MHG495 - Burial Cairn, Acharn
Summary
Site of late neolithic-bronze age burial cairn which contained two cists.
Type and Period (1)
- BURIAL CAIRN (Neolithic - 4000 BC to 2401 BC)
Protected Status
Full Description
The cairn is as described in 1974. (RCAHMS, 1980, 48-50) The capstone of the southern cist measures 1.40m by 1m. A footpath, constructed in 2004, from Acharn bridge to Arienas Point, passes round the North side of the cairn.
Field Verification Project (West Lochaber) - J Robertson, 03/2004
Cairn, Acharn: This cairn is situated on a small terrace above the flood-plain at the E end of Loch Arienas. It has been very considerably reduced by stone-robbing and now measures about 10.5m in diameter and 0.5m in greatest height. Two cists have been exposed, one to the S of the centre of the cairn and the other in the NE quadrant. The first, measuring 1.4m by 0.8m internally and 0.8m in depth, was found to contain a small amount of cremated bone (PSAS 1977); the capstone has been displaced and lies a short distance to the S. The second cist measures 0.9m by 0.7m internally and 0.6m in depth. The SE end-slab stands to a height of 1.04m and thus rises above the uniformly level tops of the other three slabs; this is an unusual feature and suggests either that the capstone merely butted against this end-slab or that the cist was covered by two inclined slabs meeting at the apex and using the SE end-slab as a gable. An unworked flint flake and small fragments of charcoal were discovered inside the cist. It may have been from one of these two cists than an 'urn with ashes' was recovered during the removal of stones from one of the cairns at Acharn in the early 19th century (Gregory 1857).
D Gregory 1857; I Thornber 1974; Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1974; RCAHMS 1980, visited 1974.
Sources/Archives (5)
- --- SHG1231 Text/Publication/Article: Gregory, D. 1857. 'Notes regarding various remains of antiquity, both of the earlier and middle ages, observed during a recent visit to the Hebrides', Archaeol Scot Vol. 4 1857, p.362-5. Archaeol Scot. 362-5. 363.
- --- SHG2660 Text/Report: RCAHMS. 1980. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Argyll: an inventory of the monuments volume 3: Mull, Tiree, Coll and Northern Argyll (excluding the early medieval and later monuments of Iona). . 49-50, No. 7 (2); plan fig. 15; illust..
- --- SHG596 Text/Publication/Article: PSAS. 1977. 'Donations to and purchases for the Museum and Library', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 106 1974-5, p.229-33. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 229-33. 18-19.
- --- SHG90 Text/Publication/Article: Thornber, I. 1974. 'Acharn, cairn, flint/scraper, cairn, cairns', Discovery and Excavation in Scotland 1974, p.19-20. Discovery and Excavation in Scotland. 19-20. 19 (cairn).
- --- SHG9799 Image/Photograph(s): Burial Cairn & cists, Acharn, view from above. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NM 6970 5070 (16m by 16m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NM65SE |
| Civil Parish | MORVERN |
| Geographical Area | LOCHABER |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (2)
- http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM7791 (Online designation description (Historic Environment Scotland))
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/22479 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site)
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