EHG6081 - Test pitting - 'Obanian Culture' Mesolithic site, Risga

As part of an ongoing programme of survey taking place in Ardnamurchan, the shell midden on the island of Risga in Loch Sunart was located and surveyed T Pollard, J Atkinson and I Banks of Glasgow University in early Summer 1993. The site, described in the literature as Obanian in character, had previously been excavated in the earlier part of this century by Ludovic Mann and later by D MacKewan, under the auspices of Henderson Bishop, no published excavation report exists. A series of very recent spadecut pits were found to be distributed, apparently at random, across the mound. The purpose of these pits could not be ascertained, though they do appear to represent a previous attempt to investigate the site by persons unknown - no record of such work exists. Following the mapping of the site a series of test pits was inserted into the mound. In order to limit damage to the site these were centred on the pits already present. This cautious approach was adopted despite the expectation that the deposits would lack any degree of integrity, as MacKewan's letters suggest that the entire site was excavated by him. A layer of redeposited material, in places over half a metre deep, which included the crushed shells of oyster, scallop and limpet in a dark organic matrix, undoubtedly represents the spoil from this work. However, basal deposits do, in places, appear to exist undisturbed beneath this spoil, though spade cuts were visible in this material. A series of test pits was also excavated outwith the area of the mound. Lithics, mostly of quartz but also including some flint, were recovered from these pits. These results strongly suggest that prehistoric activity was not limited to the area of the shell midden and the potential for related evidence surviving in-situ therefore appeared to be high. <1> <2>