Eight sites were excavated along the route of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route between Balmedy to Tipperty. The sites are mostly multi-period. One site on the banks of the River Dee, revealed nine phases of activity extending from the Upper Palaeolithic through to the post-Medieval. Extensive specialist analysis has been undertaken on all sites, along with a programme of radiocarbon dating, OSL dating and Bayesian analysis. During the excavations, it was apparent how the specific landscape of each site was key to the activities taking place there, the periods and duration of activity and the extent to which people were passing through or settling. This was chosen as the overarching theme for analysis and publication, and the geological and topographical background is woven through the presentation of each site. Broadly speaking, the landscape ‘units’ identified were the River Dee valley, the Dee-Don uplands, a second upland zone around one specific site, the River Don valley, and the coastal plains. In addition to the individual site- evidence, a concluding chapter expands on three themes highlighted through the work; Mobility (looking at the temporary/permanent nature of interaction), ‘Gaps’ (periods of time or parts of the landscape which seem unexpectedly blank and the reasons for this), and Methodologies (looking at the specific methods used to identify, test and excavate the sites and consider learnings for future linear projects). Full versions of all specialist reports, the original assessment reports and relevant catalogues are provided digitally through ADS and cross-referenced throughout the text.

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgement
• List of illustrations
• List of tables
• Abbreviations
• Lithics glossary
• Chapter 1: Introduction
  • 1.1 The route
  • 1.2 Project background
  • 1.3 Archaeological background
  • 1.4 Geological and topographic background
  • 1.5 Project aims and objectives
  • 1.6 Technical methodologies
  • 1.7 Organisation of the report
• Chapter 2: A landscape through time: Milltimber and the River Dee
  • 2.1 Introduction to the circumstances of discovery at Milltimber
  • 2.2 Background to the archaeology of the River Dee valley
  • 2.3 Radiocarbon results and dating
  • 2.4 Introduction to the landscape of the Dee at Milltimber
  • 2.5 Evidence for the Late Upper Palaeolithic on the River Dee
  • 2.6 Mesolithic activity
  • 2.7 Settlement activity at Milltimber in the Neolithic
  • 2.8 Enclosing and defining spaces: the Chalcolithic at Milltimber – 2500–2200 BC
  • 2.9 Milltimber in later prehistory – 1550–100 BC
  • 2.10 A military presence: the Romans at Milltimber – AD 83/84
  • 2.11 Agricultural expansion at Milltimber: Early historic enclosures and a kiln – 400–1000 AD
  • 2.12 Undated features
  • 2.13 Environmental synthesis
  • 2.14 Materials synthesis
  • 2.15 Discussion
• Chapter 3: Between the Dee and the Don: Settlement, life and death in the Bronze Age
  • 3.1 Introduction to the circumstances of discovery at Nether Beanshill, Gairnhill and Chapel of Stoneywood
  • 3.2 Background to the archaeology of the Dee to Don Landscape
  • 3.3 Radiocarbon results and dating
  • 3.4 Nether Beanshill
  • 3.5 Gairnhill
  • 3.6 Chapel of Stoneywood
  • 3.7 Environmental synthesis
  • 3.8 Materials synthesis
  • 3.9 Discussion
• Chapter 4: Standingstones, an Upland Camp
  • 4.1 Introduction to the circumstances of discovery at Standingstones
  • 4.2 Archaeological context
  • 4.3 Environmental context
  • 4.4 Radiocarbon results and dating
  • 4.5 Standingstones
  • 4.6 Environmental synthesis
  • 4.7 Materials synthesis
  • 4.8 Discussion
• Chapter 5: Goval: Intermittent settlement activity on the banks of the Don
  • 5.1 Introduction to the circumstances of discovery at Goval
  • 5.2 Archaeological context and past settlement patterns
  • 5.3 Environmental context
  • 5.4 Radiocarbon results and dating
  • 5.5 Neolithic pits
  • 5.6 Bronze Age roundhouse – Structure A
  • 5.7 Iron Age activity at Goval
  • 5.8 Early historic gully
  • 5.9 Medieval and post-medieval agriculture
  • 5.10 Environmental synthesis
  • 5.11 Materials synthesis
  • 5.12 Discussion
• Chapter 6: The coastal plain
  • 6.1 Introduction to the circumstances of discovery at Blackdog, Wester Hatton and Middlefield
  • 6.2 Archaeological context and past settlement patterns
  • 6.3 Environmental context
  • 6.4 Radiocarbon results and dating
  • 6.5 Mesolithic/Neolithic activity at Blackdog
  • 6.6 Occupation at Wester Hatton
  • 6.7 Bronze Age activity at Middlefield
  • 6.8 Environmental synthesis
  • 6.9 Materials synthesis
  • 6.10 Discussion
• Chapter 7: Spaces, places and finding the traces; concluding thoughts on the context of discoveries of the AWPR/B-T
  • 7.1 A chronological examination of significance
  • 7.2 Gaps, mobility and connection to landscapes
  • 7.3 Traces in the field: lessons from infrastructure methodologies
  • 7.4 Conclusions
• References
• Digital Appendices Contents
  • Appendix 1: Assessment Reports
  • Appendix 2: Technical Reports
  • Appendix 3: Radiocarbon Certificates
  • Appendix 4: Report Concordance