Excavation

Date 28 July 2007 - 18 August 2007

Event ID 558285

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/558285

HY 2365 1962 A research project on building landscape context for coastal erosive areas in zones affected by significant wind-blown sand was undertaken from 28 July–18 August 2007. Previous survey in 2003 and further survey and excavations in 2004–6 at the Bay of Skaill was concentrated on N bay environs, focused on the mound on the N side of the bay known as the ‘Castle of Snusgar’ (the probable site of the 1858 Skaill Viking

silver hoard). Gradiometry showed a dense concentration of magnetic anomalies in the Snusgar mound and neighbouring mounds. The concentration of multi-period ‘mound’ sites around the N of the Bay can now be expanded from one to at least five foci (excluding Broch of Verron, HY21NW22). The excavation area opened as a test-trench in 2005 on mound to the E of ‘Castle of Snusgar’ revealed Viking or Norse period middens stratified over a substantially well preserved stone building with in situ orthostatic internal divisions or ‘furniture’. This had filled with windblown sand (which contributed to a diffuse gradiometer response in 2004). This was further excavated in 2006 and extended in 2007. A coherent spread of stone walls has now been revealed standing up to 0.5m high with clearly defined internal and external areas, stone flagged floors and

entrances. Finds suggest a Viking/Late Norse date, including an extremely well preserved decorated antler comb from a sealed context under a flagged floor. A series of OSL samples are currently being processed at the Research Laboratory for Archaeology, Oxford University, and a radiocarbon application for a series of dates is pending.

Bone preservation was good (currently being assessed by Dr I Mainland, Bradford University). Environmental samples were floated and processed on site and are being assessed for archaeobotanic evidence and radiocarbon potential by Dr D Aldritt, GUARD, Glasgow. The finds are being conserved on behalf of Historic Scotland by AOC Conservation Services, Edinburgh.

Data Structure Report deposited with HS, Interim Reports to be deposited with Orkney SMR, Orkney Museum and RCAHMS. Archive presently in Room 317, OUDCE, Oxford University.

Funder: Historic Scotland, Oxford University.