EHG5493 - Excavation - Camas Daraich, Skye

Following preliminary seasons of test pitting in 2008 and 2009 both to obtain radiocarbon dates for a series of shell middens, and to familiarise the Catalan participants with the local geographical and archaeological contexts in west coast Scotland, excavations was carried out at Point of Sleat in 2010 by K Hardy and students and staff from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. The area had previously seen brief investigations in 2000 following initial discovery of a Mesolithic occupation site at Camas Daraich the previous year. The first full field season took place in 2010; the Mesolithic site of Camas Daraich was reopened, the excavation was extended and preliminary test pits were opened at two of the shell midden sites. Both middens appeared deep and test pits reached only the uppermost levels; radiocarbon dates taken from the uppermost 1m of the midden sites have produced dates ranging from 360BC – 1600AD and extensive bone and charcoal assemblages. Some artefactual material including a small amount of lithics, some pottery and a small copper alloy pin were also found. Excavation at the Mesolithic site of Camas Daraich revealed a large lithic assemblage, a small pumice and coarse stone assemblage including an unusual incised pebble, a small amount of charcoal and burnt hazelnut shell, a carbonised tuber and several concentric circles of stones. Additionally, a topographic survey and geomorphological mapping integrating the paleolake, the raised shorelines and the archaeological sites was conducted. <1>