After describing the sights of Clydesdale in the last meeting, Tam described recent archaeological discoveries in the district at the April meeting in the Elphinstone Hotel, Biggar. Tam began by briefing outlining the Mediaeval and Roman archaeology of the region before starting on the main focus of the lecture; prehistoric Clydesdale.
Tam described how Bronze Age hut platforms, cut into the hillside, are a common feature on the Clydesdale landscape, but are mot common elsewhere in the country. These platforms usually occur in groups corresponding to Bronze Age villages. The excavation of these platforms does not reveal a great amount. Tam discussed how more insight into the construction of such dwelling was gained by making and staying in one overnight. Another significant insight into the Bronze Age is found in the remains of graves. Tam described how the excavation of a number prominent features revealed when the waters of Camps reservoir were unusually low unearthed a number of different types of burials and cremations in a single cemetery.
Burnt mounds are a further Bronze Age feature, which have caused significant debate over the years. These features are large areas of charcoal and burnt rocks, the excavation of which produces no other artefacts of interest. Tam described how a number of these mounds have now been studied in detail and dated to the prehistoric period. He also showed a demonstration of how he believed the mounds were used; to heat stones that are then dropped into water causing it to superheat. This water and steam could then be used for cooking, bathing or, as Tam suspects, as a ritual sauna. Clydesdale is also the home of a number of henges and other monuments. In particular Tam described the discovery of a previously unknown stone circle at Wildshaw Burn adjacent to the M74. This circle when complete could have contained 40 stones, all equally separated, and aligned so that both the summer and winter equinoxes could be predicted.
Clydesdale was populated prior to the Bronze Age. Tam described the series of excavations and fieldwalks carried out on Biggar common. These revealed a mixture of Neolithic and Bronze Age finds in contexts that confirmed that both were in use at the same time. This demonstrates that the change between the periods was not sudden but that artefacts form both periods would have been used for a prolonged period. Further work at Melbourne in a fir tree plantation reveals a significant amount of Neolithic pottery and other artefacts.
Investigations at Weston found a number of flint microlithes that showed that occupation in Clydesdale had began in the Mesolithic period. Further work at the Daer reservoir when the waters were unusually low revealed a number of sites where the manufacture of microlithes had been undertaken. This represents the highest and furthest inland sites of Mesolithic occupation in Scotland. 27 sites have been identified around the reservoir and carbon dating of the charcoal found shows that occupation stretches back to 1080 years. This is currently the second oldest known occupation in Scotland.