MHG2833 - Cist - Mains of Balnagowan

Summary

No summary available.

Type and Period (1)

  • CIST (Early Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 1501 BC) + Sci.Date

Protected Status

  • None recorded

Full Description

A short cist was found 200m NE of Mains of Balnagowan farmhouse when ploughing the crest of a S-facing natural sand eminence. Built of red sandstone, it measured 1.0m by 0.6m by 0.5m internally, set in a pit, 1.9m by 1.55m.
The cist contained a fragmentary female skeleton, placed on its right side, orientated W and facing S, accompained by a complete step four beaker placed behind the head and a flint flake placed behind the pelvis. The cist floor consisted of a 100mm thick layer of selected coloured pebbles. The grave-goods are now in Cawdor Castle Museum.
I A G Shepherd and A N Tuckwell 1976+ RCAHMS 1979, visited 1978.

The site of the cist was pointed out at NH 8107 5464 by the finder, the farmer at Mains of Balnagowan.
Visited by OS (J M) 28 January 1981.

A radiocarbon date was obtained in 2009 from the skeletal material as part of the Beaker and Bodies Project. This indicated an Early Bronze Age date of 2140-2030 BC, calibrated to 1 sigma. <1>

A radiocarbon date for the Main of Balnagowan was published as part of the Bristish Museum Beaker Dating Programme in 1991. This produced a date of 1970-1740 BC, calibrated at 1 sigma. A copy of the appendix and illustration of the beaker from this publication was sent to Inverness Museum and is kept within their archive files.<2> <3>

The human remains are listed in the University of Aberdeen Museums and Collections Catalogue, under Acc. No. ABDUA:90013. <4>

Sources/Archives (8)

Map

Location

Grid reference Centred NH 8107 5463 (4m by 4m) (2 map features)
Map sheet NH85SW
Civil Parish ARDERSIER
Geographical Area INVERNESS

Finds (3)

  • BEAKER (Early Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 1501 BC)
  • LITHIC IMPLEMENT (Early Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 1501 BC)
  • HUMAN REMAINS (Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 551 BC)

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Investigations/Events (0)

External Links (1)

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