Geophysical Survey

Date August 2009

Event ID 608665

Category Recording

Type Geophysical Survey

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/608665

ND 4542 8688 An area of just under 1ha was surveyed in August 2009 using a fluxgate gradiometer around the

mound currently under excavation by Martin Carruthers. It was hoped that this would identify the extent of settlement activity on the N side of the site and detect any enclosure ditch.

The survey revealed that domestic activities extended c10m N of the large roundhouse or broch and that the

site was enclosed by a large ditch, most easily identified to the NW of the survey area. Extensive ridge and furrow was visible throughout the data and shares a scale and alignment with similar features already identified during excavation. Perhaps of most interest was a small mound c40–50m NE of the main site. The strength and form of the observed responses from the gradiometer survey clearly indicated that this had been an area of intensive domestic activity. It is unclear how this second area of activity related to the adjacent ‘broch’ site.

Archive: OCGU

Funder: Orkney College

Mary Saunders – Orkney College Geophysics Unit