Archaeological Evaluation

Date 22 April 2022 - 7 September 2022

Event ID 1161990

Category Recording

Type Archaeological Evaluation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1161990

NM 56048 61893 A new season of fieldwork at Camas Nan Geall took place in April, August and September 2022 as part of the ERDF funded programme, The Real Wild West: Adopt-a-Monument on Ardnamurchan. The work was completed by members of staff from Archaeology Scotland working alongside volunteers from the Ardnamurchan Heritage and History Association (AHHA) and Rose Geophysical Consultants. The work comprised of a gradiometer survey of Camas Nan Geall, and a resistivity survey of the chambered cairn and burial ground located within the bay. Results of the gradiometer survey were used to inform the location of five targeted evaluation trenches to investigate the potential archaeological remains identified in the survey.

The evaluation trenches showed evidence of raised beach remains throughout the bay, with occasional artefacts recovered from the topsoil, including ceramics and glass used for middening, and a probable Neolithic arrowhead. Only one of the evaluation trenches, Trench 4, contained any archaeological features, which may represent a period, or periods, of prehistoric activity. These features include a discrete spread of ephemeral pits, a gully, and a possible curvilinear ditch cut into the natural bands of glacial gravels.

The ditch may represent the perimeter of an enclosure, or may have been associated with a structure and has potentially been modified later, with evidence of at least one posthole cutting through its fill. The ditch fill itself appears to have been deliberately deposited using nearby pebbles from either the burn or shoreline.

The discrete spread of small ephemeral pits and a linear feature were located to the S of the ditch and may represent random activity along the former shoreline, potentially temporary in nature, for shelters or disposal of materials.

This area of land has been used for agricultural purposes for several hundred years and ploughing activity appears to have disturbed or destroyed the upper levels of the archaeological features identified, with only the basal layers now remaining.

Archive: NRHE (intended)

Funder: Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund managed by NatureScot, supported by the European Regional Development Fund (which is part of the European Structural Fund Programmes) and Historic Environment Scotland

Ian Hill – Archaeology Scotland

(Source: DES Volume 23)