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MHG66136 - Midden - Boarscaig

Summary

A thick deposit of black, shell-rich, well-drained soil.

Type and Period (1)

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Full Description

A township comprising five unroofed buildings (three are sub-divided) is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Sutherland 1878, sheet xvi). The township has three unroofed buildings (one sub-divided) shown on the current OS 1:10,560 map (1962).
Information from RCAHMS (FO) 10 August 1995.

A rapid coastal zone assessment survey was conducted by GUARD in the Autumn of 1997 commissioned by Historic Scotland from the Viking and Early Settlement Archaeological Research Project based at the University of Glasgow.

Across an area of eroded coastline that runs for almost 100 m is a thick deposit of black, shell-rich, well-drained soil. Starting c 100 m south of the point where the settlement of Boarscaig's head-dyke runs down to the coast is an erosion scar, 23 m long, which reveals this deposit where the turf has been washed away. There is another 48 m strip of this deposit exposed 20 m south of where the first ends. This second deposit is in the area directly below where the buildings of this settlement stand. The depth of these deposits cannot be accurately discerned without excavation, as the edges have slumped forward and the wave-scour has not created straight breaks, but the soil is at least 0.5-0.6 deep.

The question arises as to why there is such a concentration of shell in this deposit? It could represent the midden-deposits of marine exploitation at this point but the shell-distribution seems well sorted. Alternatively, this could represent the systematic dumping of domestic refuse on to the coast-line fields in an attempt to manure them, but there was nothing but shell noted. The most likely explanation, given that the shell is well-sorted and there is no obvious concentration of other domestic refuse (e g carbonised material, pottery etc), is that this represents the deliberate mixing of shell with the soil in an attempt to counteract the acidity of the soil in what is an area of peat-bog. There are no surface-signs of cultivation directly above this eroded area, which is heavily overgrown with tall bracken. There are `lazy beds' or rigs on a platform above the 50 ft contour at the east of the buildings of the settlement which are sporadically visible for small stretches through the undergrowth. This entire settlement area within the head-dyke (NMRS 55 NE 38), much of which was outside the area of this survey, requires a landscape-survey. <1>

Note; Midden not vivible on APS and location based on report description (TB 17/8/26)

Sources/Archives (2)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NC 5684 5738 (84m by 92m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NC55NE
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	TONGUE

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