MHG2341 - Cists w burials etc, Mill of Watten
Summary
No summary available.
Type and Period (2)
- CIST (Early Bronze Age to Norse - 2400 BC? to 1300 AD?)
- BURIAL (Early Bronze Age to Norse - 2400 BC? to 1300 AD?)
Protected Status
- None recorded
Full Description
ND25SE 4 251 549.
(ND 2511 5496 & ND 2513 5496) 3 Stone Cists containing Human Remains and Iron Spearhead, found here AD. 1867 (NAT)
OS 25" map, Caithness, (1872)
Short Cists found 1867, 1869 (NAT) OS 1:10,000 map, (1975)
"While removing some earth in spring of 1867 three stone cists were discovered - two were lying parallel to each other about 6ft apart, other was about 60ft W. In one of two which were close to each other a complete human skeleton was found in tolerable preservation. And an iron spearhead near it (sic) - the others were full of decayed human bones and black earth. The cists were lying due E and W."
Name Book 1871; Info from Mr MacAdam, Watten Mill, Mr A Sutherland, Borgie and Mr W Flett, Strath of Watten to OS, c1871
Changes to OS 1:10,000 map arose because of minor differences between Mr MacAdam's account of find in ONB (1871), and his published description (PSAS 1873). In latter he states that only a single cist was found in 1867, and other two cists, 6ft apart were found in 1869, 20 yds W of find-spot of single cist. (This reverses positions of cists as given in Name Book.) All 3 cists are referred to as short cists in published account, which also notes that iron spearhead was found in one of two cists which were close together. (ONB account of this find is rather ambiguous, but the NMAS catalogue states that spearhead, 10 ins long and broken at the point, donated by Mr MacAdam in 1871 - Acc No IL 210 - was found beside the cist.)
Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1873; NMAS 1892
No further info regarding these sites was obtained from enquiries at Mill of Watten. One find spot falls in a cottage garden while the other lies between the farm buildings.
Visited by OS (W D J) 24 April 1963
Sources/Archives (4)
- --- SHG2591 Text/Publication/Volume: NMAS. 1892. Catalogue of the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland. 276.
- --- SHG28278 Dataset/Database File: National Museums Scotland. 2019. Highland Finds from the NMS Catalogue. National Museums Scotland. Digital. IL 210.
- --- SHG3342 Text/Publication/Volume: Name Book (County). Object Name Books of the Ordnance Survey. Book No. 12, 84.
- --- 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. 183.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred ND 2512 5496 (24m by 7m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | ND25SE |
| Civil Parish | WATTEN |
| Geographical Area | CAITHNESS |
Finds (1)
- SPEARHEAD (Norse - 800 AD to 1300 AD)
Related Monuments/Buildings (1)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (1)
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/8772 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site)
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