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MHG54897 - Partial horse burial, Marine Terrace, Rosemarkie

Summary

A partial horse burial dating from the mid to late 18th century.

Type and Period (1)

HORSE BURIAL (18th Century - 1750 AD? to 1800 AD?)

Protected Status

None recorded

Images (41)

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Feature 4, horse burial pit, after excavation. © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44954 (click to view a larger version of this image)

Horse burial during excavation of the horse bones. © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44950 (click to view a larger version of this image)

Horse burial during excavation of the horse bones. © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44949 (click to view a larger version of this image)

View of the horse skull with clay and a large stone compacted into the centre. © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44948 (click to view a larger version of this image)

View of the horse skull with clay and a large stone compacted into the centre. © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44947 (click to view a larger version of this image)

View of the horse skull with clay and a large stone compacted into the centre. © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44946 (click to view a larger version of this image)

View of the horse skull with clay and a large stone compacted into the centre. © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44945 (click to view a larger version of this image)

Horse burial during excavation, with most of the overlying and surrounding fill excavated; clearly showing the bones deposited in a pile at the centre of the pit. © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44944 (click to view a larger version of this image)

Horse burial during excavation. © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44937 (click to view a larger version of this image)

Horse burial pit, Feature 4, after half-sectioning; showing the pit cut into natural sand and burial under stoney soil fill at the centre of the pit. © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44935 (click to view a larger version of this image)

Horse burial pit, Feature 4, after half-sectioning; showing the skull under stoney soil fill at the centre of the pit. © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44934 (click to view a larger version of this image)

Horse burial pit, Feature 4, after half-sectioning; showing the sequence of deposition. © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44932 (click to view a larger version of this image)

Horse burial pit, Feature 4, after half-sectioning; showing the sequence of deposition. © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44930 (click to view a larger version of this image)

Horse burial pit, Feature 4, after half-sectioning; showing the pit cut into natural sand and sequence of deposition. © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44929 (click to view a larger version of this image)

Horse skull showing during half-sectioning of Feature 4 pit; the skull and other bones was set in soft pink clay (C.403) with stoney soil fill overlying the clay (C.402) © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44925 (click to view a larger version of this image)

Horse skull showing during half-sectioning of Feature 4 pit; the skull was set in soft pink clay (C.403) with stoney soil fill overlying the clay (C.402). © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44924 (click to view a larger version of this image)

S half of the horse burial pit during half-sectioning showing the skull set in soft pink clay (C.403) with stoney soil fill overlying the clay (C.402). © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44923 (click to view a larger version of this image)

Horse skull becomes visible during half-sectioning of Feature 4 pit; the skull was set in soft pink clay (C.403) in the S side of the deposit; stoney soil fill overlay the clay (C.402) © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44918 (click to view a larger version of this image)

Suboval pit at NE end of Trench 4 during half-sectioning showing the central pink clay deposit (Context 403), below the pit upper fill, which contains the partial horse burial. © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44914 (click to view a larger version of this image)

Suboval pit at NE end of Trench 4. © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44905 (click to view a larger version of this image)

Suboval pit at NE end of Trench 4. © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44904 (click to view a larger version of this image)

18th c. Ceramic pan tile fragments (SF11) from Feature 4, pit basal fill C. 404. © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44888 (click to view a larger version of this image)

18th c. Ceramic pan tile fragments (SF11) from Feature 4, pit basal fill C. 404. © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44887 (click to view a larger version of this image)

18th c. Ceramic pan tile fragments (SF11) from Feature 4, pit basal fill C. 404. © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44886 (click to view a larger version of this image)

18th c. glass bottle base (SF10) from Feature 4, upper fill Context 402. © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44885 (click to view a larger version of this image)

18th c. glass bottle base (SF10) from Feature 4, upper fill Context 402. © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44884 (click to view a larger version of this image)

18th c. glass bottle base (SF10) from Feature 4, upper fill Context 402. © Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services. id: 44883 (click to view a larger version of this image)

Documents (1)

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MTR11 TT Report.pdf — No. 5 Marine Terrace, Rosemarkie: Trial Trenching Evaluation - Data Structure Report © Ross & Cromarty Archaeological Services, 2011. id: 119049 (click to open this file in a new window)

Full Description

A partial horse burial was discovered during trial trenching in 2011. This highly unusual feature comprised a well-constructed pit containing a selective quantity of bone from the upper torso of a small horse or pony placed discretely at the centre. A full description of the burial and finds is available in the linked report.
Large numbers of horse bones were also recovered from the buried ground surface (context 207, see MHG54896). It is possible that this assemblage included the legs and feet of this horse, but the number of teeth does suggest there is more than one horse represented. <1><2>

Sources/Archives (2)

Map

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Base layers

Bing Aerial
Ordnance Survey

Info

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Record list

Tools

100 m

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 7377 5764 (1m by 2m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NH75NW
Geographical Area	ROSS AND CROMARTY
Civil Parish	ROSEMARKIE

Finds (3)

PANTILE (18th Century - 1701 AD? to 1800 AD?)
WINE BOTTLE (18th Century - 1750 AD? to 1750 AD?)
PLANT MACRO REMAINS (Unknown date)

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Investigations/Events (1)

Trial trenching, 5 Marine Terrace, Rosemarkie (Ref:MTR11) (EHG3522)

External Links (0)

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