EHG6047 - Geophysical survey - Thing's Va, Thurso

A fluxgate gradiometer survey was carried out by ORCA in 2018 at Thing’s Va, on land c. 2km west of Thurso. The survey formed part of the Caithness Broch Festival Archaeology Project, which aimed to provide the opportunity for the local community and visitors to the county to engage with their local archaeology, whilst conducting significant archaeological research. The results of the geophysical survey were to provide a basis for subsequent archaeological fieldwalking and test-pitting. The main focus of the survey was an area around the broch, covering both the scheduled area and beyond. A total of 8910m were surveyed. The work aimed to complete a circuit of geophysical survey around the broch in order to establish the presence/ absence of an extra-mural settlement or any other potential associated archaeological remains. While the survey provided some indication of anthropogenic activity within the immediate vicinity of the broch, the nature of this could not be fully established, and it provided no evidence for the existence of an extra-mural settlement, as the majority of the survey area was relatively ‘quiet’. The survey also aimed to further characterise the adjacent cairn, establish its full extent and any potential relationship with the broch. The results suggested that potential associated remains identified previously to the E of the cairn, are more extensive than was understood, and also indicated that substantial structural remains may be present. No relationship to the broch was established, however, and further investigation would be required to understand the monument more fully. <1>