EHG4889 - Excavation - Tarlogie Farm Dun

Tarogie Farm Dun is located on a small knoll at the northern edge of a natural terrace at c. 32m O.D. The roundhouse overlooks a steep slope running down to the present day shoreline of the Dornoch Firth situated c. 300 m to the north. A substantial watercourse, the Tarlogue burn, is within a small gorge immediately to the west. The entire site appeared to have been systematically robbed, particularly along the north-west and eastern arcs where the walls were reduced to a scarp and extensive areas of demolition rubble visible overlying the walls and a plantation bank located to the east. Prior to excavation a digital earthwork survey was conducted using a Topcon GR-5 dGPS. In addition the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Scotland's field survey unit undertook a detailed plane table survey in February 2014. Following the preliminarary archaeological surveys, a single 16 x 12 m trench was opened within the scheduled area across the east side of the roundhouse. Out-with the scheduled area approximately 20m to the east of the entrance of the house a 17 x 1.2m trench and give 1x1 test pits were excavated to gain an understanding of the extent of the midden deposit identified within Trench 2. <1>