MHG2210 - Chambered Cairn - Cairn of Get
Summary
No summary available.
Type and Period (2)
- CHAMBERED CAIRN (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2401 BC)
- HUMAN REMAINS (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2401 BC)
Protected Status
Full Description
'Cairn of Get': A short horned cairn of Orkney-Cromarty type.
Though much dilapidated, this cairn, excavated by Anderson in 1866 (Anderson 1869), is still 8 ft high and is covered with turf and heather. Much of the chamber is visible, E wall of the inner chamber standing some 5 ft above the debris. The finds, now lost, included ashes, bones (both burnt and unburnt), flint (including leaf-shaped arrowheads) and Western Neolithic pottery.
A S Henshall 1963; R W Feachem 1963; J Anderson 1869. <1> <2> <3> <4> <5>
The site was mentioned in PSAS in 1873 in relation to museum purchases and donations. <6>
The site was visited and mentioned by RCAHMS in 1911. <7>
Scottish Neolithic pottery was discussed by J G Callander in 1929, in which he discussed finds from multiple cairns across Scotland. <8>
The cairn was Scheduled in 1934.
Cairn of Get, as described and planned above.
Resurveyed at 1:2500. Visited by OS (N K B) 21 April 1967.
This short horned cairn appears to have originated as a round chambered cairn about 25 ft in diameter.
A S Henshall 1972. <9>
ND34SW 4 3133 4112.
Cairn of Get (NAT) Chambered Cairn (NR) OS 1:10,000 map 1976
'As a preliminary to consolidating this short horned cairn the chamber and passage, which were excavated in Victorian times, were re-excavated. No in situ prehistoric remains were found though several sherds of prehistoric pottery including grooved ware were found. The debris from the passage and chambers was used to consolidate several robber holies in the body of the cairn. Sponsor: SDD-HBM' <10>
When first excavated in 1866 this short horned chambered cairn revealed the bones of seven or more people in the antechamber, and a deposit of wood ash, burnt and unburnt human and animal bones, flint arrowheads and fragments of pottery were discovered in the main chamber. The chamber was divided by upright stones and had lost its roof and lay open to view. Two leaning slabs at the back of the chamber were deliberately set that way; aboev them heavy corbel stones project over the chamber as the start of a roof. The walls facing the sides of the horns culd be seen in places. <11>
The site was mentioned by J L Davidson and A S Henshall in 1991. <12>
East Caithness Local Plan, May 1987: P31/2.52.
J Aitken : 22/05/01.
Cairn still survives as open chamber to walk into and cairn material around it. Survives to c 2m high in places. Definitely visible as horned at both ends from top of mound, Survives as grassy area in heather otherwise and sits on top of one of more dominant knolls below the hillfort. Rabbit scrape in N side above entrance passage is turning out pieces of large long bone, skull and other pieces - HAW 24/05/2005
The site was visited and photographed by C Jones in April 2011. A series of photographs on a 360 degree panorama were taken starting in the south west and turning clockwise. <13>
The monument was rescheduled by Historic Environment Scotland in 2016 and now also includes the monuments previously included under SM4255 (see MHG2181) and an additional cairn to the northeast (see MHG57377). <14> <15>
GIS spatial data amended to position as seen on 2009 APs. <16>
The NMS catalogue lists rim sherds from the Cairn of Get, Garrywhin, under Acc. No. 2006.2. These are likely the groove ware sherds from the re-excavation of the the passage and chamber for consolidaton in 1985. <17> <10>
Sources/Archives (21)
- --- SHG3015 Text/Publication/Article: Duff-Dunbar, L. 1935. 'A fort at Skitten, Wick, Caithness, with notes on flint implements from the same county', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 69 1934-5, p.108-17. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 108-17. pp. 117.
- --- SHG4141 Image/Photograph(s): B/W Negative. .
- --- SHG9835 Image/Photograph(s): Ch. Cairn, Cairn of Get, Ulbster, during excav. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG9841 Image/Photograph(s): Ch.Cairn, 'Cairn O'Get'+Garrywhin, 'Fort' Ulbster. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- <1> SHG357 Text/Publication/Monograph: Henshall, A S. 1963. The chambered tombs of Scotland, Volume 1. 272-3, CAT 26; plan, fig. 43.
- <2> SHG2187 Text/Publication/Volume: Feachem, R W. 1963. A Guide to Prehistoric Scotland. 1st. 44.
- <3> SHG1326 Text/Publication/Article: Anderson, J. 1866-68. 'On the horned cairns of Caithness, their structural arrangement, contents of chambers, &c.', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 7 1866-8, p.480-512. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 480-512. 487-9, 500-1, 512.
- <4> SHG1402 Text/Publication/Article: Anderson, J. 1869. 'Report on excavations in Caithness cairns, conducted for the Anthropological Society of London by Messrs. J Anderson and R I Shearer in 1866', Mem Anthrop Soc London Vol. 3 1867-9, p.216-42. Mem Anthrop Soc London. 216-42. 216-20.
- <5> SHG1898 Text/Publication/Volume: Anderson, J. 1886. Scotland in pagan times: the bronze and stone ages: the Rhind lectures in archaeology for 1882. 248-9.
- <6> SHG635 Text/Publication/Article: PSAS. 1873. 'Donations to and purchases for the Museum', (And exhibits)', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 9 1870-2, p.5-12,53-9,78-81,153-7,179-85,219-23,238-49,. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 5-12,53-9,78-81,153-7,179. 246.
- <7> SHG2657 Text/Report: RCAHMS. 1911. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions of Scotland. Second report and inventory of monuments and constructions in the county of Sutherland. . 178-80, No. 559.
- <8> SHG1478 Text/Publication/Article: Callander, J G. 1929. 'Scottish neolithic pottery', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 63 1928-9, p.29-98. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 29-98. 29-98.
- <9> SHG358 Text/Publication/Monograph: Henshall, A S. 1972. The chambered tombs of Scotland, Volume 2. 2. Paper (Original). 204.
- <10> SHG382 Text/Publication/Article: Gibson, A. 1985. 'Cairn of Get (Wick p)', Discovery and Excavation in Scotland 1985, p.66. Discovery and Excavation in Scotland. 66. 66.
- <11> SHG2053 Text/Publication/Volume: Close-Brooks, J. 1986. Exploring Scotland's Heritage: The Highlands. 161-2, No. 103.
- <12> SHG2115 Text/Publication/Volume: Davidson, JL and Henshall, A S. 1991. The chambered cairns of Caithness: an inventory of the structures and their contents. 114-16, no. 26; plan.
- <13> SHG26489 Text/Report/Environmental Statement: Headland Archaeology. 2012. Beatrice offshore Wind farm: Environmental Statement. Arcus Renewable Energy Consulting Ltd. Digital.
- <14> SHG27648 Text/Designation Notification/Scheduled Monument: Historic Environment Scotland. 2016. Changes to the schedule of Monuments 01/09/2016. Historic Environment Scotland. Digital.
- <15> SHG27654 Text/Designation Notification/Scheduled Monument: Historic Environment Scotland. 2016. Amended entry in the Schedule of Monuments: SM90048: Cairn of Get, chambered cairn, cairns and cists. Historic Environment Scotland. Digital.
- <16> SHG27382 Image/Photograph(s)/Aerial Photograph/Vertical: Get Mapping. 2009. Getmapping aerial photography 2009. XY
- <17> SHG28278 Dataset/Database File: National Museums Scotland. 2019. Highland Finds from the NMS Catalogue. National Museums Scotland. Digital. 2006.2.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred ND 3132 4112 (29m by 31m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | ND34SW |
| Civil Parish | WICK |
| Geographical Area | CAITHNESS |
Finds (4)
- HUMAN REMAINS (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2401 BC)
- LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2401 BC)
- LEAF ARROWHEAD (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2401 BC)
- SHERD (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2401 BC)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (2)
- http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM90048 (Online designation description (Historic Environment Scotland))
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/9046 (View HES Canmore entry for this site)
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