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MHG55640 - Woodland clearance - Broadford Medical Centre site, Strath, Skye

Summary

Possible evidence for prehistoric woodland clearance was exposed during a watching brief and subsequent excavation on the site of a new medical centre at Broadford, Strath, Skye by West Coast Archaeological Services in 2011.

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Full Description

An archaeological evaluation including a watching brief and excavation was carried out by West Coast Archaeological Services at the site of the new Broadford Medical Centre at High Road, Broadford, Isle of Skye, between the 25 July and 20 August 2011. A significant number of amorphous-shaped features, some of which merged to form larger spreads containing black silt deposits and small gritty inclusions were exposed during the excavations. The small inclusions appeared to be burnt and degraded although no charcoal was recovered. These deposits were found underlying the possible cairn (see MHG55635) and at the south-west end of the gravel ridge which ran across the site. A sample were excavated and the ‘cuts’ revealed a varying morphology, some being more classic pit-shaped varying in depth between 0.05m to 0.35m, while others resembled the ripped out roots and boles of trees. All of the negative cut features excavated on the site including the drain within cairn, grain storage pits, souterrain and the post-holes and pits (see MHG55635-9) cut through these dark brown to black spreads of material and the amorphous-shaped negative features containing this deposit. Therefore, it was clear that whatever formed these features and deposits, the activity appeared to represent the clearance of woodland from the site prior to the construction of the excavated monuments. <1>

A revised Data Structure Report (for <1>) was subsequently produced which includes the results from the post-excavation analysis along with radiocarbon dating results on samples submitted to the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre at East Kilbride. A full synthesis of the results from the excavations at the Broadford Medical Centre site will be published in due course. <2>

Sources/Archives (2)

Map

Location

Grid reference	NG 6407 2391 (point)
Map sheet	NG62SW
Geographical Area	SKYE AND LOCHALSH
Civil Parish	STRATH

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