Excavating Prehistoric Roundhouses: Guidance on good practice and effective outcome for future research

Aberdeenshire Council is working on a regional archaeological research framework, which includes an assessment of its excavated roundhouse sites. As a result, this guidance was developed. Coherent recording standards will allow production of a comparable record of information that can potentially be gained from modern excavation and post-excavation work. Such records can inform regional syntheses. The document is intended as a compendium of ideas on how to get the most out of the surviving archaeology, and as a guide to best practice, irrespective of the circumstances of the work. It is not an exhaustive list of dos and don’ts but rather a helpful note for excavators, project managers, and advisors to enhance what can be gained from the archaeological evidence.

The focus is on the main roundhouse evidence in Aberdeenshire and Moray, consisting of dryland sites with earthfast timber architecture as the main structural component. For experienced archaeologists, most of the material will be known already, and standard practice. However, there are some ideas and new thoughts resulting from recent research into northeast roundhouses that could help to improve the excavation and preparation of the record, and the record’s potential as a research resource. This is also a dynamic document and will benefit from comments and feed-back.