Publication Account
Date 2007
Event ID 587132
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/587132
NG44 3 TUNGADALE
NG/4076 4006
This souterrain, associated with a rectangular homestead (partly excavated into the hill slope) in Bracadale, Skye, is situated in Glen Bracadale a few feet above the east shore of Loch Duagrich near its east end. The house is on the north-facing crest of a small knoll and about 300 ft (90.2m) above sea level [2]. Excavations were carried out in 1988 by Roger Miket [3] and are briefly described here because the pottery recovered is the standard early or middle Iron Age indigenous ware of the Western Isles.
Summary of excavations
The underground passage was located within the thickness of the house wall, between the inner face and the natural hill slope, and had evidently been used while the house was occupied [3]. The pottery and finds seem mostly to have been in the successive floor deposits of the Iron Age house. No C-14 dates were obtained for the Iron Age occupation.
Discussion
Like Dun Ardtreck in its primary phase of occupation the pottery suggests that Tungadale house and souterrain could have been occupied, by elements of the indigenous population, almost at any time between the 7th century BC and the 2nd century AD. At Dun Ardtreck Everted Rim ware appeared in about the 2nd century so its absence from Tungadale could imply that the site was abandoned before that date.
Finds: there are no details of these except for illustrations – without descriptions – of about 40 potsherds [3, figs. 31-33]. The pottery however is strikingly similar to that found in the early levels of Dun Ardtreck a few miles to the west across Loch Harport (NG33 2). It consists mainly of Vaul ware vases and barrel-shaped urns but with far less ornament than in the semibroch. There are no clear signs of Everted Rim ware.
Sources: 1. NMRS site no. NG 44 SW 1: 2. RCAHMS 1928, 148, no. 497: 3. Miket 2002: 4. MacKie 1975, 166-7: 5. Ritchie and Harman 1996, 29.
E W MacKie 2007
