ARO56: Unearthing Ancient Tweeddale: Tinnis Castle, Thirlestane Barrows and Merlin’s Grave

By Ronan Toolis, Amanda Gilmore, Thomas Muir, Laura Muser and Alun Woodward

with contributions from Diane Alldritt, Joseph Lewis Anderson, Roz Artis, Torben Bjarke Ballin, Beverley Ballin Smith, Kate Britton, Morag Cross, Gemma Cruickshanks, Eleanor Dacre, Jane Evans, Tim Kinnaird, Vanessa Pashley, Eduardo Perez-Fernandez, Lauren Reid, Tamsin Scott, Catherine Smith, Christophe Snoeck, Katie Strang, India Terry, Bob Will and Clare Wilson

Excavations at Tinnis revealed traces of early prehistoric activity, a Late Iron Age vitrified fort, an early medieval nucleated fort and a medieval castle while a geophysics survey over the reputed site of Merlin’s Grave revealed a pit or grave nearby. The excavation of the Thirlestane Barrows south of Broughton revealed that a Late Iron Age Square Barrow was added to a Middle Bronze Age barrow cemetery.

Key Words: Late Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, medieval, round barrow, square barrow, fort, castle.

Download (PDF, 26,700KB)