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MHG10284 - Hut circle - East of A9, Allt Briste, nr Navidale

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Type and Period (1)

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Full Description

NMRS Notes:Hut circle at ND 049 173 on E side of main road beside a track.
Visited by OS (A A) 24 April 1972.

ND 0483 1734. This hut circle is 10.5m in diameter within a bank of 2.2m average spread. The entrance is in the SE. The bank has been destroyed in N probably during construction of later track. There are no traces of contemporary cultivation in immediate vicinity, but a few clearance heaps are visible a few hundred metres to E around ND01NE 4. Surveyed at 1:10 560.
Visited by OS (J B) 28 June 1976.

Evaluation trench Oct 2002 by AOC in advance of road alterations which will destroy area. Flatter area cleared of bracken, reveals stone revetting on seaward (downhill) side of platform. Upper side disturbed by track that was allegedly built in WW2 to defences on coast. Poss. outer bank as reported earlier is v tenuous. 3/10/2002 - HAW

Site visit 19/11/2002 as site excavated. Front wall discovered & poss rear. Floor level at W side. Saddle quern recovered from wall tumble & 1 sherd of pottery. Outside bank still needs evaluation. Photos. - HAW 11/2002

The site was excavated in 2002 by AOC. The excavation comprised a single area, c 12 x 16m. The stone wall of the roundhouse survived up to five courses high in places and measured 11.3m NW-SE by 10m. A stone floor surface was present on the southern side of the roundhouse and this extended out through the SE-facing entrance-way. The roundhouse also contained a sub-circle, approximately 6.5m in diameter, of nine large stone-packed post-holes which appear to have been structural roof supports. Other features included two internal drains with stone capping, one of which was channelled out underneath the revetment. Charcoal samples were recovered from the floor deposits and the drain features, where were later used to obtain radiocarbon dates. Finds include a fragment of a carved spindle whorl (possible stone pendant), a couple of prehistoric pottery sherds and numerous coarse stone implements, including saddle querns, weights, hammerstones and a possible mortar/lamp. <1>

This site is no. 1 in Stuart Farrell's pre-forestry survey of 2002 (Report 1021):
"Walkover reveals that site lies in area of proposed alterations to nearby A9 road, with archaeological evaluation being carried out by AOC Archaeology Ltd. Possible 2nd structure (?) of 4m diameter at ND 04826/1733 (sic) within bnk (revealed by trial trenching to be 0.5m high"
J.Wood 10-9-03

The excavation assemblage from the roundhouse was submitted to Treasure Trove (TT 192/09) and allocated to Inverness Museum. See attached TT fieldwork report. <2> <3>

A short summary report of the 2002 excavation is held in the Inverness Museum archives, which also lists the carved spindle whorl or pendant under Acc. No. 2010.023. <4>

See link below to the Scottish Radiocarbon Database for radiocarbon dates.

Sources/Archives (6)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred ND 0482 1734 (100m by 100m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	ND01NW
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	KILDONAN

Finds (7)

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