Excavation

Date May 2019

Event ID 1107003

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1107003

NB 42127 32749 During May 2019, excavations were carried out 2m to the east side of Amity House, (Canmore ID: 153310). Prior to the excavation, an evaluation had been undertaken by Western Isles Marine & Environment Ltd which uncovered the remains of a substantial stone and lime mortar wall comprising dressed stonework over rubble foundations. The wall was interpreted as part of the Cromwellian fort depicted on the c.1653 ground platt of the fortification at Stornoway.

The excavation area (14m N-S by 10m) was stripped of modern deposits, exposing the surface of the first archaeological horizon which was cleaned by hand to expose the wall and associated archaeological features. Trench 1 was excavated N of the wall face and trench 2 was excavated to the E. Two control baulks were established, one of which incorporated the 2018 trial trench. The aim was to clarify the extent and character of the wall and associated archaeological deposits.

The area of wall uncovered measured approximately 7.5m from N to S and extended 2.9m to the west. The 7.5m-long section of wall consisted of a battered E-facing wall faced with boulders coursed with small subangular pinning stones bonded with shell and lime mortar and standing 0.8m high. At the N end of the wall, it formed an angled return to W, with a 2.9m section exposed up to the western excavation edge.

The wall return on the N corner stood up to 0.9m high, built over what appeared to be natural subsoil. The interior of the wall comprised a loose rubble core, which may have been partially disturbed by later groundworks on the east side of Amity House.

The northern section of the E wall face (c.2.5m length of wall from the N corner) consisted of the upper wall course 0.80m high built over a stepped foundation course up to 0.35m high, forming an overall wall surviving 1.15m high. The step extended 0.15-0.20m from the wall face and served to extend the battered wall face 0.5m horizontally at its base out from the surface of the wall. This had been built over a possible ditch which contained wet shingle-soil layers with frequent charcoal inclusions but absent of lime mortar. Only a small section of this ditch was investigated, but it appeared to run below the wall to the west and below the baulk to the east. The ditch was interpreted as an earlier feature, possibly related to the medieval town.

The 0.8m-high S section of the east wall face, in contrast to the northern section, was built over a compact rubble stone that stood 0.5m high. The stone layer appeared to have been built into a foundation slot which contained fragments of possible medieval pottery.

Deep layers of mixed infill abutted the wall face, containing a mixture of stone infill, midden, and peat deposits. Fragments of probable medieval pottery were recovered from these mixed infill layers and a few fragments of later medieval, potentially 16th/17th century ceramics were also found redeposited on the site. The infill layers contained a mixture of butchered and unbutchered mammal and fish bones. Initial assessment of the mammal bone showed that cattle, sheep, pig and possibly deer are represented in the assemblage.

While the timing of the infill episodes was unclear, given the material recovered from the upper layers, it is believed that they represent more recent (c.50-70 years ago) build-up and landscaping of material on the site. The underlying deposits most likely represent a sequence of accumulation of material in preceding periods.

The stone-built wall characterised by a battered wall face with an angled corner and stepped foundation course, provides good evidence that the structure represents a defensive wall and the construction bears similarities to other Cromwellian forts. The extent of the rubble wall core, although potentially disturbed, indicates that this section of the wall could have formed a certain structural element of the fort - such as a bastion or the base of the “tower” referred to in documentary resources.

The earliest in situ archaeological layers have been tentatively interpreted as medieval in date. It is possible that some of this represents earlier structural remains that may have formed part of the medieval town. The site certainly would have potential for medieval archaeology given its position some 100m north of the medieval castle.

Archive: NRHE

Funder: Stornoway Port Authority

C Murray, M Peteranna, S Williamson ̶ AOC Archaeology

(Source: DES, Volume 20)