MHG56812 - Torbreck Cist - Cullaird Wood, Inverness
Summary
A prehistoric burial cist discovered during the construction of a new access track into Cullaird Wood. A sub-rectangular stone built cist containing the remains of a probable adult individual with an associated Plain urn Vessel and six lithic fragments.
Type and Period (1)
- CIST (Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 551 BC) + Sci.Date
Protected Status
- None recorded
Full Description
A prehistoric bural cist was dicovered during landscaping works following the construction of a new access track in Cullaird Wood, south-west of Inverness. The site was visited and photographed by Stuart Farrell in March 2013 before a rescue excavation was carried out. <1>
The excavation by GUARD Archaeology under the Historic Scotland terms of the Human Remains Call-Off Contract uncovered a sub-rectangular stone built cist containing the remains of a probable adult individual with an associated Plain urn vessel and six lithic fragments. The cist was located within an area rich in prehistoric remains and was of a similar style to others found in the wider locale. The cut of the cist was roughly oval in shape and lined in three sides with flat slabs of roughly rectangular shaped sandstone, while the fourth side, which was south-west facing, was constructed of several relatively small fragments of irregularly shpaed sandstone which was positioned in a slight arc. Following its construction a crouched inhumation was placed directly onto the natural subsoil base and a vessel was positioned in front of the face and six fragments of lithic were placed around the body. <2>
Post excavation analysis indicated that the individual was female, aged between 40-44 years. Radiocarbon dating provided an early Bronze Age date of 1982-1889 BC, calibrated to 2 sigma, which is consistent with the dating of the Beaker and lithic artefacts. The final report of the excavation was published in 2014. It can be viewed online (see link below). <3>
The excavation assemblage from the site was submitted to Treasure Trove (TT 208/15) and allocated to Inverness Museum. <4>
Sources/Archives (4)
- <1> SHG26319 Image/Photograph(s): Farrell, S. 2012. Photographs of Torbreck Cist. Colour. Digital.
- <2> SHG26030 Text/Report/Fieldwork Report: Kilpatrick, M. 2012. Torbreck Cist, South-West Inverness: Human Remains Call-Off Contract: Data Structure Report: Project 3499. GUARD Archaeology Ltd. Digital.
- <3> SHG26038 Text/Report/Fieldwork Report: Kilpatrick, M. AR08: A Highland Funeral: Portrait of an Early Bronze Age Beaker Burial at West Torbreck, south-west Inverness. GUARD Archaeology Ltd. Digital.
- <4> SHG28208 Dataset/Database File: Treasure Trove. 2019. Highland Finds from Treasure Trove Annual Reports 2004-18. Treasure Trove. Digital. TT 208/15.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NH 6414 4043 (9m by 9m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NH64SW |
| Civil Parish | DORES |
| Geographical Area | INVERNESS |
Finds (4)
- HUMAN REMAINS (Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 551 BC) + Sci.Date
- BEAKER (Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 551 BC)
- SCRAPER (TOOL) (Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 551 BC)
- FLAKE (Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 551 BC)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (2)
External Links (2)
- http://www.archaeologyreportsonline.com/reports/2014/ARO8.html (Link to report published online)
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/346424/clachandreggy (Link to online HES Canmore record)
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