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We first brought you news of the discovery of two Neolithic halls at Carnoustie, Angus, back in 2019 when the first radiocarbon dates had come through, confirming their prehistoric date (see CA 350). Now the post-excavation analysis has concluded, revealing new details about how these buildings were built and continued to be used by generations of first farmers.
The site was excavated by GUARD Archaeology between 2016 and 2017, revealing a rich landscape of features that spanned the Neolithic through to the medieval period. The star finds, however, were two early Neolithic timber halls, with the bigger example representing the largest timber hall of its period yet discovered in Scotland (below). It measured 35m (115ft) long by 9m (30ft) wide and had been built from oak. There would have been opposed doorways near one end of the building, with walls made of wattle-and-daub panels and a large roof supported by paired timber posts. There was also evidence of partitions separating the internal space. Many stone artefacts were deposited within post-holes and pits, indicating that this hall might have had a ceremonial function.
The discovery of another hall alongside the first was surprising, as most other timber halls from this period in Scotland appear to have been solitary structures in the landscape. The second structure appears to be largely contemporary in date and, while it was smaller, it was still substantial, measuring 20m (66ft) long and over 8m (26ft) wide. Inside, GUARD archaeologists found a large hearth along with charred cereal grains and hazelnut shells, suggesting that this building had a more domestic function than the larger hall.
Commenting on the significance of this site, Beverley Ballin Smith, one of the co-authors of the recently published site report (http://www.archaeologyreportsonline.com/reports/2025/ARO60.html), said: ‘The Carnoustie halls, elevated and prominent in the landscape, were probably close to route ways where people may have congregated naturally at various seasons of the year… The halls may have been a focal point, their significance great enough to attract people from a much wider area. We know from the materials found in the buildings that some artefacts came from distant places and represent deliberate deposition, such as fragments of Arran pitchstone, an axe of garnet-albite-schist, and a piece of smoky quartz from the Highlands, while other materials were found more locally, such as agate, quartz, and chalcedony.’
After 200 years of use, the halls were eventually dismantled, and a smaller hall was built within the footprint of the larger one sometime around 3800-3700 BC. The practice of depositing stone artefacts persisted in the new hall until at least 3600 BC, and even after deposition stopped, there is evidence that this site continued to be used for seasonal camping and/or gathering for at least another thousand years. This is a testament to how long a place can remain in the collective memory, with people still recognising its importance long after the generation who built it are forgotten.
Text: Kathryn Krakowka / Photo: GUARD Archaeology Ltd
