SURVEY IN THE TRAPRAIN LAW ENVIRONS PROJECT AREA
Chapter 2
Survey in the Traprain Law Environs Project area
DAVID C COWLEY, DUNCAN HALE, FRASER HUNTER and KEVIN H J MACLEOD
INTRODUCTION
This chapter contains an overview of the survey
work lying behind the excavations undertaken in
the TLEP study area. The overview is primarily
based on the aerial survey and mapping of ploughlevelled sites recorded as cropmarks undertaken by
RCAHMS and the geophysical surveys carried out
by the TLEP, but consideration is also given to the
results of arable fieldwalking. The present study has
provided an opportunity to compare the information
on sites generated by the methods outlined above
in a region where often-complex geology has a
direct impact on the character of sites revealed as
cropmarks and through geophysics. The subsequent
excavation programme has provided further depth to
Figure 2.1
Aerial view looking north-east over the central part of the TLEP study area, with Traprain Law in the foreground
(DP026198, Crown copyright: RCAHMS)
11
TRAPRAIN LAW ENVIRONS
the comparison of results. The chapter begins with
general summaries of the character of the area, its
geology and land use, as they inform the interpretation
of the survey results.
THE TLEP STUDY AREA –
LANDSCAPE AND THE CHARACTER
OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD
The TLEP study area is an arbitrary block of ground,
roughly centred on Traprain Law, and defined by
the simple expedient of Ordnance Survey grid
lines. The greater part of the study area comprises a
gently-undulating coastal plain, rarely above 120m
OD, but in places broken by low hills, such as the
Garleton Hills and Traprain Law, which rise up to
about 200m in height (Figure 2.1). The ground
generally rises to the south and, at the south-east
corner, includes the Lothian Edge at some 350m OD.
The major river draining the area is the River Tyne,
which trends from west-south-west to east-northeast, and is predominantly fed by tributaries draining
the Lammermuirs to the south, which are typically
deeply incised (e.g. Tipping 2007). The other
significant catchment is that of the Whittingehame
Water in the south-east. Arable land use dominates
the area, although there are increasing proportions
of pasture as the ground rises to the foothills of the
Lammermuirs and unimproved moorland on the
hills themselves. There are intermittent blocks of
woodland scattered across the plain, mainly taking
the form of discrete shelter-belts, but including some
more extensive coniferous plantations. Built-up
areas are fairly discrete, with Haddington the only
significant urban area.
The pattern of land use has had a direct impact
on the character of the archaeological record. The
vast majority of recorded sites have been levelled
by the plough and are only known as cropmarks
on aerial photographs. The surviving earthwork
sites lie in small patches of unimproved ground,
for example, on the rocky outcrops of the Garleton
Hills or in shelter-belts and plantations. Artefact
recovery through arable fieldwalking has not
contributed much material to the record, but some
success in this area (see below) suggests that it is
an underused technique that would repay further
attention. The broader context of the TLEP in East
Lothian will be expanded on in Chapter 10 but, for the
purposes of the following discussion, it is noteworthy
that the study area is broadly representative of this
12
part of south-eastern Scotland, which is roughly
coterminous with the administrative area of East
Lothian.
THE GEOLOGY AND SOILS OF THE
TLEP STUDY AREA
The geology of the TLEP study area is complex and
merits description as it bears on the interpretation of
the geophysical survey results (below). Two faults cross
the south-eastern quarter of the study area, namely the
Dunbar-Gifford Fault and the Lammermuir Fault, both
aligned broadly north-east to south-west (Lelong and
MacGregor 2007, fig 1.4). The rock types all belong
to the Carboniferous era with the exception of the
Devono-Carboniferous Upper Old Red Sandstone,
which occurs exclusively between these two faults.
The Garleton Hills Volcanic Rocks lie within the
Calciferous Sandstone Measures, which between them
occupy most of the study area. Traprain Law itself is
a phonolite laccolith, a mass of igneous rock that rose
in a molten condition and pushed up the overlying
strata to form a dome (McAdam and Tulloch 1985).
Erosion has subsequently revealed the original form
of the laccolith by stripping away the soft sedimentary
cover.
The most recent glaciation, the Devensian,
deposited an extensive till (boulder clay) across much
of the study area, mantling most of the low-lying
areas north of the Lammermuir Fault in a deposit up
to 10m in thickness. In the areas of volcanic rock,
however, the till is thinner and less widespread.
During the late-glacial period raised beaches of sand
and gravel were deposited to the north and east of
East Linton. Subsequent Flandrian deposits include
river-terrace and floodplain alluvium, with limited
peat and lake deposits. The alluvial deposits consist
of interbedded gravels, sands, silts and clays, in
constantly varying proportions (McAdam and Tulloch
1985).
The soils of East Lothian are dominated by Brown
Forest and, to a lesser degree, Brown Calcareous Soils.
The Brown Forest Soils are generally imperfectly
drained, and have a tendency to gleying. Soil depth
varies considerably, and there are large areas, especially
in soils of the Kilmarnock and Winton Associations,
where the bedrock is near the surface. The areas of
well-drained soils are relatively discrete and include
the Brown Calcareous Soils of the Fraserburgh
Association on the coast around Gullane (Ragg and
Futty 1967). These latter are some of the better quality
SURVEY IN THE TRAPRAIN LAW ENVIRONS PROJECT AREA
agricultural land in present-day Scotland, which allied
to the relatively dry climate that the east coast enjoys,
has helped to make East Lothian a prolific county for
cropmark formation (Cowley 2007).
AERIAL SURVEY AND MAPPING IN THE
TLEP STUDY AREA
Prospective aerial survey has revolutionised the
distribution of known sites in the Scottish lowlands
(e.g. Maxwell 1983; Cowley and Brophy 2001) – as
it has done elsewhere in Britain and beyond. East
Lothian is no exception (Cowley 2007; Cowley and
Dickson 2007). It has benefited from being close to
the main base for aerial survey in Edinburgh, and
has been overflown by RCAHMS during almost all
summers since 1976, and intermittently by others back
to the 1920s. It continues to be flown and, apart from
the most dismal of summers, each year brings new
discoveries.
Figure 2.2
Map of the TLEP study area showing the distribution of plough-levelled monuments and earthworks against the extent of arable, pasture and
woodland (Crown copyright: RCAHMS, GV004467. Extent of arable, pasture and woodland derived from MLURI mapping, based on 1988
aerial photography)
13
TRAPRAIN LAW ENVIRONS
Figure 2.3
Rectified aerial photographs of representative rectilinear and curvilinear settlement enclosures and a fort
(rectified versions of EL4136, EL3632 and C52630 respectively, Crown copyright: RCAHMS, GV004468)
The ongoing aerial survey of the TLEP study area
has recorded some 190 cropmark sites of all periods. In
addition, as part of a contribution to the TLEP and an
ongoing programme to map all known plough-levelled
sites in Scotland, all the sites have been mapped. The
distribution (Figure 2.2) is one of dense clusters of
archaeological monuments recorded as cropmarks,
interspersed by both thinner scatters of sites and
complete blanks in the distribution. The dense clusters
of monuments tend to coincide with well-drained
soils, or with patches of thinner imperfectly drained
soils. More dispersed distributions occur on the thin
imperfectly drained soils, while blank areas on the
maps tend to be broadly coterminous with deep and
imperfectly drained soils, which also have a tendency
to be set to pasture (Cowley and Dickson 2007; Ragg
and Futty 1967).
An overall consideration of the record of ploughlevelled sites in East Lothian is presented in Chapter
10, exploring the basic morphology and distributions
of sites, but in general terms the 190 cropmark sites of
all periods recorded in the TLEP study area include a
figure of about 120 that may be characterised as later
prehistoric in date. Settlement enclosures predominate,
of which 32 are rectilinear in form, 68 are curvilinear,
14
10 incorporate a palisade in their circuit (though
two of these were revealed by excavation), 10 have
been placed with clear defensive intent (including
four earthwork sites of which Traprain Law is one),
while at least six can be characterised as ‘open’ or
unenclosed settlements (Figure 2.3). The character
of this distribution confirms how representative, in
general terms, the TLEP is of the wider East Lothian
plain (Chapter 10). It also underlines that aerial survey
remains the only effective means of discovering
plough-levelled sites in the area. Equally, those areas
that have remained stubbornly blank, of which the
area to the south-east of East Linton is a good example,
present a challenge to survey methodologies to explore
effectively all parts of the landscape (see below; Cowley
and Dickson 2007).
Aerial mapping
The mapping of plough-levelled sites in support of the
TLEP has been based predominantly on the collection
of oblique aerial photographs held in the archive of
RCAHMS. Reference has also been made to vertical
coverage, also held in RCAHMS, dating from the
period since 1946. In order to locate sites accurately to
SURVEY IN THE TRAPRAIN LAW ENVIRONS PROJECT AREA
the UK National Grid and to rectify the oblique view
to a true plan, the Aerial 5 software programme has
been used (Macleod 2006).
The mapping begins with the assessment of a suite
of aerial photographs, taken over a number of years, to
identify those images with the best representation of
the archaeological features. The identification of good
quality control-points visible on the aerial photographs
and represented on the Ordnance Survey (OS) map
is vital. Mapping is undertaken against a digital OS
map background, and makes use of the OS Profile
Digital terrain Model (5m interval), incorporating
the height value at each digitised point. The process
produces a geo-referenced rectified version of the
oblique aerial photograph, which is then used as
a basis for on-screen digitising of the archaeology
in 3D. All line work is coded with the reference of
the source photography and a simple classification
system containing both morphological attributes (e.g.
‘rectilinear’) and interpretation (e.g. ‘roundhouse’) that
allow efficient searching and retrieval. The rectified
and geo-referenced aerial photograph and the line
work can then be viewed together in a Geographical
Information System, presenting both interpretation
and source imagery. In addition, the 3D data can
be used to generate visualisations of sites where the
topography is otherwise flattened out in the aerial
photography (Figure 2.4).
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY
A sample of 30 sites was chosen for detailed geophysical
survey from roughly 120 plough-levelled later
prehistoric sites recorded and mapped in the TLEP
study area. The sample aimed to reflect both the broad
proportions in which the main types of enclosure
appear in the record and the overall distribution of
plough-levelled sites across the study area. The focus
on plough-levelled sites has inevitably informed the
distribution of the geophysical surveys (Figure 2.5),
Figure 2.4
3D visualisation of the plough-levelled fort at Hanging Craig (NT57NW 89) constructed digitally in ArcScene over the OS profile model surface
(Crown copyright: RCAHMS, GV004469)
15
TRAPRAIN LAW ENVIRONS
Figure 2.5
Map of the TLEP study area showing the distribution of sites chosen for geophysical survey, against the general distribution of arable, pasture and
woodland (Crown copyright: RCAHMS, GV004470. Extent of arable, pasture and woodland derived from MLURI mapping based on 1988 aerial
photography)
concentrating as they do into the predominantly arable
and cropmark-rich parts of the study area.
The specific aims of the geophysical survey
programme were to assess the nature, extent and
potential degree of preservation of the 30 sites,
comparing cropmark information with the geophysics
and using both data sources to inform further phases of
work, such as the excavation of selected sites. A further
16
question was to investigate whether geophysical survey
could identify small features, such as ring-ditches,
which did not appear as cropmarks. A subsidiary
objective was to establish whether the effectiveness
of the geophysical surveys differed significantly over
different rock types.
The sites selected for geophysical survey comprised
two multivallate ‘forts’, 12 rectilinear and 13 curvilinear
Table 2.1
Geophysical site surveys (Geological information from Davies et al. 1986; McAdam & Clarkson 1986; McAdam & Tulloch 1985). Site types: M = multivallate, R = rectilinear,
C = curvilinear, U = unenclosed, B = building. Numbers refer to Figure 2.5
NMRS
Site name
Site
type
Survey
area
(ha)
NGR
Geology
(GHVR: Garleton Hills
Volcanic Rocks)
NT57SW 31
Begbie
M
3.08
NT 5001 7079
Calciferous Sandstone Measures
2
NT57NE 17
East Linton
M
2.40
NT 5851 7655
Extrusive basalts and tuffs GHVR
3
NT67NW 19
Knowes
R
2.56
NT 6140 7755
Calciferous Sandstone Measures
4
NT57SW 46
Stevenson Mains
R
0.36
NT 5465 7385
Calciferous Sandstone Measures
5
NT57SE 16
East Bearford
R
1.16
NT 5545 7410
Extrusive trachyte GHVR
6
NT57NE 16
Overhailes
R
1.68
NT 5651 7597
Extrusive basalts and tuffs GHVR
Geophysics
results
Geophysics
unique
features?
Good
Yes
Good
Yes
Good
Yes
Poor
No
Good
Yes
Mixed
No
Poor
No
Poor
Possibly
Good
Possibly
17
7
NT57SE 37
Cairndinnis
R
0.96
NT 5689 7420
Extrusive trachyte GHVR
8
NT57SE 79
Standingstone
R
1.40
NT 5788 7402
Extrusive basalts and tuffs GHVR
9
NT57SE 36
West Mains
R
1.00
NT 5763 7194
Extrusive trachyte GHVR
10
NT57SW 95
West Bearford
R
0.72
NT 5449 7344
Calciferous Sandstone Measures
Mixed
No
11
NT57SE 41
Tanderlane
R
2.76
NT 5775 7091
Upper Old Red Sandstone
Mixed
No
12
NT57SE 39
Garvald
R
1.56
NT 5825 7063
Intrusive dolerite and basanite
Poor
No
13
NT57SW 77
Haddington
R
0.80
NT 5009 7358
Calciferous Sandstone Measures
Good
Yes
14
NT57SE 104
Nunraw Barns
R
0.48
NT 5888 7021
Upper Old Red Sandstone
Good
No
15
NT67NW 20
Hedderwick
C
1.36
NT 6309 7752
Calciferous Sandstone Measures
Good
Yes
16
NT57 NW 30
Sixpence Strip
C
1.44
NT 5030 7835
Extrusive trachyte GHVR
17
NT57NW 41
Foster Law
C
2.40
NT 5063 7854
Extrusive trachyte GHVR
18
NT57NW 35
Kilduff
C
1.20
NT 5236 7760
Extrusive trachyte GHVR
19
NT57NW 38
Newmains
C
1.00
NT 5157 7870
Extrusive trachyte GHVR
20
NT57SW 47
Stevenson Mains
C
0.48
NT 5459 7376
Calciferous Sandstone Measures
21
NT57SE 50
Northrig
C
0.96
NT 5526 7301
Calciferous Sandstone Measures
22
NT57SE 91
Coldale
C
0.88
NT 5571 7344
Extrusive trachyte GHVR
23
NT57SE 56
Coldale
C
0.76
NT 5617 7356
Extrusive trachyte GHVR
24
NT57SW 50
Mitchell Hall
C
0.48
NT 5309 7264
Calciferous Sandstone Measures
25
NT57SE 27
Chesters Quarry
C
0.80
NT 5712 7111
Intrusive dolerite and basanite
26
NT57SE 45
Standingstone
C
0.60
NT 5661 7322
Extrusive trachyte GHVR
27
NT67SW 15
Whittingehame Tower
C
0.84
NT 6003 7300
Upper Old Red Sandstone
28
NT67NW 18
Preston Mains
U
0.60
NT 6040 7840
Extrusive basalts and tuffs
29
NT67NW 16
Tyninghame
U
0.80
NT 6058 7991
Extrusive basalts and tuffs
30
NT57SE 103
Sled Hill
B
0.36
NT 5771 7006
Upper Old Red Sandstone
Good
No
Good
No
Very poor
No
Poor
Possibly
Good
Yes
Good
No
Poor
Possibly
Good
Possibly
Very poor
No
Good
No
Good
No
Poor
Yes
Mixed
Yes
Mixed
Possibly
Mixed
No
SURVEY IN THE TRAPRAIN LAW ENVIRONS PROJECT AREA
1
Igneous
TRAPRAIN LAW ENVIRONS
Figure 2.6
Selected sites with rectified aerial photographs of the cropmarks set beside the TLEP geomagnetic survey plots
(rectified versions of A29865, EL3032, A22255, B05135 and B24406 respectively, Crown copyright: RCAHMS, GV004471)
18
SURVEY IN THE TRAPRAIN LAW ENVIRONS PROJECT AREA
enclosures, as well as parts of two unenclosed settlements and a possible rectangular building (Table 2.1).
The proportion of rectilinear enclosures selected
was slightly higher than numbers alone merited, on
the grounds that hardly any have been excavated in
southern Scotland. With the exception of Sled Hill,
each of the surveys was undertaken with Scheduled
Monument Consent granted by the Scottish Ministers
under Section 42 of the Ancient Monuments and
Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The geophysical
surveys were undertaken by ASUD between August
and November 2000 and then, following the 2001
outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease, between October
2001 and January 2002.
Geophysical survey: fieldwork and data processing
In order to assess the suitability of a geomagnetic
survey technique in this complex and part-igneous
geological environment, small trial areas were initially
surveyed by fluxgate gradiometry. This demonstrated
that significant magnetic susceptibility contrasts could
be recorded over both the igneous and sedimentary
strata, and that some of the geomagnetic anomalies
almost certainly reflected archaeological features. This
technique was therefore employed at all of the 30
selected sites.
Each survey was undertaken on a 20m grid, which
was tied-in to known Ordnance Survey points using
a total station survey instrument and datalogger.
Measurements of geomagnetic field gradient were
determined using Geoscan FM36 fluxgate gradiometers
with automatic datalogging. A zig-zag traverse scheme
was employed. The instrument sensitivity was set to
0.1nT and measurements were logged at 0.5m intervals
along traverses spaced 1m apart, thus providing 800
sample measurements per 20m grid unit. Data were
downloaded into laptop computers on-site for initial
processing and interpretation.
The geophysical data presented as greyscale images
have basic data processing functions applied. Geoplot
and InSite software was used where necessary to
correct for spikes, striping, shear and instrument drift.
Data have been interpolated to 0.25m intervals. In
each greyscale image, positive magnetic anomalies are
shown as dark grey and negative magnetic anomalies
as light grey; palette bars relate the greyscale shades to
values in nanoTesla. A number of interim reports have
been published (Hale et al. 2001; 2003; 2006) and Data
Structure Reports are lodged with Historic Scotland
(ASUD 2001; 2002).
Geophysical survey: results
Despite the complex and often igneous geology –
situations where a geomagnetic technique might not
traditionally have been used – good overall results have
been obtained adding value to existing knowledge
derived from cropmarks (Figure 2.6). Indeed, several
of the surveys indicated the presence of previously
unrecorded features, both internal and external to
enclosures, such as probable roundhouses, palisades
and annexes, and in some cases it has been possible
to distinguish more than one phase of occupation. In
only seven of the 30 cases were the features recorded
as cropmarks not readily identified in the geophysics.
This appears to be due to a range of factors, with
the underlying igneous geology apparently to blame
in only a single case. The current plough regime is
typically apparent on the geophysical surveys as a uniaxial ‘texture’.
The basic results of the geophysical survey are
presented (Table 2.1) with a subjective assessment of
the quality or significance of the results, mainly in
terms of a value judgement of the information return.
A similar subjective assessment of the information
return from the aerial photography is also presented,
alongside the background geology.
In the majority of cases (23 out of 30), the geophysical
surveys replicated the expression of the features
recorded as cropmarks on aerial photography, often
with very clear results. This alone is a valuable outcome
in providing a group of sites where the differing forms
of registration – cropmarking and geophysics – can
be compared. A second encouraging result is that at a
number of locations, the geophysics produced evidence
of probable internal and/or external features, which
were not immediately visible on the aerial photography.
These included the three sites subsequently selected
for large-scale excavation at Whittingehame,
Standingstone and Knowes (Chapters 3–5) and two
selected for smaller scale evaluations (Chapter 6). At all
these sites, the excavations subsequently confirmed the
presence of many of these additional features. Finally,
it is notable that many of the useful geophysical surveys
were carried out over igneous bedrock, giving good
results in less than auspicious conditions, a factor that
should encourage the more widespread application of
such surveys in Scotland.
In the seven surveys where the cropmarked features
were not readily identified, a number of factors appear
to be responsible. In only one instance (Kilduff )
does the underlying igneous geology appear to be
the main factor in the lack of resolution of features.
19
TRAPRAIN LAW ENVIRONS
Further commentary of the geophysical results on the
unexcavated sites is found in Appendix 1.
Geophysical survey: questions and issues
A number of questions have inevitably arisen from
the geophysical survey results, largely concerning the
effect of the underlying geology. Marked variations
are evident where surveys have been conducted over
the same general rock type. Over igneous trachyte, the
East Bearford and Foster Law surveys provided much
more archaeological information than the Kilduff
survey, although the explanation for this is not clear.
Similarly, while the surveys at Standingstone and
Overhailes provided useful plans of the enclosures, the
nature of some of the anomalies is not fully understood.
There are of course a number of other factors besides
solid geology that will determine the effectiveness
of one technique over another at any given location.
These include the depth to rock head, the nature of
overlying soft sedimentary cover, the composition of
boulder clay, the nature and depth of likely targets,
ground conditions and the proximity of buildings,
fences or services.
MAKING SURVEY COUNT –
INTEGRATING METHODOLOGIES
Few archaeological distributions can be taken to
reflect past activity in any meaningful manner, more
often being the product of variation in land use, bias
in survey methodology, variation in survival and the
influence of soil types, amongst many other factors. The
broad pattern of sites in the TLEP study area illustrates
how effective a prospective survey methodology
aerial survey is, but even here there are stubbornly
blank areas, generally on poorly drained soils, that are
unresponsive. Indeed, the large number of previously
unknown sites discovered during the works in advance
of the A1 road upgrade (Lelong and MacGregor 2007)
are another indication of the limitations of traditional
aerial survey, relying as it does on the formation of
cropmarks over buried features. These are a clear
challenge to develop approaches to explore the wider
landscape more effectively, drawing on other forms of
remote sensing.
Such problems in defining the wider landscape are
emphasised by other East Lothian discoveries. There
is, for instance, a series of cave sites with Iron Age
activity (Chapter 7), which need to be incorporated
into the settlement pattern. While these could at
20
least be prospected for, other components are more
problematic. East Lothian is a high-spot of Iron Age
burials, but this is entirely due to accidental discoveries
and the character of the known distribution is difficult
to assess. There is more hope in prospecting for other
types of site via an often-undervalued avenue – the
finds. A number of East Lothian excavations have
been stimulated by casual finds, such as the midden at
Muirfield (Younger 1936) and the settlement at New
Mains (Stevenson 1966; Clarke 1969; 1970), while
antiquarian casual finds from a midden at Pincod,
Dunbar can also be identified as Iron Age (PSAS
1910, 102). These examples are unlikely to have been
discovered from the air, and may represent further
facets of the unenclosed settlement pattern of the Iron
Age, complementing that emerging from the analysis
of the aerial photographic record (Chapter 10).
Developing an approach from a response to
serendipitous discoveries into a prospecting tool is
rather more problematic. Yet fieldwalking should
not be dismissed as futile for later prehistory. Recent
experience on Traprain, where a wealth of material
was gathered after a fire, is perhaps exceptional, but
the unpublished New Mains collection includes a
significant quantity of Iron Age finds (mostly pottery
and stone tools) recovered by fieldwalking. Stray finds
of querns in particular are likely to be revealing, as
these are unlikely to have moved far from their original
settlement, yet they are rarely if ever incorporated in
considerations of Iron Age settlement distributions
north of the border, despite the rich insights that
comparable exercises have produced in north-east
England (Hayes et al. 1980; Heslop 2008).
Recent work at Gilmerton House, Athelstaneford
(Appendix 2), while less finds-rich than New Mains,
has shown that fieldwalking can produce useful results
– especially in combination with metal-detecting.
This latter method is the great under-used tool for
later prehistoric sites, especially those with a Late Iron
Age phase when non-ferrous ornamental material
becomes more common. At Gilmerton House, the
metal-detected discovery of four Roman brooches
on a known cropmark site marks it as unusual. At
Aberlady the thin scatter of Roman Iron Age material
in an Early Historic and medieval metal-detected
assemblage shows that there is an earlier phase to this
important ‘productive site’.
Fieldwalking can undoubtedly be soul-destroying;
several days of walking and trial-trenching in the
field immediately south of Traprain produced only a
single, early prehistoric find (M Cook, pers. comm.),
SURVEY IN THE TRAPRAIN LAW ENVIRONS PROJECT AREA
and no finds were made in the course of the TLEP
geophysical surveys. However, when tied in with metal
detecting it becomes a valuable prospecting strategy
for unknown sites and for investigation of known ones
(as Gilmerton House suggests). Yet for this, detecting
and fieldwalking must be sustained and intensive, not a
once-over scan; it is clear that persistence over a period
of time is necessary to extract the best results. So,
while perhaps less widely-recognised than other survey
techniques in Scotland, this brief review does suggest
that strategies targeted to artefacts have more to offer
studies of later prehistory than current practice allows.
In developing future practice, however, the emphasis
on the recovery of artefacts from the ploughsoil must
be maintained, a process that does not further disturb
stratified contexts.
The same is true of geophysical survey. At present
geophysical survey in Scotland has not been trialled as
a tool to prospect the landscape at a regional level, but
the good results obtained from the TLEP study area
should encourage its use and highlight its potential
value in exploring areas where cropmark formation
is rare. The widespread application of geophysical
survey in Scotland still suffers from a perception
that it is not effective ( Jones and Sharpe 2006), but
these results weaken that position. The interpretation
of both cropmark evidence and geophysical surveys
has benefited from a symbiosis between the results,
each feeding off the other, and in the cases of the
excavated sites benefiting from corroboration through
excavation. Overall, the approach of the TLEP in
drawing on the coarse grain, but extensive, relatively
inexpensive and non-destructive survey data in tandem
with the detailed, but expensive and destructive, view
from selected excavations provides a solid model for
exploring relatively unknown landscapes.
21