Field Visit

Date 2018

Event ID 1088346

Category Recording

Type Field Visit

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1088346

HU 327 848 (Grut Wells) and HU 326 902 (Beorgs of Uyea)

The North Roe Felsite Project (NRFP) is a partnership

involving University College Dublin, Queen’s University

Belfast, Shetland Museum and Archives, National Museums

of Scotland, the Implement Petrology Group and Archaeology

Shetland, building on the reconnaissance survey undertaken

by Torben Ballin. The project is addressing a central research

issue for the Neolithic in Shetland (and Scotland); the role of

a visually distinctive stone; (reibeckite) felsite (Group XXII

in the Implement Petrology Group scheme of British stone

implement petrology Groups), which during the Neolithic

period people transformed into polished axes and knives.

The source is at North Roe, Northmavine, mainland Shetland,

where there is a well-preserved major quarry complex.

Fieldwork 2018 – Previous NRFP field seasons (2013, 2014,

2016, 2017) focused on the quarry landscape. Excavation at

Grut Wells in 2017 provided the first radiocarbon dates for

the quarrying activity, broadly between 3600–3300 cal. BC.

Analysis of this first major phase of work is ongoing. In

2018 exploratory fieldwork was carried out as part of the

assessment of the direction and development of the project.

Work continued on felsite objects in the Shetland Museum,

Lerwick and local museums elsewhere in Shetland.

Survey: Northmavine and West Mainland – Preliminary

fieldwork and assessment of the potential prehistoric

exploitation of reibeckite felsite dykes at Brevligarth (HU 335

920), on the N coast of Northmavine and two kilometres NNE

of the Beogs of Uyea was carried out. The distinctive spherulitic

reibeckite felsite had been quarried and used in the modern

historic period to construct the croft. This included UAV

(unmanned aerial vehicle) survey.

It appears that while the production process of felsite axes

and Shetland knives at the quarry complex went as far as

final stage roughouts or preforms, the final finishing, grinding

and polishing took place elsewhere, Given the widespread

distribution of felsite objects across the archipelago, their

occurrence in Early Neolithic contexts and the Early Neolithic

dates for the quarry itself, one important research question

with wider implications for our understanding of the

development of the Neolithic in Shetland is the location of

these finishing workshops.

Systematic fieldwalking of a ploughed field with the

assistance of Archaeology Shetland at Flugarth (HU 368

905), to the NE of the quarry complex revealed the presence

of felsite debitage. Fieldwork by Archaeology Shetland

identified another potential locus of activity at Esha Ness

(HU 233 785) where erosion of the peat cover revealed felsite

objects and debitage on the top of a low ridge. It is relevant to

note that there is a concentration of felsite objects, including

partially ground and polished axes in the Esha Ness area in

the collections of Shetland Museum and the Tangwick Haa

museum (see below).

Fieldwork and UAV survey was carried out at Modesty,

West Burrafirth, West Mainland (HU 265 571). The reason

for the project’s interest in this area is the dating by National

Museums Scotland of an assemblage with felsite axes and

Shetland knives dates to 3500–3100 cal BC and indications

that the area may have been a focus of Neolithic activity. It

should be noted that initial geological identification (with

thanks to Allen Fraser) of a reibeckite felsite hammerstone

discovered beside a fallen standing stone at Lang Hill (HU 274

575) suggests that it is possible it came from the porphyritic

reibeckite felsite dyke (Smith Harmar felsite) two kilometres

to the S, running SW/NE on either side of Sulma Water rather

than the North Roe source.

Museum work – In the Shetland Museum, Lerwick this

focused on working through the archival record for felsite

objects to see if additional information could be added to

the NRFP database about the location, find circumstances

and contexts of objects. Recent accessions to the museum

collections were recorded and photographed. It is worth noting

that despite the fact that formal recognition of the quarrying

activity at the quarry complex at North Roe was in the middle

of the 20th century, roughouts had been found at the quarry

from the 19th century. Also notable is the concentration of

felsite objects in the Esha Ness area, Northmavine, S across

Ronas Voe from the quarry and N of Magnus Bay and West

Mainland, seen as the focal area for Neolithic activity in

Shetland.

The felsite objects in the collections of the Scalloway Museum

and the Tangwick Haa Museum were recorded, drawn and

photographed.

With thanks to Jenny Murray (Shetland Museum) for

facilitating fieldwork, Archaeology Shetland (in particular Steve

Jennings and Caroline Henderson) and the Waterson family

(Modesty) for assistance in the field, Billy Moore (Scalloway

Museum), Ruby Brown (Tangwick Haa Museum) and Allen

Fraser for discussion.

Archive: UCD School of Archaeology (currently) and National

Museums Scotland/Shetland Museum and Archives (intended)

Funder: National Geographic Society, University College Dublin,

National Museums Scotland and Queens University Belfast

Gabriel Cooney and William Megarry – UCD School of

Archaeology, University College Dublin/School of Natural and

Built Environment, Queen’s University Belfast

(Source: DES, Volume 19)