EHG6091 - Trial trenching - Mesolithic shell middens, Tarradale (Tarradale Through Time)

A programme of archaeological evaluation and test pitting was undertaken by AOC Archaeology Group at two sites near Tarradale House, Muir of Ord on behalf of North of Scotland Archaeological Society (NOSAS) as part of the Tarradale Through Time Project. The fieldwork included open area excavation on the site of previous evaluation undertaken by NOSAS in 2015 to the southeast of a raised beach terrace at Tarradale House (2B) and test pit and trial trench evaluation at a new site on a raised promontory to the east of Tarradale House (2A). At Site 2B, a rigorous programme of sampling of a shell midden layer has provided information to characterise its content which consists primarily of oyster, cockle, periwinkle and mussel shell along with small amounts of mammal and fish bone, worked bone/antler artefacts and struck stone objects. Several highly significant artefacts were recovered. These include an antler harpoon, fragments of antler mattocks and a bone point. Below the upper shell midden, excavation revealed potential structural remains in the form of stone settings associated with a lower shell-rich layer. At Site 2A, seven test pits and two trenches were excavated, focussing on the locations of shell layers identified by shovel pits. A small area of test pit excavation on the surface of the ridge was limited by extensive tree root systems. The test pit excavation identified a shell-rich horizon and evidence for human modification in the underlying subsoil. Evidence for stone tool manufacture and possible vitrified residues were also present. At the base of the terrace, two evaluation trenches uncovered a rich shell midden layer dominated by cockle, periwinkle and oyster shell that contained some animal bone and possible worked quartz. Similarly to Site 2B, the upper shell midden covered a cobbled layer, which overlay an underlying shell horizon. On-site wet sieving and sorting of shell midden samples was undertaken by volunteers of the North of Scotland Archaeological Society. <1>