EHG3475 - Excavation of cairn, Dounreay New Low Level Waste Facilities

A small grass-covered mound was excavated as part of a programme of archaeological work in advance of construction of new low level radioactive waste facilities (NLLWF). The feature had been identified during a site walkover in 2000. The mound and a surrounding 2m buffer zone was de-turfed and hand-cleaned revealing a substantial circular cairn. Subsquently the cairn was fully hand-excavated, initially within two opposite quadrants to allow two full sections to be recorded, and followed by the excavation of the remaining quadrants. The cairn proved to be constructed of interleaving stone slabs 10 m in diameter standing to a maximum height of 0.65 m. Within the cairn was a single stone-lined cist that on excavation was found to have been disturbed. No evidence of human remains or any significant artefacts were recorded within the cist. <1> The finds from the site comprise a single flint flake and a sample of the cairn material. This excavation assembalge was submitted to Treasure Trove (TT 86/12) and allocated to Caithness Horizons.<1> <2>