Roman Iron Age and Early Medeival Rhynie II: The Craw Stane Complex, The Pictish cemetery and symbol stones, and Cairn More

Evidence from the Craw Stane complex excavations was laid out in Chapter 5 of this volume, while Chapter 6 explored the sequence identified from the investigations at Cairn More. In this chapter, the evidence from both sites is reviewed and considered in greater detail. Discussion includes the survival of archaeology in the valley and extends to a consideration of the phasing and parallels for both sites, which are currently few and far between. This leads into a wider discussion on the nature of early medieval settlement in eastern Scotland and the parallels for the buildings found at the Craw Stane complex and Cairn More. While there remains a dearth of settlement in the eastern lowlands of Scotland, the data-set is slowly growing and can help illuminate the surviving evidence at the two sites considered in this chapter. The material culture from both is also summarised and reviewed, with particular consideration afforded to the exceptional assemblage from the Craw Stane complex. Towards the end of the chapter, attention shifts to the cemetery and the fascinating Pictish symbol stone monuments found in the Rhynie environs.