A Middle Bronze Age settlement near Mauchline, East Ayrshire

The excavation of a parcel of land north of Mauchline, East Ayrshire, in advance of a housing development uncovered evidence of human activity from the Neolithic to the post-medieval period. The Neolithic period was represented by a well-preserved assemblage of charred hazelnuts and crab apples in a pit. During the later prehistoric period, the main focus of activity comprised a roundhouse and a souterrain within a fenced enclosure. Radiocarbon dates obtained from the roundhouse and the souterrain indicated a MiddleBronze Age date for these features, strongly suggesting that souterrains existed in this part of Scotland much earlier than previously thought. Canmore ID: 365701