MHG702 - Burial cairn and burials - Lambsdale
Summary
No summary available.
Type and Period (2)
- BURIAL CAIRN (CULTURE 800; CULTURE NORSE; , Norse - 800 AD? to 1300 AD?)
- BURIAL (Norse - 800 AD? to 1300 AD?)
Protected Status
Full Description
Mound (NR) OS 6" map, Caithness, 2nd ed., (1907)
On E bank of Torran Water, about 1/4 mile above its influx into Loch Shurrery is a cairn overgrown with grass. It is slightly oblong on plan, lying with its largest axis E-W and rises in height towards latter direction. In diameter it measures 55ft from E to W by 41ft from N to S. Its elevation at E end is trifling and at W, 6ft or thereby. It has not been excavated.
RCAHMS 1911, visited 1910.
This cairn conforms to dimensions given above. It has been greatly mutilated by large excavations and no definite evidence of a cist or chamber was noted amidst the mass of stones. The rounded E end of cairn has been exposed, revealing a spine of stones o.6m high by o.4m wide.
Visited by OS (W D J) 6 April 1961.
(ND 0511 5477) Cairn (NR) OS 6" map, (1964)
Excavation in October 1955 proved that this site is not a chambered cairn. Trial cuttings showed it to be a pear-shaped mound, 80 by 50ft, composed mainly of sand, with a circular and a rectangular stone structure in SE half, which enclosed several deep burnt layers. About a dozen sherds were found, some apparently Viking, and the partial remains of two human skeletons.
A MacLaren 1955
No change to the preceeding report. Trial cuttings are still evident.
Visited by OS (JM) 10 July 1981.
Round cairn included in a list of long cairns in error by Mercer.
R J Mercer 1985; J L Davidson and A S Henshall 1991.
ND05SE 1 0511 5477.
See link below for 2003 excavation report of 1955 excavations. <1>
The excavation finds, including the human remains, are in the NMS under the accession number 2014.43. <2> <3>
Sources/Archives (7)
- --- SHG1062 Text/Publication/Article: MacLaren, A. 1955. 'Loch Shurrery', Discovery and Excavation in Scotland 1955, p.10-11. Discovery and Excavation in Scotland. 10-11. 11.
- --- SHG2115 Text/Publication/Volume: Davidson, JL and Henshall, A S. 1991. The chambered cairns of Caithness: an inventory of the structures and their contents. 170.
- --- SHG2512 Text/Report/Fieldwork Report: Mercer, R. J. & Hill, P.H.. 1985. Archaeological field survey in northern Scotland: Volume III: 1982-1983. University of Edinburgh. 30/01/1985. Paper and Digital. 6, no. FOR 360.
- --- SHG2664 Text/Report: RCAHMS. 1911. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions of Scotland. Third report and inventory of monuments and constructions in the county of Caithness. . 99, No. 360.
- <1> SHG2479 Text/Publication/Volume: MacLaren, A.. 2003. A Later Prehistoric house and early medieval buildings in Northern Scotland: excavations at Loch Shurrery and Lambsdale Leans, Caithness, 1955, with a note on Lower Dounreay. Online & Digital.
- <2> SHG28278 Dataset/Database File: National Museums Scotland. 2019. Highland Finds from the NMS Catalogue. National Museums Scotland. Digital. 2014.43.
- <3> SHG28455 Dataset/Database File: 2020. Database of Human Remains in Museum Collections from Highland Area. NMS, IMAG & Marishal College. Digital.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred ND 0512 5478 (25m by 24m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | ND05SE |
| Civil Parish | REAY |
| Geographical Area | CAITHNESS |
Finds (2)
- HUMAN REMAINS (Early Medieval to Medieval - 561 AD? to 1559 AD?)
- SHERD (Norse - 800 AD? to 1300 AD?)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (3)
- http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archiveDS/archiveDownload?t=arch-310-1/dissemination/pdf/sair5.pdf (Click to view published report)
- http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM459 (Online designation description (Historic Environment Scotland))
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/7740 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site)
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