Scanned image of drawing of a beaker, annotated with measurements. Verso: annotated 'Acharole Cist, 1904'.

Description Scanned image of drawing of a beaker, annotated with measurements. Verso: annotated 'Acharole Cist, 1904'.

Date 1904

Collection Papers of John Nicolson, antiquarian, Keiss, Caithness, Scotland

Catalogue Number SC 876555

Category On-line Digital Images

Scope and Content Watercolour of a beaker from a cist at Acharole, Caithness, Highland A short cist containing a crouched male inhumation and a beaker was found by Robert Sutherland in August 1904 when excavating gravel from a small mound near a standing stone at Acharole, Watten, Caithness. This watercolour by John Nicolson (1843-1934) shows the beaker found in the cist. The decoration is clearly detailed. Beakers were probably used as drinking cups and are often found in burial cists. Although the beaker shown here is intact it did not stay that way for long. As the excavator noted in 1905, 'owing to the friable nature of the urn and the incautious handling to which it was subjected, it soon went into many fragments.' Nicolson was born at Stemster, John O' Groats in 1843. He moved with his family to the 'Half-Way House', Nybster, in 1858 and farmed there until he died in 1934. During his time at Nybster he was actively involved in archaeology and excavated many sites. He was also a keen artist, drawing many artefacts discovered across the county. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

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File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap