.0 m intervals beneath a
post-medieval earthwork (Robinson 1990;
and unpublished data). A similar discovery
was made in Scotland at Holl Burn, Fife.
Here the furrows were 1.3 to 1.4 m apart and
underlay elements of a post-medieval broad
rig field system (Yeoman 1992; and unpub-
lished data). Excavations at three sites in Ar-
ran revealed narrow ridges under shallow
blanket peat, including a substantial area of
well-preserved ridges at Machrie North (Bar-
ber 1982). Field survey by RCAHMS in
north-east Perthshire has located five small
patches of narrow ridges (RCAHMS 1990, 5).
It is noteworthy that three of these patches, at
Pitcarmick, were only noticed because a fire
had recently removed the covering vegetation
and a shallow layer of peat (RCAHMS 1990,
73). Excavations at Callanish in Lewis re-
vealed narrow ridging that is dated to roughly
5000 BP (Ashmore pers.comm.)- it is antici-
pated that radiocarbon dating at this site will
provide a more precise date. A large area of
narrow ridges was discovered during excava-
tions at the Allt na Fearna Mor near Lairg,
under shallow blanket peat (McCullagh 1995)
Further small areas were identified at Gruids,
THE AGE OF NARROW CULTIVATION
RIDGES IN SCOTLAND
By
Stephen P. Carter
Areas of narrow cultivation ridges have been
reported in Britain by archaeologists since at
least the 1970s (Gillam et al 1973) and the
term cord (=corduroy) rig has now been ap-
plied to systems with a furrow to furrow in-
terval of roughly 1.0 to 1.5 m (Topping 1989).
Survey work during the 1980s by the Royal
Commissions on Ancient and Historical
Monuments of England (RCAHME) and
Scotland (RCAHMS), on both sides of the
Anglo-Scottish border, identified a great
many areas of narrow ridging. These survived
as surface features only on hills above the
limit of post-medieval cultivation. When
Topping (1989) reviewed the current state of
knowledge he was able to list nearly 150 sites.
These were distributed from Hadrian’s Wall
in southern Northumberland northwards to
Midlothian as well as the ridges under the
Early Bronze Age mound at North Mains,
Perthshire (Barclay 1983, 1989). The available
dating evidence allowed Topping to suggest
that “ cord rig appears to have ended as an
arable system on or before the development
of the Hadrianic frontier ... Little evidence
exists to suggest the technique continued into
the Roman Period, although the poor chro-
nology of most native settlement types
should be taken into account” (Topping 1989,
171). This conclusion reflected the reliance for
dating evidence on Roman sites that cover
cord rig in Northumberland (Gillam et al
1973; Welfare 1985).
Since 1989, more sites have been discov-
ered, or published, that extend the known
distribution of narrow ridges both in time
and space. In England, recent excavations
along the line of the A66 road on Stainmoor
revealed a small area of parallel furrows,
spaced at 0.7 to 1.0 m intervals beneath a
post-medieval earthwork (Robinson 1990;
and unpublished data). A similar discovery
was made in Scotland at Holl Burn, Fife.
Here the furrows were 1.3 to 1.4 m apart and
underlay elements of a post-medieval broad
rig field system (Yeoman 1992; and unpub-
lished data). Excavations at three sites in Ar-
ran revealed narrow ridges under shallow
blanket peat, including a substantial area of
well-preserved ridges at Machrie North (Bar-
ber 1982). Field survey by RCAHMS in
north-east Perthshire has located five small
patches of narrow ridges (RCAHMS 1990, 5).
It is noteworthy that three of these patches, at
Pitcarmick, were only noticed because a fire
had recently removed the covering vegetation
and a shallow layer of peat (RCAHMS 1990,
73). Excavations at Callanish in Lewis re-
vealed narrow ridging that is dated to roughly
5000 BP (Ashmore pers.comm.)- it is antici-
pated that radiocarbon dating at this site will
provide a more precise date. A large area of
narrow ridges was discovered during excava-
tions at the Allt na Fearna Mor near Lairg,
under shallow blanket peat (McCullagh 1995)
Further small areas were identified at Gruids,