EHG6043 - Trial trenching - Thusater Burn, near Thurso

Archaeological trial trenches were excavated by ORCA in 2018 over the mound at Thusater, thought to be a hut circle or possibly a broch. The work had been commissioned by the Caithness Broch Project and comprised the hand excavation of three trenches. The location of the trenches was guided by the results of a geophysical survey previously undertaken on site (see EHG6042) in order to contribute to the understanding of the monument, which had previously been recorded as a hut-circle, but may represent a broch or a ‘wag’. It was also undertaken as an outreach excavation, providing the local community and visitors with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in archaeology. All three excavated trenches revealed archaeological features consistent with that anticipated by the geophysical survey results. Rubble and stony deposits containing artefacts were encountered, together with a hearth constructed of orthostats, a base-slab and packing stones. These features confirmed the presence of extensive later prehistoric structural remains on site. These seem to be domestic in nature. Further investigation would be required to characterise the monument more fully and understand how it might fit into wider understanding of the later prehistoric landscape of Caithness. Volunteers were given training in excavation and recording techniques and artefact identification. <1>