MHG63089 - Three Peaks Cave - Rosemarkie
Summary
An archaeological survey and test pitting was undertaken between 2011 and 2015 by the Rosemarkie Caves Project.
Type and Period (2)
- OCCUPATION SITE (Early Iron Age to Medieval - 550 BC? to 1559 AD?)
- CAVE (Occupied, Early Iron Age to Medieval - 550 BC? to 1559 AD?)
Protected Status
- None recorded
Full Description
The 2011-15 Rosemarkie Caves Project excavation report contains descriptive details of 14 caves which could potentially have been used as rock shelters in historic or pre-historic times.
From the results of our 2011-2015 programme of survey and test pitting, substantial evidence for lengthy use of the Rosemarkie Caves over the past 2000 years was gathered. A number of the caves, in particular the Learnie group, had been visited or occupied sometime during the 7th-9th centuries AD.
Three Peaks cave was named after 3 small stalagmites at the back of the cave and was hidden behind some trees. It has a smooth floor which looks as though it has been cleared in parts. Situated at 9m OD at entrance.
Test Pit 1
The bank of talus, which has probably built up over a considerable amount of time, limited the access to the cave, and Test Pit 1 was excavated at the back of the cave (Figure 14). Below mostly clean sediment, a stone setting [004] was uncovered. It comprised upright cobbles and small slabs enclosing a sebrectangular area approximately 0.35m by 0.5m NE-SW. The fill contained some charcoal fragments but no other revealing finds. The structure was interpreted as a possible burial cist, given its appearance (Plate 2; Figure 15). There was no material recovered to substantiate this interpretation, but the placement of the structure at the back of the cave could be a likely location for the location of a burial. A sample of hazel roundwood charcoal from behind one of the slabs was submitted for radiocarbon dating and produced a date of 133‐217 AD Calibrated 1‐sigma (68.2%)
and 85‐243 AD Calibrated 2‐sigma (95.4%). <1>
A list of caves, with grid references, is available on the Rosemarkie Caves Project website. <2>
Sources/Archives (6)
- --- SHG21057 Text/Report/Fieldwork Report: Cressey, M.. 09/1998. Coastal Assessment Survey Inner Moray Firth: Volume 1 - Inverness to Dingwall. Centre for Field Archaeology. 14/12/1998. Digital (scanned as PDF). pp 90, 91.
- --- SHG23297 Verbal Communication: Tilbury, S. Comment by Sylvina Tilbury, HER Officer.
- --- SHG23879 Text/Report/Fieldwork Report: Gunn, S. and Wood, J.. 09/2008. Community Archaeology Project: Excavation and Survey - Learnie Caves 2006. Highland Archaeology Services Ltd. 10/09/2008. Digital.
- --- SHG25378 Interactive Resource/Webpage: Gunn, S. Rosemarkie Caves Project. Digital.
- <1> SHG27731 Text/Report/Fieldwork Report: Gunn, S. & Peteranna, M.. 2016. Rosemarkie Caves Project: Programme of Archaeological Survey and Test Pitting in 2011-2015. Rosemarkie Caves Project. Digital. p.33-35,48. XY
- <2> SHG29509 Interactive Resource/Online Database: McComas, J.. 2016. Rosemarkie Caves Project; Excavations in 2016.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NH 7650 6158 (44m by 45m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NH76SE |
| Geographical Area | ROSS AND CROMARTY |
| Civil Parish | ROSEMARKIE |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (2)
External Links (3)
- http://www.spanglefish.com/rosemarkiecavesproject (Link to online website)
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/288285 (View HES Canmore entry for this site (numlink 288285))
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/293466 (View HES Canmore entry for this site (numlink 293466))
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