Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1893/35281
Appears in Collections:History and Politics Journal Articles
Peer Review Status: Refereed
Title: Soil and spatial analyses in the assessment of the focal point of the extinct medieval royal burgh of Roxburgh
Author(s): Oram, Richard
Esiana, Benneth
Contact Email: r.d.oram@stir.ac.uk
Keywords: Anthrosols
Royal burgh
Medieval Settlement
Soil
Magnetic susceptibility
Soil organic carbon (SOC)
Portable OSL
Geophysical
Phosphorus concentrations
Spatial analysis
Issue Date: Aug-2023
Date Deposited: 19-Aug-2023
Citation: Oram R & Esiana B (2023) Soil and spatial analyses in the assessment of the focal point of the extinct medieval royal burgh of Roxburgh. <i>Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports</i>, 50, Art. No.: 104104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2023.104104
Abstract: The ‘lost’ royal burgh of Roxburgh in the Scottish borders is arguably one of the most important archaeological settlement sites in Scotland of the medieval period. Although short-lived, being occupied as an urban centre for just around 300 years, in its heyday, it was a royal residence, jurisdictional and administrative seat, and regional focus of economic activity and international trade. Presently however, very little surviving above-ground trace remains of this once dynamic settlement. With a Scheduled Monument status (No. 4284), activity on-site is now restricted to prevent damage to the below-ground archaeology. This study explores the locale(s) of Roxburgh’s main thoroughfare in the Friars’ Haugh area during its occupation through the spatial analysis of soil data coupled with historical records and findings from past research studies. The aim of the study is two-fold; (1) to determine the viability in the investigation of archaeological landscapes of standard, relatively non-invasive lowcost analytical techniques applied in the study, as permissible on sites with Scheduled Monument status, (2) in synergy with previous geophysical, and geoarchaeological studies carried out on the site, provide new evidence and/or corroborate the existing knowledge base in advancing the discourse on the history and development of Roxburgh. The study area encompasses the putative location of the main street as identified in a previous study by GSB Prospection and Wessex Archaeology. Suites of soil markers (phosphorus concentration, magnetic susceptibility, organic carbon content, and soil pH), were used to demarcate zones of high to low activity through quantitative changes in the concentration and/or value of these markers. Potable optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) analysis was used to investigate depositional history that revealed a progressive accumulation of materials of proximal origins, however, evidence of mixing of sediments is discernible. The spatial distribution of soil markers across the site shows two zones of substantial enhancement, revealing potentially a second thoroughfare on the west of the site (site B), in addition to the main thoroughfare on site A which overlaps with the site identified in previous studies.
DOI Link: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2023.104104
Rights: This item has been embargoed for a period. During the embargo please use the Request a Copy feature at the foot of the Repository record to request a copy directly from the author. You can only request a copy if you wish to use this work for your own research or private study. Oram R & Esiana B (2023) Soil and spatial analyses in the assessment of the focal point of the extinct medieval royal burgh of Roxburgh. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 50, Art. No.: 104104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2023.104104 © 2023, Elsevier. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Licence URL(s): http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

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