MHG10007 - BA Hoard, Migdale
Summary
No summary available.
Type and Period (1)
- FINDSPOT (Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 551 BC)
Protected Status
- None recorded
Full Description
Mrs Marion Fraser identified the site of the hoard find for the Time Team Programme 4/2003 having visited site as a child. Further she says that there is an article in the Northern Times 9/05/2003 on the hoard, saying that some of the hoard ws dispersed at time of finding to local children. She says she has no local knowledge of this, although she says this is a story told in Sarah Horn's book - HAW 5/2003
NH69SW 22 6336 9214.
An Early Bronze Age metalwork hoard was found during blasting of granite knoll on moorland at Migdale (NH 635 921) between 1895 and April 1901; and was donated to NMAS in 1964-5 by Mrs M Carnegie Miller, Connecticut, descendant of owner of property at time of discovery, Andrew Carnegie. and of the report to Society of Antiquaries of Scotland {Anderson 1901})
According to Rev Dr Joass (information from J M Joass to J Anderson) site lay 200 yards SW of two hut circles, and many tumuli and cairns lay all around, but at greater distances (Anderson 1901). The hoard consisted of one flat axe (not two as has been consistently reported), eight armlets, seventy-three beads, at least twenty bead-fragments, fragments of sheet bronze, five sheet cones, an ear-ornament and six jet buttons (Acc Nos: DQ 205, 335-365) (Coles 1962). (See also NH69SW 21).
J Anderson 1901; Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1967; J M Coles 1971.
No definite information was found regarding findspot of hoard; but Mr Stewart (N Stewart, Migdale) indicated an area of rocky knolls where he had heard of 'something' having been found. The area, at NH 6336 9214, has been extensively quarried for stone and one or two shot-holes were seen in rock. It is now overgrown with scrub. Moorland to NE of this area was perambulated but no trace was found of hut-circles mentioned by Joass (Anderson 1901)
No further information. Visited by OS (J B) 6 October 1980.
Loch Migdale, Skibo, Dornoch. Hoard found by blasting a granite knoll on moor at W end of Loch Migdale.
Flat axe, smooth on one face and corroded on other, green, tinned, butt cleaned on one face, one side notched; length 152mm, butt 37mm, cutting edge 82mm, weight 530 gms. NMAS DQ 335.
Associated finds: two armlets of butt-jointed strips with three horizontal mouldings between which a decoration of short vertical incised strokes (milling) can be seen; six armlets of D- or oval-section, butt-jointed but now overlapping, their internal diameter varying between 56 and 66mm; 43 beads of sheet bronze partly with wooden cores, varying in length between 34 and 18mm and in diameter between 6.5 and 4mm; a fragment of sheet bronze, decorated on one face with lenticular bosses between traced strokes and bordered with rows of small bosses; fragment of a sheet bronze earring of the basket type; fargment of sheet bronze possibly similar to the last; five (plus one fragment of) conical, V-bored buttons of jet or lignite.
The axe figured by Piggott and Stewart is no longer considered to belong to this hoard, not least because of the different patina: see NH78NW 19. P K Schmidt and C B Burgess 1981.
The wooden core of one of the beads has been radiocarbon dated to 3655 ± 75 BP, or 2281-1779 cal BC at 2 sigma. <1>
Listed in the NMS catalogue is a flat axehead (Acc. No. DQ 335), armlets (DQ 336- DQ 343), bronze beads beads (DQ 205, DQ 344- DQ 351) bronze sheets and cones (DQ 352- DQ 357, DQ 359), a hair or ear ornament (DQ 358) and jet and shale buttons (DQ 360- DQ 365). <2>
Sources/Archives (10)
- --- SHG1240 Text/Publication/Article: Anderson, J. 1901. 'Notice of a hoard of bronze implements and ornaments, and buttons of jet, found at Migdale, on the Estate of Skibo, exhibited to the Society by Mr Andrew Carnegie of Skibo, LL. D., FSAScot', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 35 1900-1, p.266-75. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 266-75. 266-75.
- --- SHG1474 Text/Publication/Article: Coles, J M. 1971. 'Scottish Early Bronze Age metalwork', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 101 1968-9, p.1-110. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 1-110. 108-9; illust.
- --- SHG2372 Text/Publication/Volume: Junghans, Sangmeister and Schroder, S, E and M. 1968. Studien zu den Anfangen der Metallurgie II: Kupfer und Bronze in der fruhen Metallzeit Europas. pt. 2.3, nos. 7439 and 7459.
- --- SHG2621 Text/Publication/Volume: Piggott and Stewart, S and [C] M. 1958. Early and Middle Bronze Age grave-groups and hoards from Scotland: Inventaria Archaeologia, Great Britain, V. 26.
- --- SHG28009 Text/Publication/Volume: Clarke, D. V., Cowie, T.G., Foxon, A.. 1985. Symbols of Power at the time of Stonehenge. pp 302-3.
- --- SHG3000 Text/Publication/Article: Schmidt and Burgess, P K and C B. 1981. 'The axes of Scotland and Northern England', Prahistorische Bronzefunde Vol. 9. Prahistorische Bronzefunde. 42, no. 157.
- --- SHG365 Text/Publication/Article: 1958. 'The Migdale Hoard bronze necklace', The Migdale Hoard bronze necklace Vol. 89, p.456. The Migdale Hoard bronze necklace. 456. 456.
- --- SHG589 Text/Publication/Article: PSAS. 1967. 'Donations to and purchases for the Museum and Library', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 98 1964-6, p.326-38. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 326-38. 327, No. 16.
- <1> SHG28555 Text/Publication/Article: Needham, S., Bronk Ramsey, C., Coombs, D., Cartwright, C. & Pettitt, P.. 1997. ‘An independent chronology for British Bronze Age metalwork: the results of the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator programme’ in Archaeological Journal Vol. 154. Archaeological Journal. 55-107. pp. 61.
- <2> SHG28278 Dataset/Database File: National Museums Scotland. 2019. Highland Finds from the NMS Catalogue. National Museums Scotland. Digital. DQ 205, DQ 335- DQ 359.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NH 6335 9213 (4m by 4m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NH69SW |
| Geographical Area | SUTHERLAND |
| Civil Parish | CREICH |
Finds (7)
- EAR RING (Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 551 BC)
- HOARD (Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 551 BC)
- AXEHEAD (Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 551 BC)
- BEAD (Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 551 BC)
- ARMLET (Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 551 BC)
- UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 551 BC)
- BUTTON (Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 551 BC)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (1)
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/14010 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site)
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