MHG4827 - Dun Fiadhairt
Summary
No summary available.
Type and Period (1)
- BROCH (Early Iron Age - 550 BC to 1 AD)
Protected Status
Full Description
NG25SW 1.00 2311 5042
NG25SW 1.01 terracotta figurine
(NG 2311 5042) Dun (NR)
OS 6" map, Inverness-shire, 2nd ed., (1904)
Dun Fiadhairt, a broch, measures 31ft internally within a wall up to 12ft thick. The entrance in the W is checked for a door and fitted with two communicating cells. Another cell lies in the NW sector of the wall, and the stair-lobby in the N, while a gallery occupies the E and S sectors (R W Feachem 1963).
Excavated in 1914 (F T Macleod 1915). Finds included an amber necklace, various beads with one dating from probably 2nd century AD., and a terra-cotta model of a bale of wool indicating trade links with Romanized Britain.
F T Macleod 1915; J Curle 1932; RCAHMS 1928; R W Feachem 1963.
Dun Fiadhairt, as described above. Largely cleared of debris; good condition.
Visited by OS (A C) 14 April 1961.
Roman terra-cotta object now in NMAS.
A Robertson 1970.
IA glass beads include a Guido Class 8 (small opaque yellow annular beads) from central hearth, a Class 13 (North Scottish spiral decorated beads) bead, and a Class 14 bead (North Scottish decorated annular beads). <1>
Dun Fiadhairt or Dun an Iardhard, NG25SW0001A
Brochs are round, tower-like houses, their monumental size intended to display the wealth and status of the agricultural communities who lived in them. Dun Fiadhairt sits on the centre of a small promontory, north-west of Dunvegan in Skye. Although surrounded by low ground, the broch is prominently sited on top of a steep rocky knoll. (55)
Dun Fiadhairt displays all the characteristic features of brochs. The approach is defined by parallel walls extending out from the broch tower, while the entrance passage is flanked by cells which could have been used as guard chambers. It is unusual in having a second, much narrower, entrance directly opposite the first. (53)
The interior living space is circular in shape and the drystone walls are hollow to contain intra-mural passages. Dun Fiadhairt was partially excavated in 1914. Among the finds were a necklace of amber beads and an unusual terracotta model of a bale of wool. (44)
Armit, I., 1997. Celtic Scotland. Edinburgh: Batsford.
Ritchie, G., and Harman, M., 1996. Exploring Scotland’s Heritage. Argyll and the Western Isles.
Edinburgh: HMSO, 131, No. 61.
RCAHMS. 1928. The Outer Hebrides, Skye and the Small Isles. Edinburgh: HMSO, 157-8, No. 508.
Information from SCRAN Project, March, 2000
This site was included in Mackie's 2007 'The Roundhouses, Brochs and Wheelhouses of Atlantic Scotland c.700 BC - AD 500: Architecture and material culture'. See link below to HES Canmore record which includes the chapter on this site. <2> <3>
Finds in the NMS were acquired in 1915 from Countess Vincent Baillet de Latour. They include the amber necklace, glass beads, a strike-a-light, stone whorls, flint scrapers, the Roman terracotta miniature in the form of a bale of hay, a portion of a steatite armlet, fragments of Iron Age pottery and pebbles (Acc. No. GA 999-1019). Other finds are in the Skye & Lochalsh Archive Centre. <4>
Sources/Archives (37)
- --- SHG1124 Text/Publication/Article: Green, M. 1981. 'Model objects from military areas of Roman Britain', Britannia Vol. 12 1981, p.253-69. Britannia. 253-69. 268, No. 7.
- --- SHG1152 Text/Publication/Article: Topping, P G. 1986. 'Neutron activation analysis of later prehistoric pottery from the Western Isles of Scotland', Proc Prehist Soc Vol. 52 1986, p.105-29. Proc Prehist Soc. 105-29. 105-29.
- --- SHG1196 Text/Publication/Article: Macleod, F T. 1915. 'Notes on Dun an Iardhard, a broch near Dunvegan, excavated by Countess Vincent Baillet de Latour, Uiginish, Skye', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 49 1914-15, p.57-70. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 57-70. 57-70; illust..
- --- SHG14389 Image/Photograph(s): Dun Fiadhairt. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG14390 Image/Photograph(s): Dun Fiadhairt. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG14391 Image/Photograph(s): Dun Fiadhairt. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG14392 Image/Photograph(s): Dun Fiadhairt. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG14393 Image/Photograph(s): Dun Fiadhairt. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG14394 Image/Photograph(s): Dun Fiadhairt. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG14395 Image/Photograph(s): Dun Fiadhairt. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG14396 Image/Photograph(s): Dun Fiadhairt. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG14397 Image/Photograph(s): Dun Fiadhairt. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG14398 Image/Photograph(s): Dun Fiadhairt. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG14399 Image/Photograph(s): Dun Fiadhairt. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG14400 Image/Photograph(s): Dun Fiadhairt. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG14401 Image/Photograph(s): Dun Fiadhairt. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG14402 Image/Photograph(s): Dun Fiadhairt. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG14403 Image/Photograph(s): Dun Fiadhairt. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG14404 Image/Photograph(s): Dun Fiadhairt. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG14405 Image/Photograph(s): Dun Fiadhairt. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG14406 Image/Photograph(s): Dun Fiadhairt. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG14407 Image/Photograph(s): Dun Fiadhairt. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG14408 Image/Photograph(s): Dun Fiadhairt. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
- --- SHG1444 Text/Publication/Article: Robertson, A S. 1970. 'Roman finds from non-Roman sites in Scotland', Britannia Vol. 1 1970, p.198-226. Britannia. 198-226. table II.
- --- SHG168 Text/Publication/Article: Curle, J. 1932. 'An inventory of objects of Roman and provincial Roman origin found on sites in Scotland not definitely associated with Roman constructions', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 66 1931-2, p.277-397. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 277-397. 349.
- --- SHG1696 Text/Publication/Article: Mann, J C. 1974. 'The northern frontier after AD 369', Glasgow Archaeol J Vol. 3 1974, p.34-42. Glasgow Archaeol J. 34-42. 35-6.
- --- SHG1778 Text/Publication/Article: Topping, P G. 1988. 'Typology and chronology in the later prehistoric pottery assemblages of the Western Isles', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 117 1987, p.67-84. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 67-84. 72, 79.
- --- SHG2187 Text/Publication/Volume: Feachem, R W. 1963. A Guide to Prehistoric Scotland. 1st. 171-2.
- --- SHG2493 Text/Publication/Volume: Mann, J C. 1975. The Romans in the north. 31, No. 40.
- --- SHG2656 Text/Report: RCAHMS. 1928. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions of Scotland. Ninth report with inventory of monuments and constructions in the Outer Hebrides, Skye and the Small Isles. . 157-8, No. 508; figs. 227-9.
- --- SHG2708 Text/Publication/Volume: Ritchie and Harman, J N G and M. 1985. Exploring Scotland's heritage: Argyll and the Western Isles. 131, No.62.
- --- SHG2939 Text/Publication/Volume: Wild, J P. 1970. Textile manufacture on the northern Roman provinces. 23; pl. xii (c).
- --- SHG2961 Text/Publication/Article: Green, M J. 1978. 'A Corpus of Small Cult-Objects from the Military Areas of Roman Britain', Brit Archaeol Rep Vol. 52. Brit Archaeol Rep. 59.
- <1> SHG2300 Text/Publication/Volume: Guido, M. 1978. The glass beads of the prehistoric and Roman periods in Britain and Ireland. 195, 200.
- <2> SHG26111 Text/Publication/Monograph: Mackie, E.. 2007. The Roundhouses, Brochs and Wheelhouses of Atlantic Scotland c.700 BC - AD 500: Architecture and material culture Part 2 (I & II) The Northern and Southern Mainland and the Western Islands. BAR British Series. 444. Paperback. Pp. 812-14.
- <3> SHG23282 Interactive Resource/Online Database: Historic Environment Scotland. Canmore. 10925.
- <4> SHG28278 Dataset/Database File: National Museums Scotland. 2019. Highland Finds from the NMS Catalogue. National Museums Scotland. Digital. GA 999-1019.
Map
Location
Grid reference | Centred NG 2313 5044 (70m by 70m) (2 map features) |
---|---|
Map sheet | NG25SW |
Geographical Area | SKYE AND LOCHALSH |
Civil Parish | DUIRINISH |
Finds (12)
- BEAD (Iron Age - 550 BC to 560 AD)
- NECKLACE (Roman to Early Medieval - 200 AD to 700 AD)
- ARMLET (Iron Age - 550 BC to 560 AD)
- WHETSTONE (Iron Age - 550 BC to 560 AD)
- ROTARY QUERN (Iron Age - 550 BC to 560 AD)
- STRIKE A LIGHT (Iron Age - 550 BC to 560 AD)
- SCRAPER (TOOL) (Iron Age - 550 BC to 560 AD)
- HAMMERSTONE (Iron Age - 550 BC to 560 AD)
- SLAG (Iron Age - 550 BC to 560 AD)
- SHERD (Iron Age - 550 BC to 560 AD)
- ANIMAL REMAINS (Iron Age - 550 BC to 560 AD)
- SPINDLE WHORL (Iron Age - 550 BC to 560 AD)
Related Monuments/Buildings (1)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (2)
- http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM905 (Online designation description (Historic Environment Scotland))
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/10925 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site)
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