Mine Howe Excavation and Geophysical Survey

Date 2005

Event ID 1167902

Category Project

Type Project

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1167902

Excavation; geophysical survey HY 510 060 Excavations in August 2005 were aimed at further elucidating the nature and range of activities that took place after the construction of the underground chamber and its surrounding ditch (DES 2004, 96-7). The Iron Age metalworking area (Trench E), which lay outwith the ditch that surrounded the underground structure, was further investigated. Excavation concentrated on the round structure uncovered at the end of the 2002 season, with preliminary investigation of the floor levels in 2003 and 2004. Throughout its history it appears to have been primarily a smithy for the production of both ferrous and non-ferrous metalwork. In the primary phase of use, a large central hearth was surrounded by various associated activities including small smithing furnaces and anvils. A very rich assemblage of associated metalworking debris has been recovered. Archaeomagnetic dating of the central hearth provided a date of 100 BC - AD 110.

In addition to the burial discovered within the floor deposits of the smithy in 2004, a second burial was discovered just outwith the smithy: an adult male lying on his side in a semi-crouched position in a shallow pit.

The ditch section in Trench G was fully excavated to reveal a complete cross-section of the ditch, which was over 4m deep and 8.5m wide. A sequence of ditch infilling and remodelling was uncovered, similar to that found in the ditch terminal (Trench B in 2000).

Further geophysical anomalies on the S side of the central mound were also investigated. Overall these proved to be natural, however evidence for the enhancement of the mound was revealed along with a small paved 'alcove'.

Several small discrete magnetic anomalies, with similar signatures to the one that represented a furnace revealed in 2003-4, were also investigated. These turned out to be the result of modern ferrous debris.

In 2004, as part of the study of the environs of Mine Howe, the Bronze Age barrow on the top of the neighbouring glacial moraine of Long Howe was investigated. Within the cairn make-up several Mesolithic microliths and general flint-knapping debitage were recovered. It was thought that these lithics could be associated with several sub-circular features downslope from the cairn, as revealed by geophysics. Extensive trial trenching over these anomalies showed that they were natural and, apart from some further lithics, no trace of any in situ Mesolithic activity was recovered.

Report to be lodged with Orkney SMR and NMRS.

Sponsors: HS A, Orkney Islands Council, Orkney Archaeology Trust, Orkney College, University of Bradford.

N Card, J Downes and S Ovenden 2005.