Field Visit

Date June 1980

Event ID 1008537

Category Recording

Type Field Visit

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1008537

RCAHMS Inventory; Argyll Volume 5 - Islay, Jura, Colonsay and Oronsay.

This hut-circle and its surrounding enclosure are situated in open moorland 1km NW of Knockrome on the SE flank of an isolated rocky knoll (80m OD) which forms part of the watershed between Lowlandman's Bay and Loch na Mile. Between 1976 and 1980 the hut-circle and sections of the enclosure were excavated by the Commission's officers (RCAHMS), and the following account is a summary of the published report (PSAS 1983).

The enclosure measures 78m by 65m within an irregular stone wall about 1.5m thick and, where best preserved under the peat that swamps much of the site, up to 0.7m high. Although it is entirely of drystone construction, more than one building-technique was used: on the E the wall is roughly coursed with a near vertical inner face, while on the S it is of simple dump construction. No trace of an entrance could be found.

The hut-circle lies at the foot of the knoll, occupying the driest and most sheltered part of the enclosure. Before excavation it appeared as a low annular mound about 10m in diameter over all with a few possible outer facing-stones visible, and with a ruined lambing-pen at its centre. Excavation revealed that the house had been in use over a long period of time, and had been modified and rebuilt on several occasions.

In the earliest period (1) the interior measured 7.5m in diameter within a stone-footed turf wall 1m thick and at least 0.4m high. Immediately within the line of the inner face there was a ring of stake-holes which had probably held the upright members of a wattle lining for the wall. The roof was supported on a ring of eight posts, with additional posts forming a porch structure at the entrance, which lay on the S. Flanking the S half of the wall there was a shallow drainage gully. The only internal features were numerous stake-holes, some of which appeared to form radial divisions, and a central hearth which remained a constant feature throughout the life of the house.

The house was remodelled in Period 2 by adding an extra outer face to the wall on the S and by more radical rebuilding on the N. This N-S division was reflected in the interior, where on the S the wattle lining was replaced by a plank-or post-built screen set in a bedding-trench, while on the N no trace of an inner lining was found. At the same time a new roof was erected on a replacement post-ring, and outside the entrance a rectilinear paved forecourt was laid over the existing gravel surface.

In the final phase (Period 3) the wall was again remodelled, but more extensively than in the proceeding period. A well-built and almost pefectly circular outer kerb was added, along with a poorly constructed stone inner revetment, which reduced the interior diameter to about 6m and increased the wall thickness from 1m in Period 1 to a maximum of 3m. The post-ring was replaced at least twice during this period and the paved forecourt was enlarged.

The finds included: stone hammers; a range of flint tools, flakes and cores; worked stones; and a small amount of pottery probably representing two vessels. Four radiocarbon dates were obtained from charcoal associated with the house: 1265bc +- 80 (GU-1384), from the Period 2 screen slot; 980bc +-65 (GU-1383), from between the Period 1 and 2 forecourt surfaces; 940bc+- (GU-1385), from the filling of the Period 1 external drainage ditch; 795bc+-70 (GU-1386), from core material of the Period 2 wall.

The only remaining features of note were two small patches of multiphase ard-marks found beneath the Period 1 wall-footings on the N side of the house.

RCAHMS 1984, visited June 1980