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MHG14374 - Human Skull - Uamh Fhraing, Eigg

Summary

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Full Description

A child's skull and large rim-shoulder, unglazed, potsherd (medieval, possible) were found whilst exploring the nooks and crannies of this cave. Deposited at Inverness Museum.
[This site is recorded as Uamh Fhraing on OS 1 : 10 000 map 1976].
INVMG 1980.001.
G Harden 1985

There are letters of correspondance regarding the discovery of the skull in 1979 in the Inverness Museum archives. It was thought to have been likely that it came from one of the victims of the massacre in the cave of the MacDonalds by the MacLeods in 1557. The remains of the victims were thought to have been cleared away by the Island chief in the 18th or 19th century. It was the intent of the Museum to keep the skull until they had acertained whether the Islander wished to rebury the skull, given that it may have been from one of the massacre victims, but it is was also possible that the skull could have been of a much older date from earlier use of the cave. <1>

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Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NM 4748 8345 (6m by 6m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NM48SE
Civil Parish	SMALL ISLES
Geographical Area	LOCHABER

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