Structures Eleven and Nineteen

Around 2900BC, the southern half of Structure Eight had been removed, Structure Ten erected and Structures Twelve and One remodelled.

Around this time a building (or buildings) were raised between Structures One and Eight, Structures Eleven and Nineteen.

Although we have classed them as two separate buildings, the fragmentary nature of the surviving walls suggests that Eleven and Nineteen are the remains of the same rather shoddy structure.

Structure Nineteen

The second phase of Structure One’s life saw the c300-year-old building remodelled and reduced in size.

At roughly the same time a subcircular structure, measuring c4.5 metres by 5.5m metres, was erected immediately to its east.

This building, Structure Nineteen, was bounded by walling to the west, sections of Structure Eleven to the south and the remains of Structure Eight’s west wall to the east.

It was separated from One by a narrow, paved passage.

Nineteen’s entrance, flanked by two stone pillars, led into this passageway and was slightly offset to the Structure One’s new eastern doorway.

In its primary phase a stone-built oven dominated the north-western corner. Its double-skinned walls enclosed a one-metre-square chamber, which was heated by fire-warmed stones.  

South-east of the oven is a large stone orthostat. Originally this was thought to be a divider or structural feature until it was noted that the stone shared the same north-south alignment as – and was therefore parallel to – the central standing stone outside Structures One, Eight and Twelve.

This might mean the orthostat was a standing stone pre-dating the construction of Nineteen but which was later incorporated into the building.

A later building, Structure Seven, was constructed on top of the remains of Nineteen.

Structure Eleven

This small, irregularly shaped building sat to the south-east of Structure One and south of Structure Nineteen.

Curving walls and the south-western wall of Structure Eight enclosed an area around 3.25 metres by two metres.

The walls showed evidence of multiple episodes of modification, including the incorporation of incised stones, placed so their decorated faces were not visible.

The surviving walls curved on the outside but inside formed a right-angled corner.

The interior, which was divided up by stone slabs, featured a square hearth in the northern section, opposite the entrance.

This doorway was bounded by notched stone slabs, suggesting it could be closed off and “locked”.

Structure Eleven saw two main phases of use.

In the earliest phase activity in the building centred around the hearth, with multiple repairs and alterations to the floor.

This phase seems to be contemporary with Structure Nineteen to the north, adding weight to the idea that Eleven and Nineteen were part of the same building.

There appears to have been a change of use in the second phase, with the hearth going out of use and little evidence of occupation.