MHG7040 - Burial cists, Auchindown
Summary
No summary available.
Type and Period (1)
- CIST (Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 551 BC)
Protected Status
- None recorded
Full Description
NH84NW 9 838 479.
Four cists, at least one of which was short, were found on the eastern and lower slope of the hill well-known as the Doune (Dun Evan: NH84NW 5), and almost on the ridge ... close to the farm-steading of Auchindoune (H C MacAndrew 1885) (NH 838 479) during ploughing in 1878. Three of the cists had been disturbed by previous ploughing and were filled with sand and gravel, intermixed with human bones, sherds and a black charred substance. The fourth cist was at slightly greater depth and was consequently better preserved. It contained a crouched skeleton and what appears from the description to have been a beaker. The only other possible grave-good was a white pebble. The cist was left in situ. Sherds of a cinerary urn found in a cist at Auchindoune in 1877 are in Inverness Museum accompanied (in 1933) by other sherds representing three beakers and a food-vessel, the association suggesting that thay may also have come from Auchindoune.
Possibly from the same site may have come various vessels described as being found 'at Cawdor' (c.1 mile NNE).
These include:-
a) Two beakers, from a cist, which were in Nairn Museum in 1888, but are now lost.
B) Two beakers, from a cist containing a skeleton, which were donated to the University Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Cambridge in 1925 (evidently not the same as 'a')
c) A food-vessel in NMAS (EE 9).
From the Cawdor Estate (PSAS 1966) on which Auchindoune lies, come parts of a short-necked beaker and two others, which were long preserved at Cawdor Castle, but were donated to NMAS by Earl Cawdor in 1963 (EG 99-101).
If all these finds are from Auchindoune, they suggest the existence of an extensive BA cemetery.
H C MacAndrew 1885; J G Callander 1933; Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1966; I C Walker 1967.
No further information. Visited by OS (A A) 29 January 1971.
Several sherds of decorated Beaker pottery are listed in the NMS catalogue under Acc. No. EG 99- EG 101. <1>
A document of correspondance in Inverness Museum archive files, dated 1984, suggests that at that time they held some material from Achindown. This included bone from at least one cist, beakers and beaker sherds, which are listed in the catalogue under Acc. Nos. 1977.181 &183, 0000.153-155 and 0002.655-656. The location of the objects needs confirming. <2> <3>
Sources/Archives (8)
- --- SHG1641 Text/Publication/Article: Walker, I C. 1967. 'The counties of Nairnshire, Moray and Banffshire in the Bronze Age: part I', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 98 1964-6, p.76-125. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 76-125. 100-1, 112-13.
- --- SHG2672 Text/Report: RCAHMS. 1978. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. The archaeological sites and monuments of Nairn District, Highland Region. . 9, No. 26.
- --- SHG34 Text/Publication/Article: Callander, J G. 1933. 'A Short Cist containing a Beaker at Newlands, Oyne, Aberdeenshire, and Sundry Archaeological Notes', Proc Soc Antiq Scot, Vol 67 (1932-33), pp 228-43. pp 232-5; illust..
- --- SHG435 Text/Publication/Article: Macandrew, H C. 1885. 'Cists discovered at Auchindoune', Trans Inverness Sci Soc Fld Club Vol. 1 1875-80, p.187-8. Trans Inverness Sci Soc Fld Club. 187-8. 187-8.
- --- SHG588 Text/Publication/Article: PSAS. 1966. 'Donations to and purchases for the Museum and Library', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 97 1963-4, p.255-61. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 255-61. 255.
- <1> SHG28278 Dataset/Database File: National Museums Scotland. 2019. Highland Finds from the NMS Catalogue. National Museums Scotland. Digital. EG 99- EG 101.
- <2> SHG28371 Collection: Inverness Museum. 2019. Inverness Museum and Art Gallery Archive Files.
- <3> SHG25836 Collection/Catalogue: Inverness Museum & Art Gallery. Inverness Museum & Art Gallery Accession registers. 1977.181 &183, 0000.153-155, 0002.655-656.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NH 8380 4789 (4m by 4m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NH84NW |
| Civil Parish | CAWDOR |
| Geographical Area | NAIRN |
Finds (4)
- BEAKER (Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 551 BC)
- VESSEL (Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 551 BC)
- SHERD (Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 551 BC)
- HUMAN REMAINS (Bronze Age - 2400 BC to 551 BC)
Related Monuments/Buildings (1)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (1)
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/15071 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site)
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