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MHG20135 - Kerbed ritual enclosure and later cairn - Achinduich

Summary

A small Early Bronze Age enclosure or "ritual arena" enclosed by a kerb of boulders and subsequently closed by the erection of a cairn. The ritual activites were pre-dated by a period of cultivation which overlay deposits of a more domestic nature.

Type and Period (8)

Protected Status

Full Description

Prehistoric kerbed burial mound, NC 581 006. In 1988, survey first identified this site as large indeterminate mound. In 1989, two small assemblages of burnt bone were recovered from an abandoned quarry section, which had cut into mound. A massive boulder within quarry suggested continuation of a kerb of large stones which was visible on E side. If correct it seems that c15% of mound had been removed by the quarry.
Excavation revealed an almost soil-free cairn, retained by a slightly eliptical kerb of upright boulders, 9m along the Sw-NW axis and an estimated c8m along the SE-NW axis. The kerb stones were slightly graded in size with those on N side being smaller, these northern stones had also been displaced.
The cairn consisted of angular rocks typical of numerous field clearance cairns in vicinity. The composition of cairn suggested that it had been very much disturbed. On S side, at base, a lidless and damaged cist was recovered, from N side a fragment of Beaker pottery was found.
In surface of soil beneath cairn, a tanged and barbed arrowhead (close to findspot of the Beaker sherd) and four discrete collections of burnt bone were discovered. A total of thirteen small pits were cut through this surface. The largest pit contained a crushed, but virtually complete pot; from an examination of its uncleaned form it is probably best defined as a Food Vessel. It contained nine small pierced shale discs.
The soil beneath cairn had been enriched with abundant charcoal, flint waste flakes and small sherds of pottery. It is thought possible that cairn overlay a domestic or midden context.
It seems likely this burial monument is broadly contemporary with main site type in area; large hut circles of sort excavated at Allt na Fearna quarry (NC50SE 46). Good examples of such sites are present some 50m to N of cairn.
R McCullagh 1991. <1>

Roderick McCullagh advises that the location quoted in the above DES entry is incorrect. It is now believed that this site is almost certainly a kerb cairn, but was probably a small arena for activities that involved the scattering of cremated human bone and the burial of various artefacts, including a Food Vessel. The sequence of deposits strongly suggests that the kerb of large boulders was already in place prior to the accumulation of the internal deposits. In effect the kerb described an area within which the activities took place. The cairn can be seen as being built to formally and symbolically finalise the ritual procedures. <2> <3>

Sources/Archives (3)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NC 5820 0066 (10m by 10m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NC50SE
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	CREICH

Finds (4)

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Investigations/Events (0)

External Links (1)