Surprisingly few research excavations of Neolithic sites in the region have been undertaken. Brian Hope-Taylor’s excavations of what are now identified as two superimposed Early Neolithic large communal houses (‘halls’) at Doon Hill, East Lothian was carried out in his belief that he was digging an early medieval ‘hall’ site (SESARF 3.4 Settlement). Research by Professor Ian Ralston has demonstrated that both structures are of Early Neolithic date (Ralston 2019; in press).
The excavation of the large timber enclosure at Meldon Bridge, Scottish Borders in the 1970s was, in contrast, undertaken in the expectation of its Neolithic date (Burgess 1976). The finer points of the site’s chronology were however not set out until quarter of a century later (Speak and Burgess 1999).
Smaller-scale research excavation was undertaken at and near the suspected ‘henge’ at Overhowden in 1950 at the suggestion of Stuart and Margaret Piggott, but the results were inconclusive (Atkinson 1950).
More recently the Hedderwick Sands Project of 2018 to 2020 has re-examined the original site in East Lothian by limited excavation through test-pitting, as well as geoarchaeological examinations of the findspot of the pottery first published by Callander in 1929 (Kdolska and Connolly 2020).
There are also examples of research excavations that were targeted at post-Neolithic archaeology but which incidentally uncovered evidence for Neolithic activity. One is Professor Rosemary Cramp’s excavation at The Hirsel, Scottish Borders (Cramp 2014). While targeted at the medieval church and its associated cemetery, excavations also recovered evidence for Early Neolithic occupation in the form of a relatively ephemeral wattle-and-daub structure, along with Carinated Bowl pottery (Sheridan 2014). Another excavation at Standingstones, East Lothian, as part of the Traprain Law Environs Project which focussed on investigating Iron Age occupation, uncovered a pit containing charred barley grains (Haselgrove 2009) and sherds of pottery identified as possibly Grooved Ware (MacSween 2009). Two of the barley grains produced radiocarbon dates of 2860-2570 BC (SUERC-10535, 4120±35 BP) and 2860-2490 BC (SUERC-10536, 4085±35 BP) respectively (Hamilton and Haselgrove 2009).