Excavation

Date 2002

Event ID 1196605

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1196605

Round Howe (HY 50 NW 8) lies 300m to the SW of Mine Howe. Since its 19th-century investigations by Farrer and Petrie, this site has been considered to be a broch. Although the central structure, recorded by Petrie, was removed by road construction in the late 19th century, the surrounding oval enclosure, defined by a large bank, has survived. Excavation was intended to explore the nature of the site and its possible links with Mine Howe. Four large slot trenches were opened across the enclosure and bank. The bank was shown to be of single-phase construction of redeposited natural boulder clay. No prehistoric structures were located within the enclosure between the bank or upon the remains of a central natural knoll where the 'broch' was presumed to stand. At the base of the knoll, however, a large ditch, c 5m wide by 1.5m deep, was encountered in two trenches. The limited number of finds from the whole site - only a few sherds of Iron Age pottery and some stone tools - and the lack of general settlement evidence, is not characteristic of a broch site. A detailed contour survey of the site was also conducted.

Archive to be deposited in Orkney SMR and the NMRS.

Sponsors: HS, Orkney Islands Council, Orkney Archaeology Trust, Orkney College, University of Sheffield

N Card and J Downes 2002