MHG2510 - Iron Age occupation - Reay
Summary
No summary available.
Type and Period (3)
- OCCUPATION SITE (Early Iron Age - 550 BC? to 1 AD?)
- MIDDEN (Early Iron Age - 550 BC? to 1 AD?)
- FINDSPOT (Early Iron Age - 550 BC? to 1 AD?)
Protected Status
- None recorded
Full Description
NC96NE 29 973 650.
The drystone walls (similar to NC96NE 13b) of a number of circular buildings have been revealed at surface level by erosion of sand W of Drill Hall at Reay.
A J H Edwards 1929.
At or near stones (NC96SE 2) are traces of ruins whose stones have almost all been removed for building. There are also remains of ancient middens in which are found bronze pins and needles, sea-shells, animal bones and fire-blackened stones.
Name Book 1873.
Perambulation W of Drill Hall revealed no traces of discoveries recorded above, but hut circles were located to NW of Hall (NC96NE 15). Visited by OS (N K B) 25 November 1964.
NC 9738 6505, at E edge of quarried area N of a garage (fo Drill Hall) is midden containing shells and animal bones exposed c1m below present ground level. Mr R B Gourlay undertook a minor excavation here and discovered potsherds, believed to be Early Iron Age, shells, animal bones, burnt and unburnt charcoal, and unidentifiable dry-stone structures. A report is pending. Further exposure of midden material can be seen on floor of quarry. This may be part of a settlement area contemporary with the hut circles to NW (see NC96NE 15). Visited by OS (N K B) 8 October 1981. See MHG2487
NB Reports of a Norse Cemetery (NC96NE0013) to the W & NW of the Drill Hall, plus of other structures that may well be earlier, It is noteworthy that NMAS that received finds from this area in the 1920s has an IA pin mould in its collections from the Bay - HAW 2/2003
GIS spatial data amended in 2018 to better indicate a larger area of potential. IS-L 04/12/2018
Sources/Archives (2)
- --- SHG3400 Text/Publication/Volume: Name Book (County). Object Name Books of the Ordnance Survey. 40.
- --- 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. 138-9.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NC 9733 6508 (100m by 100m) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NC96NE |
| Civil Parish | REAY |
| Geographical Area | CAITHNESS |
Finds (1)
- PIN (Undated)
Related Monuments/Buildings (1)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (1)
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/7267 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site)
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