Discovery of Cremated Iron Age Remains
The cremated remains of an Iron Age man have been uncovered during an archaeological excavation in Dumfries and Galloway.
Burnt bone fragments were found during an initial dig at the Adie's Brae settlement at Ericstane, near Moffat, in 2024.
Specialist analysis determined that the fragments belonged to a single individual, identified as a male over the age of 17.
While human remains have been found in Iron Age domestic contexts elsewhere in Scotland, this discovery is considered "very rare" due to its potential to enhance understanding of funerary rituals and pyre technology from that period.
The excavation, conducted in October 2024, was part of a community archaeology programme called Uncovering The Tweed, which explores significant sites along the River Tweed.
Radiocarbon dating performed by the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre laboratory indicates the individual was cremated between the latter half of the 1st century BC and the end of the 1st century AD.
Archaeologists suggest that the primary funeral pyre was situated separately from the small deposit of remains found within the building.
The AOC Archaeology Group led the project, surveying sites from Moffat to Berwick.
Details of the Excavation and Findings
The project manager for AOC Archaeology Group, Kathy McIvor, explained the nature of the site:
"The excavation has uncovered remains of a scooped settlement, which is a rural farm sort of settlement. Within that there's a couple of stances for houses or buildings, round houses.
We've confirmed that there's also some cremated human remains placed after cremation into one of the buildings or as a foundation deposit for one of the buildings, and these remains were all dating to the Iron Age."
Scooped settlements are unique to south-east and central southern Scotland and generally date to the Middle Iron Age, approximately 200 BC to 200 AD.
Evidence at the site included two roundhouses, pits, and postholes, alongside indications of everyday domestic and farming activities.
Analysis of animal bones revealed the presence of cattle and sheep or goats, suggesting a mixed livestock farming practice.
The excavation was supported by volunteers participating through the Destination Tweed programme.
Community Involvement and Future Excavations
Charlotte Douglas, project officer, expressed enthusiasm for volunteer involvement and encouraged more people to join future digs.
"Through Uncovering the Tweed, we're both revealing fascinating insights into how people lived and commemorated their dead thousands of years ago, and also giving local communities the chance to play a direct role in these discoveries.
It's a wonderful way to connect people with the heritage on their doorstep and to help tell the story of the people who have lived in these landscapes across the centuries."
The scooped settlement at Ericstane near Moffat exemplifies the type of sites studied in this region.
