MHG11738 - Cist and burial, Dornoch Nursery
Summary
No summary available.
Type and Period (1)
- SHORT CIST (Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 551 BC) + Sci.Date
Protected Status
- None recorded
Full Description
NH79SE 18 7980 9081.
NH 797909. A short cist found in forestry nursery at Hilton of Embo was exacavated in September 1979. It lay NW-SE and measured 0.96m by 0.72m internally; it had a massive capstone but no base-stone, nor was it looted. The contents consisted of a crouched skeleton, an all over corded beaker, five barbed and tanged arrowheads, a bracer (Atkinson's class B.1), a flint strike-a-light and an iron ore nodule. All finds are in Inverness Museum (INVMG 980.15-19).
K Antonio, P Ashmore and R Gourlay 1979; G Harden 1985.
The precise find spot of the cist was pointed out by the head forester at NH 7980 9081.
Visited by OS 2 December 1980.
A radiocarbon date for the cremated remains in the cist was obtained an published in 2004, indicating an Early Bronze Age date of 2410-2200 BC BC (calibrated to 1 sigma). They are possibly contemporary with the crouched inhumation, however, the attempt to radiocarbon date these unburnt remains failed due to insufficient collagen being present. This was undertaken as part of the National Museums of Scotland Radiocarbon Dating Programme. <1>
The beaker is listed under Acc. No. 1980.015, the arrowheads are under 1980.016.001-005 and the bracer under 1980.017 in the Inverness Museum catalogue. Remainder under 1980.018-019. There is a catalogue form relating to the bracer and photo within the museum's archive files. <2> <3>
See link below to Scottish Radiocarbon Database for radiocarbon date.
Sources/Archives (13)
- --- SHG728 Text/Publication/Article: Ashmore, P J. 1990. 'Excavation of a beaker cist at Dornoch Nursery, Sutherland', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 119 1989, p.63-71. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 63-71. 63-71.
- --- SHG8000 Image/Photograph(s): DNC, Beaker + skeleton in cist. Unknown. .
- --- SHG8001 Image/Photograph(s): DNC, finds. Unknown. .
- --- SHG8002 Image/Photograph(s): DNC, cist as left by FC. Unknown. .
- --- SHG8003 Image/Photograph(s): DNC, general view. Unknown. .
- --- SHG8004 Image/Photograph(s): DNC, excavation area. Unknown. .
- --- SHG8005 Image/Photograph(s): DNC, cover slab lying by cist. Unknown. .
- --- SHG8006 Image/Photograph(s): DNC, cist, top of beaker visible. Unknown. .
- --- SHG897 Text/Publication/Article: Antonio, Ashmore and Gourlay, K, P and R. 1979. 'Hilton of Embo (Dornoch p) short cist', Discovery and Excavation in Scotland 1979, p.18. Discovery and Excavation in Scotland. 18. 18.
- --- SHG898 Text/Publication/Article: Harden, G, P and R. 1985. 'Hilton of Embo (Dornoch p) short cist', Discovery and Excavation in Scotland 1985, p.27. Discovery and Excavation in Scotland. 27. 27.
- <1> SHG27898 Text/Publication/Article: Sheridan. A. 2004. The National Museums Scotland Radiocarbon Dating Programmes: Results Obtained during 2004/5. Discovery and Excavation in Scotland 2004. 174-176. Paper (Copy). 174.
- <2> SHG25836 Collection/Catalogue: Inverness Museum & Art Gallery. Inverness Museum & Art Gallery Accession registers. 1980.015-019.
- <3> SHG28371 Collection: Inverness Museum. 2019. Inverness Museum and Art Gallery Archive Files. 1980.017.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NH 7980 9080 (4m by 4m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NH79SE |
| Geographical Area | SUTHERLAND |
| Civil Parish | DORNOCH |
Finds (5)
- CREMATION (Early Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 1501 BC) + Sci.Date
- STRIKE A LIGHT (Early Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 1501 BC)
- BEAKER (Early Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 1501 BC)
- ARM GUARD (Early Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 1501 BC)
- BARBED AND TANGED ARROWHEAD (Early Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 1501 BC)
Related Monuments/Buildings (1)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (2)
- https://canmore.org.uk/c14index/14841 (Link to online Scottish Radiocarbon Database)
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/14841 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site)
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