stirling-1963-vol-1/05_098

Transcription

No. 19 -- CAIRNS, CISTS, ETC. -- No.27
19. Cairn, Sauchie (Site). Nothing now remains of the
cairn that once existed "on the lands of Sauchie", about
3 miles SSW. of Stirling. ¹ It was examined in the early
19th century and is said to have measured more than
20 ft. in height and 90 ft. in diameter, to have been made
of stones, and to have contained two cists, one somewhat
larger than the other. It is possible that Wilson ² is
referring to this cairn when he mentions a quantity of
"silver coins recently found in a cist exposed on the
demolition of a cairn on the lands of Sauchie". The
coins were very thin, and were described as having been
"struck through from the back", with "figures" on one
side only. Some of them had loops for suspension, and
there can be little doubt that they were silver bracteates.
All have been dispersed and lost.

NS 78 NE (unnoted)

20. Cist, Denny Bridge (Site). In the vicinity of Denny
and Dunipace the valley of the River Carron contains
numerous natural mounds which vary very greatly in
size (cf. No. 575). One of these, which stood near the
highway bridge-site (No. 479) and was removed in
1839 ³ to provide material for road-making, rose to a
height of 40 ft. and covered an area of nearly three-
quarters of an acre. At a depth of 3 ft. below the top a
cist was discovered, containing a skeleton and an urn.

c. 808830 -- NS 88 SW (unnoted)

21. Cist, Woodgate (Site). Nimmo records ⁴ that "in
digging at Woodgate -- a rude stone coffin, made of
flags, about two-thirds of the ordinary length, placed
nearly perpendicular, and containing the bones of an
adult person, was found". This "coffin" was probably a
Bronze Age cist; but the account goes on to state that
"it is dated, as we have learned, 1301". No further
details are recorded. It is assumed that Nimmo's
Woodgate is the farm now known as Woodyett.

c. 824824 -- NS 88 SW (unnoted)

22. Cairn, Kirkland (Site). The structure that once
stood on the summit of a low hill 230 yds. NW. of
Kirkland farmhouse, and at a height of 200 ft. O.D., has
now vanished. The site is indicated at the present time
by a low, flat-topped, stony mound measuring about
45 ft. in diameter, on the perimeter of which a few
boulders protrude through the turf. In an 18th-century
record ⁵ the hill is called Lawhill, and the remains are
described as being "very considerable". This suggests a
cairn rather than a dun.

826830 -- NS 88 SW (unnoted) -- 21 January 1954

23. Cist, Stenhousemuir (Site). It is recorded that a
short cist containing bones was discovered in the sand-
hills a quarter of a mile S. of Stenhousemuir. ⁶ The site

is probably that shown on the second edition of the
O.S. 6-inch map (1899) as "Sand Pits", a quarter of a
mile W. of Carron Grange.
A bronze spear-head and a bronze brooch are reported ⁷
to have been found at Goshen Sandholes, in the same
vicinity.

870823 -- NS 88 SE (unnoted) -- 21 January 1954

24. Cist, Camelon 1 (Site). In 1922 a cist was dis-
covered about 30 yds. S. of Camelon railway-station
and at a depth of 2 ft. 6 in. below ground level. ⁸ It was
oriented NNE. and SSW., measured internally 3 ft. in
length, 19 in. in width and 18 in. in depth, and was
covered with an overlapping slab. Inside there was a
Food Vessel ⁹ and fragments of the cremated remains of
an adult and of the unburnt remains of a young woman.

870806 -- NS 88 SE (unnoted)

25. Cist, Camelon 2 (Site). This cist was discovered
in 1921¹⁰ near the S. side of Brown Street opposite the
end of Hamilton Street. It lay at a depth of 2 ft. below
ground level and was oriented ESE. and WNW. It
measured internally 2 ft. 3 in. in length, 11 in. in width
and 12 in. in depth, and was covered with an overlapping
slab. Inside there was a flint scraper and fragments of
the cremated bones of an adult.

866804 -- NS 88 SE (unnoted)

26. Cists, Avonbank (Sites). A number of stone cists
containing human bones were found during the years
1838-52 on the N. side of the main road from Falkirk
to Linlithgow, 700 yds. WSW. of Avonbank farmhouse. ¹¹
The site of the discoveries is marked on the latest edition
of the O.S. 6-inch map, but the name Sighthill, originally
connected with it, has been omitted.

959784 -- NS 97 NE ("Stone Coffins found A.D. 1838-52")

27. Cist, Castle Hill (Site). The New Statistical Account
records the discovery of a cist at Castle Hill. ¹²

c. 973781 -- NS 97 NE (unnoted)

1 N.S.A., viii (Stirlingshire, 324.
2 Annals, ii, 261.
3 N.S.A., viii (Stirlingshire), 379
4 History (1817 ed.), ii, 741.
5 Geogr. Collections, i, 332.
6 T.S.N.H.A.S., iv (1881-2), 35.
7 J.B.A.A., xlv (1889), 289.
8 P.S.A.S., lvii (1922-3), 243 and fig. 1, Site B.
9 Ibid., 247, fig. 2.
10 Ibid., lvi (1921-2), 65; lvii (1922-3), 243 and fig. 1, Site A.
11 N.S.A., viii (Stirlingshire), 210; Ordnance Survey Name
Book, Muiravonside parish, p. 20.
12 Vol. viii (Stirlingshire), 210.

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