Knock of Alves, Archaeological site on a hill in Moray, Scotland.
Knock of Alves is an archaeological site located on a hilltop in Moray, Scotland that contains multiple layers of ancient remains. The site features stone circles, rampart systems, and later additions including a tower and mausoleum that sit at its highest point.
The site was inhabited and fortified over several centuries, with evidence of human activity spanning from the late Iron Age into the early medieval period. Archaeological excavations conducted in the 2010s revealed postholes and artifacts from different time periods that document the long occupation of this location.
The stone circle on the south side contains six boulders reaching heights of 1.3 meters, arranged in a formation with a 10-meter diameter.
The site sits on an elevated hilltop and is best explored on foot with sturdy footwear recommended for the terrain. The visible remains are spread across multiple levels, allowing visitors to move slowly through different vantage points as they ascend and descend.
The site fell victim to its own later construction projects, as the building of towers and the mausoleum damaged some of the older archaeological structures beneath them. This layering nonetheless provides a rare view of different building phases at a single location across many centuries.
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