NOSAS Excavation of a Stony Mound in Moray
25 April 2026
There's a large stony mound on a rise in a field on the Lowmount Estate, just SE of Arderseir. This is an area rich in pre-history. The mound is archaeologically unrecorded. It could be a large clearance cairn, or it could be a prehistoric burial cairn. We're going to find out.
Michael Sharpe and Roland Spencer-Jones are leading a weekend of excavation of this stony mound, pausing once we identify what it is. So, we aim to see whether it is a Bronze Age cairn, and what type, by looking for typical structural elements, for example inner and outer kerb stones, an external platform, etc. The weekend will see us shifting a lot of stones, and maybe do some troweling. We'll probably meet up on the Friday night for a recce, and then start digging on Saturday morning, prepared to go on until Sunday afternoon. It's not a very pretty mound, but the clearing and digging should be fun!
There is the option of camping or campervanning on the Estate for those who would like to do this.
If you'd like to take part, please contact Roland at roland.spencerjones@googlemail.com.
