MHG2479 - Chambered Cairn, Cnoc-Na-H-Uiseig
Summary
No summary available.
Type and Period (2)
- CHAMBERED CAIRN (Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 551 BC)
- BURIAL (Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC to 551 BC)
Protected Status
Full Description
NC96NE 6 9969 6772.
Cnoc na h-Uiseig (NAT), Pict's House (NR) (Remains of)
OS 6"map, Caithness, 2nd ed., (1876)
Cnoc na h-Wiseig (Cairn) (NR) OS 6"map, Caithness, 2nd ed., (1907)
'Lower Dounreay' or 'Cnoc na Huseig' (A S Henshall 1963), 'The Fairies Mound', 'The Lairacks Hillock' of 'Cnoc na h-Uiseig' (A J H Edwards 1929) is an Orkney-Cromarty short horned cairn, excavated in 1928 by Edwards. Across centre between the horns it measured about 58ft and along the horns 70ft. In 1910 part of a surrounding wall-face of thin horizontal slabs could be seen on E side of NE horn (RCAHMS 1911); in 1958 a small section could be seen along NE side (A S Henshall 1963). The entrance was between horns on SE side. The irregularly-shaped chamber with a rounded end was carefully built of courses of small slabs, divided and strengthened by 8 upright projecting slabs set into the walls.
Among the debris of flat slabs which filled the chamber a secondary long cist had been constructed, 3ft below surface of the cairn and lying NNE-SSW obliquely across the innermost compartment.
From the chamber came Neolithic (NMAS: EO 358) and Beaker (EO 357, 360-1) pottery, an ox phalange with transverse perforation (EO 359), an axe of micaceous sandstone (EO 356) and unburnt bones representing five bodies. From the long cist came a male skeleton, and fragments of Beaker pottery (EO 360). The remains of many types of animals, two bird species, and two oyster shell fragments were found on the chamber floor. (Scheduled as 'Cnoc na h-Uiseig'. Chambered Cairn.)
A S Henshall 1963; RCAHMS 1911, visited 1910; A J H Edwards 1929; Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1930; 1934.
This chambered cairn, a grassy mound, has been mutilated large-scale construction work and is now slightly rectangular in shape, measuring 22m E-W and 17.5m transversely, by about 2.5m high. The horns are barely distinguishable on E side. The soil-tip to the S formerly overlay S segment, but the cairn has been 'cleaned-up' and a high mesh-fence now encloses it.
Resurveyed at 1:2500. Visited by OS (N K B) 20 November 1964.
(NC 9969 6772) Cnoc na h-Uiseig (NAT), Chambered Cairn (NR)
OS 6"map, (1967)
The beaker fragments from this site, in NMAS, are classified as of All-over Corded, Undecorated, and indeterminate types.
D L Clarke 1970.
No change. Visited by OS (J B) 7 September 1981.
This site has been fenced off to prevent damage during construction works for the Dounreay New Low Level Waste Facilities. <1>
Sources/Archives (9)
- --- SHG2051 Text/Publication/Volume: Clarke, D L. 1970. Beaker pottery of Great Britain and Ireland. Vol. 2, 516, Nos 1611-1612.1.
- --- SHG2115 Text/Publication/Volume: Davidson, JL and Henshall, A S. 1991. The chambered cairns of Caithness: an inventory of the structures and their contents. 124-6, no. 38; plan.
- --- SHG2664 Text/Report: RCAHMS. 1911. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions of Scotland. Third report and inventory of monuments and constructions in the county of Caithness. . 103, No. 374.
- --- SHG28278 Dataset/Database File: National Museums Scotland. 2019. Highland Finds from the NMS Catalogue. National Museums Scotland. Digital. EO 356- EO 361.
- --- SHG357 Text/Publication/Monograph: Henshall, A S. 1963. The chambered tombs of Scotland, Volume 1. 280-1, CAT 38; plan.
- --- SHG569 Text/Publication/Article: PSAS. 1930. 'Donations to and purchases for the Museum and Library', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 64 1929-30, p.9-24, 106-11, 211-17. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 9-24, 106-11, 211-17. 12.
- --- SHG572 Text/Publication/Article: PSAS. 1934. 'Donations to and purchases for the Museum and Library', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 68 1933-4, p.10-26, 97-100, 190-193, 350-4, 412-19. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 10-26, 97-100, 190-193, 3. 181.
- --- SHG747 Text/Publication/Article: Edwards, A J H. 1929. 'Excavations at Reay Links and at a horned cairn at Lower Dounreay, Caithness', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 63 1928-9, p.138-50. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 138-50. 140-50; plan.
- <1> SHG25212 Text/Report/Fieldwork Report: Wilson, D. 02/2011. Archaeological Evaluation Works on the Dounreay Site. Headland Archaeology Ltd. Digital.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NC 9969 6772 (80m by 80m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NC96NE |
| Civil Parish | REAY |
| Geographical Area | CAITHNESS |
Finds (6)
- SHERD (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2401 BC)
- BEAKER (Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 551 BC)
- WORKED OBJECT (Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC? to 551 BC?)
- AXEHEAD (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2401 BC)
- HUMAN REMAINS (Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC? to 551 BC?)
- ANIMAL REMAINS (Neolithic to Late Bronze Age - 4000 BC? to 551 BC?)
Related Monuments/Buildings (1)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (2)
- http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM444 (Online designation description (Historic Environment Scotland))
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/7300 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site)
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