Orkney Smr Note
Date 1999
Event ID 618981
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Orkney Smr Note
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/618981
In 1985 excavation commenced upon a settlement mound, which forms part of a well preserved archaeological landscape on the peninsula of Tofts Ness, Sanday (See HY74NE 1).
Geophysical survey has suggested that the mound extends beyond its apparent physical edges, to the S and E. Two trenches were excavated to indicate the extent and nature of the archaeological material which is threatened by mole ploughing on the southern and eastern flanks of the mound.
Excavation revealed that the mound's edges are buried by wind blown sand reducing the visible physical extent of the site. Rich midden layers were encountered containing well preserved animal bone and mollusc remains. Evidence was also found of a structure some 4m in diameter, with a S facing entrance and flagged floor.
Pottery recovered contains a number of incised decorated sherds suggesting a Bronze Age context for the site.
S J Dockrill DES 1985.
Excavation continued in advance of agricultural improvement, and revealed a well preserved round house and annexe surrounded by a buried soil containing evidence of ard cultivation. Dating evidence suggests a late Bronze Age context for this building complex. Trenches transecting the S and E edges of the mound produced evidence of two structures and substantial midden deposits dating to the early bronze age.
S J Dockrill DES 1986.
Excavation of a settlement mound in advance of agricultural improvements has identified two main phases of occupation dating from the Neolithic to the early Bronze Age and the late Bronze Age to the early Iron Age. Excavation concentrated upon a round house structure.
In the surrounding landscape prehistoric land management is suggested by data obtained by magnetic survey together with excavation and soil auger profiles.
Survey (conventional and geophysical) has also located a number of other major sites containing settlement characteristics to the W of the scheduled landscape.
S J Dockerill 1987.
Excavations were concluded in 1988. Levels stratigraphically below that of the Early Iron Age round house, the focus of the main excavation area, were examined in detail. Evidence of two further structures pre-dating the round house were identified and partially excavated. The largest of these was also of round house form and had been extensively robbed by the later structure. An oval structure complete with paving and a stone lined tank, packed with clay was examined in the SE corner of the excavation area.
Work on the surrounding landscape consisted of excavation of paleo-landsurfaces and sampling and an assessment of another settlement mound badly disturbed by the mole plough.
Geophysical surveys established the presence of further sites and the extent of others identified previously.
S J Dockerill 1988.
HY 756 464. An excavation was carried out by AOC Archaeology for the University of Stirling at Tofts Ness, Sanday, as part of a PhD project. The aim of the project is to look at continuity and change in soil management systems in the Northern Isles, from the Neolithic until the early 20th century. Tofts Ness was the third of three sites sampled, following work at Scatness, Shetland, and Bragasetter Farm, Papa Stour, Shetland.
The Tofts Ness peninsula is a low-lying area of windblown, sandy soils with over 300 mounds and cairns, many of which may be funerary monuments. A survey of this landscape was carried out by Bradford University in the 1980s, and excavations were subsequently carried out by Steve Dockrill on a multi-period settlement mound (Mound 11) measuring 70 x 35m. Seven phases were identified on the site, spanning the Neolithic to the Iron Age.
Mound 11 was re-excavated in 1999 in order to sample and compare the Neolithic soil at the base of the sequence with the deepened agricultural soil created in the Bronze Age and the overlying Late Bronze Age-Early Iron Age sandy agricultural soil. Test pits were excavated within two of Dockrill's excavation trenches in order to sample the stratigraphy from the section faces where the chronology had already been established. In the first test pit the Bronze Age soil was sealed by Early Iron Age middens. In the second test pit a Neolithic agricultural soil (identified by the ard marks which cut into the till below) was sealed by Neolithic middens. The middens were sealed by the Bronze Age soil, which was sealed by the sandy Late Bronze Age-Early Iron Age soil. Samples were taken from all phases of the buried soils and also from the Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age middens.
An auger survey was carried out in order to trace the extent of the buried soils, and the information from the survey was used to plan where to put further test pits. Seven test pits in two parallel transects showed that the Bronze Age soil was up to 35cm thick and extended for some 36m to the E of Mound 11. Beyond this point the original land surface sloped down into a hollow in which the soils became peaty and the blown sand which sealed the soils was much deeper. The sand-based LBA-EIA soil was traced to a distance of 14m E of Mound 11, where sand-filled ard marks could be seen cutting into the Bronze Age soil below.
Post-excavation analyses of the samples will include soil micromorphology, pH, loss on ignition and phosphate analysis, magnetic susceptibility, and analysis of the soil.
Sponsors: Historic Scotland, Natural Environment Research Council, AOC Archaeology.
E Guttmann, A Duffy and R McCullagh and A Duffy 1999
Information from Orkney SMR
