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MHG598 - Settlement - John O' Groats

Summary

Settlement site, later disturbed by a burial ground, that may have been occupied during the Early Iron Age, Late Iron Age (Pictish) and Norse periods.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

Grid Reference corrected to ND 37917 73250

Construction work on site of Highland and Island Development Board industrial estate led to discovery of a large quantity of human bone in 1989, leading to a rescue excavation of an area 6 x 5m by Archaeology Projects Glasgow under sponsorship of Historic Buildings and Monuments. Two phases of activity were found, indicated by the remains of a prehistoric settlement which had been later been substantially disturbed by two separate episodes of burial (see MHG39354).
The prehistoric settlement remains consisted of an extensive area of flagstone paving made up of both quarried flags and waterworn slabs which overlay approximately 0.5m of anthropogenic soils. The paving was presumed to represent structures within or near to a settlement but an insufficient area was examined to allow for any further interpretation. Between the flagstones and below them were three types of prehistoric pottery sherds and numerous flint flakes. The pottery included a single sherd of local Bronze Age type (possibly residual) and both Early and Late Iron Age types. The flint assemblage was not chronologically diagnostic. This depth of soil containing prehistoric pottery indicated a long history of settlement and based on the pottery, it likely began no later than the Early Iron Age and continued into the Late Iron Age, when its seems most likely that the paving was constructed. Beyond this, the nature, extent and duration of these episodes of settlement could not be determined from the limited area excavated however. <1>

Following the archaeological discoveries of the 1989 rescue excavations, various surveys and investigations in association with further development work in the surrounding area have been undertaken. None of this work discovered any further archaeological remains. For more details of these investigations, see attached reports. <2> <3> <4> <5> <6> <7> <8> <9>

Sources/Archives (12)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred ND 3791 7325 (160m by 160m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	ND37SE
Civil Parish	CANISBAY
Geographical Area	CAITHNESS

Finds (3)

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Investigations/Events (1)

External Links (3)