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List of Figures

Figure 1: Location map with principal sites mentioned in the text.

Figure 2: The Warren Field pit alignment recorded as cropmarking on a rectified oblique aerial photograph. KC632re (1976 © Crown Copyright RCAHMS 2013. This image is not covered by CC-BY 3.0 and permission will be required for any further use).

Figure 3: The excavated pit alignment at Warren Field. Features 9-12 were not excavated. Green indicates a later recut and greyed features are of uncertain character. Plan based on Murray et al. (2009, fig. 3).

Figure 4: Warren Field during excavation in 2005 and showing pits 20 to 5 (see Figure 3 for details). Photograph by Moira Greig (© Aberdeenshire Council Archaeology Service Ref AAS-05-02-CT75).

Figure 5: Pits 5 and 6 during excavation. Post-pits 2 to 4 are in the foreground (© Charles Murray).

Figure 6: Location of the pit alignment and geophysical survey grids (left). Electromagnetic induction survey in orange, magnetometry in red, earth resistance in blue and ground penetrating radar in green.

Figure 7: GPR results with pits corresponding to the excavated and unexcavated features mapped during excavation.

Figure 8: Solid model of pit 9 located within the GPR survey. The results appear to confirm the suspicion of the excavators that the very dry conditions may have meant that some of the unexcavated pits were originally wider than planned. It should be noted that the depth of the solid model of pit 9 is exaggerated by the perspective of the image and the presence of a large anomaly, possibly a stone, in or near the pit.

Figure 9: Animation of Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) using the FlashRes64 instrument which is a multi-channel, free-configuration system. The data cube comprises five inverted sections using an inter-probe separation of 0.5m. The location of the survey was based on an initial Twin-Probe area survey which indicated the position of some of the pits. The ERT data are characterised by a relatively low resistivity topsoil layer followed by an extremely high value band about 1m thick. Below this band the values are more modest. Significantly, where the pits had been predicted by the Twin-Probe array the ERT suggests that the highly resistive layer has been cut by pits of significant size. These can be seen within the cube and the animated height field display.

Figure 10: The plan of the Warren Field pit alignment below the symbolic arrangement of the pits in relation to the Slug Road pass. Green indicates a later recut and greyed features are of uncertain character. The backdrop has been exaggerated for display purposes (© Google Earth, Plan based on Murray et al. 2009, fig. 3).

Figure 11: Animation of the 'Pitview' application showing the position of the rising sun in relation to local topography and viewed from the Warren Field pit alignment between December 8001 BC and December 8000 BC. Grey lines indicate pits and the relative size of the features is indicated by a triangle on the lower section of the line. Black lines indicate other features.

Figure 12: View along the pit alignment toward the south-west and the lunar minor limit. The lunar minor limit is coloured in green and the path of the sun is yellow. Grey lines indicate pits and the relative size of the features is indicated by a triangle on the lower section of the line. Black lines indicate other features. Insert top left indicates the viewing position in relation to the pit group.

Figure 13: View along the pit alignment toward the north-east and the lunar minor limit. The lunar minor limit is coloured in green, the lunar major limit is red and the path of the sun is yellow. Grey lines indicate pits and the relative size of the features is indicated by a triangle on the lower section of the line. Black lines indicate other features. Insert top left indicates the viewing position in relation to the pit group.

Figure 14: Birch forest in winter (© Will Herman).

Figure 15: Areas in yellow provide clear views of the midwinter solstice within the frame of the Slug Road pass. Diamonds indicate the position of lithic scatters.

Figure 16: The pit alignment at Balendoch recorded as cropmarking on a rectified oblique aerial photograph. PT14778re (1983 © Crown Copyright RCAHMS 2013. This image is not covered by CC-BY 3.0 and permission will be required for any further use).

Figure 17: Midwinter solstice viewed from Balendoch. Grey lines indicate pits located from aerial photography.

Figure 18: The pit alignment at Arrat recorded as cropmarking on a rectified oblique aerial photograph. E11616re (2001 © Crown Copyright RCAHMS 2013. This image is not covered by CC-BY 3.0 and permission will be required for any further use).

Figure 19: Midwinter solstice viewed from Arrat. Grey lines indicate pits located from aerial photography.

Figure 20: Animation of virtual model showing the midwinter solstice viewed from the Warren Field pit group.

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