Excavation

Date 8 June 2020 - 15 July 2020

Event ID 1127244

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1127244

HU 40602 39906 An excavation was carried out to retrieve human remains discovered during landscaping work on a prominent mound in Upper Scalloway. The mound, formed artificially through severe truncation of the surrounding areas down to the modern ground level, is a remnant of a deeply stratified multi-period site that was extensively excavated during development works in 1989–1990 (DES 1989, 1990). These excavations revealed, in reverse chronological order, a medieval/post-medieval farm; a medieval cemetery; Early Historic settlement; Iron Age settlement that included a broch; and a Bronze Age cremation (Canmore ID: 995).

A topographic survey of the area was carried out and the archaeologists commenced excavation, identifying 18 in situ burials containing extended supine inhumations and the remains of a minimum of 23 individuals. It is expected that these form part of the previously identified medieval cemetery. Some graves contained disarticulated human remains suggesting intercutting and truncation of old graves had occurred and the disturbed remains reburied with the new inhumation. A broad range of ages were represented, including young infants and adults. There was one instance of a likely double interment but generally a single individual occupied a single grave.

The grave fills were rich in artefacts including ceramics, spindle whorls, painted pebbles, stone pot lids, coarse stone tools, loom weights, fragments of bone combs and bone pins, amongst others. None of these appeared to be deliberately included as grave goods and are expected to derive from the underlying pre-medieval phases of activity and included incidentally as part of the grave backfill.

Graves were excavated into the underlying pre-medieval stratigraphy which included the remnants of wall-defined structures in varying states of preservation. As these were at risk of being removed by the landowner to facilitate the landscaping works, the archaeologists commenced a partial excavation of the area to the depths required for the work to take place.

A minimum of five structures were identified and, of these, four were severely truncated by modern development. The structures bear stark similarities to ones identified as Early Historic from the previous excavations, comprising coursed walling in curvilinear shapes with evidence of paving within. One structure in particular formed a neatly-built cell with deliberately infilled entrance corridors and multiple occupation layers within. Associated artefacts included worked bone points and comb fragments, gaming pieces, spindle whorls and painted pebbles among others. Large amounts of animal bone were identified including cetacean, sheep/goat, cow, pig and fish. Shell was also present.

Further deeply stratified archaeological deposits are clearly present across the Upper Scalloway area and it is likely that further burials and settlement will be present in the vicinity.

Archive: NRHE

Funder: Historic Environment Scotland

Sam Williamson – AOC Archaeology Group

(Source: DES Volume 21)