EHG5040 - Excavation - Strathnaver Cist, Farr, Sutherland

An archaeological excavation of a short cist under the terms of the Historic Environment Scotland Human Remains Call-off Contract. A capstone had been discovered and removed during forestry works to reveal a short cist consisting of four upright slabs set within a cairn. Within the remit of the project design the interior of the cist was fully excavated and the surrounding cairn recorded but left intact. During the excavation 16 sherds of decorated pottery were recovered from the cist interior but no human remains or further artefacts were present. The long axis of the cist is oriented north-south and is set on a south facing slope overlooking Loch Naver. Two scheduled hut circles are known the adjacent area of woodland. Further possible cairns were observed in the vicinity of the cist under excavation but have not been investigated. Initial examination of the pottery sherds suggest they derive from a single early Bronze Age Beaker. <1>