Deers Den facts for kids

Deers Den is an exciting archaeological site located near Kintore in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. An archaeological site is a place where people find old things from the past. At Deers Den, experts have found clues from different time periods. These include very old Mesolithic remains, interesting objects from the Iron Age, and even a known Roman Camp. It's like a time capsule showing how people lived long ago!

Discovering Deers Den's Past

Ancient Homes and Roman Soldiers

People have lived in the Deers Den area for a very long time. We have found signs of settlements from the Bronze Age, which was thousands of years ago. Later, during the Iron Age, people built at least seven roundhouses here. These were circular homes where families lived.

Around 200 CE, the powerful Roman Empire reached this part of Scotland. The Romans used Deers Den as a huge "marching camp." This was a temporary base where their soldiers could rest during a long journey. This camp was big enough for about 10,000 Roman troops! It was likely used during the Severan invasion, when Roman armies pushed further into Scotland.

Amazing Roman Discoveries

When archaeologists dug at Deers Den, they found some incredible things. They uncovered 44 Roman bread ovens! This is the largest number of Roman bread ovens ever found in one place in the entire United Kingdom. Imagine all the bread they must have baked there! These ovens probably made flatbreads, a bit like modern pizzas, topped with vegetables. They also found the remains of 20 separate buildings.

How Deers Den Was Found

The amazing discoveries at Deers Den happened because of a plan to build new houses in the area around 2003. Before building, archaeologists always check the land for historical treasures. That's how they found all these ancient remains!

Because of their importance, the roundhouses at Deers Den became "scheduled monuments" on March 30, 2009. This means they are protected by law by Historic Environment Scotland. It helps make sure these important historical places are kept safe for future generations.

Where is Deers Den?

Hidden Clues in the Landscape

Deers Den is located near the A96 road, to the west of the River Don. You can't usually see the ancient roundhouses or Roman camp directly from the ground. Instead, they show up as "cropmarks" when viewed from an airplane. Cropmarks are patterns in fields where plants grow differently because of things hidden underground, like old walls or ditches.

Sadly, two more roundhouses were probably destroyed when the A96 road was built. The entire site covers a large area, about 120 acres. Some parts of the site have been disturbed or built on by the western edge of Kintore town. It's also thought that there might be ancient burial grounds nearby.