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Excavations in
Cronberry
Cronberry is a small hamlet situated north-east of Cumnock and one mile north-east of Lugar, in East Ayrshire, Scotland.
History
Cronberry has a Women's Rural Institute which meets in the old school.
Diane and Holly Fallon were murdered at Cr ...
,
East Ayrshire
East Ayrshire ( sco, Aest Ayrshire; gd, Siorrachd Àir an Ear) is one of thirty-two council areas of Scotland. It shares borders with Dumfries and Galloway, East Renfrewshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire. The headquart ...
, Scotland by
Headland Archaeology
Headland Archaeology Ltd is a wholely owned subsidiary of the RSK Group. Headland provides archaeological services and heritage advice to the construction industry.
Company history
Headland Archaeology Ltd was established in 1996. Headquartered ...
revealed a medieval turf building and a nearby enclosure of unknown date. The turf structure was sub-rectangular and contained a hearth surrounded by some paving. Pottery dating to no later than the 16th century was recovered from the interior. The enclosure was also constructed of turf.
The full plan of the turf building was exposed during excavation. Due to the construction materials and nature of the building it had been greatly affected by soil processes from the time it went out of use to the present. The walls appeared to have been made from a mixture of turf and soil of local origin. Preservation was found to vary with the south end showing the best. Extensive slumping had occurred, and this combined with subsequent decay, made excavation difficult. The presence of charcoal and charred cereal grains within the walls suggested that material from earlier occupation may have been incorporated and the remains may have represented more than one structural phase.
On the interior of the building the level of the floor was indicated by the hearth and some slabs. Elsewhere, the floor was likely to have been of beaten earth, which is no longer recognisable due to the mixing of soil. There was no evidence for internal partitions within the building
See also
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Vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture is building done outside any academic tradition, and without professional guidance. This category encompasses a wide range and variety of building types, with differing methods of construction, from around the world, bo ...
*
Earth shelter
An earth shelter, also called an earth house, earth bermed house, or underground house, is a structure (usually a house) with earth (soil) against the walls, on the roof, or that is entirely buried underground.
Earth acts as thermal mass, makin ...
*
Cob (material)
Cob, cobb, or clom (in Wales) is a natural building material made from subsoil, water, fibrous organic material (typically straw), and sometimes Lime (material), lime. The contents of subsoil vary, and if it does not contain the right mixture, it ...
References
* Baker, L. (2000) 'Gasswater Open cast Coal Scheme, Cronberry', ''Discovery and Excavation in Scotland'', p. 23.
Archaeological sites in East Ayrshire