Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Rail Link

A watching brief conducted in advance of a transport infrastructure development at Alloa in September and October 2005 revealed significant archaeological remains and led to an excavation. The work was conducted on an area of land formerly occupied by a designed landscape.

The excavation revealed 133 separate features, mostly pits, some of which formed possible structures. These were: two squareform structures each defined by four pits; a rectangular structure formed by six pits; part of a curvilinear segmented ditch; a curvilinear post-setting; a possible urned cremation; a modern ditch possibly associated with a former designed landscape.

Most features appeared to be of prehistoric origin, although it is not certain whether they are contemporary. The depth and profile of many of the pits suggest they may be post-holes, indicating that there was a significant structural element to the site. Many features contained significant quantities of Bronze Age pottery, flint, burnt bone and charcoal. Several large pits located close to the possible cremation contained evidence of burning and burnt bone, although there was no clear evidence of funerary activity in them.

Stuart Mitchell