Archaeology Notes

Event ID 642234

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/642234

HU41SW 4 4023 1125.

(HU 4022 1126) Brough (OE) (Site of)

OS 6" map, Shetland, 2nd ed., (1903).

A broch, damaged by the sea and by comparatively modern but disused dwellings. It has an unusually large cluster of outbuildings, the whole complex probably covering about an acre. It has yielded numerous fragments of broch pottery.

RCAHMS 1946, visited 1930.

The broch wall has probably been about 15' thick with an internal diameter of about 35', excluding a 5' thick secondary facing. About 20' of inner wall with scarcement shows on the SW quadrant and about 15' of gallery wall on the north side. A great outer wall 30' from the broch still stands to a maximum height of 8'. A kitchen-midden in the shore edge contains animal, bird and fish bones, and shell-fish.

J Stewart 1956.

The remains of a broch generally as described, now mostly destroyed by erosion. The walling is 3.8m thick; the overall diameter can no longer be ascertained. Within the broch on the W side are two radial piers of a wheelhouse, widening from the base, the roof having been supported by the broch scarcement. The outer rampart is as described; the numerous outbuildings are obscured by later buildings.

Re-surveyed at 1/2500.

Visited by OS (NKB) 23rd May 1968.

A plane table survey at scale 1:250 was produced of features both ancient and modern present on the Brough Head site. All features were numbered and described in detail, giving where possible the stratigraphical relationships. The south and east sides of the site have been badly affected by coastal erosion with less than half of the broch remaining. A section was drawn across the broch wall where the outer and inner faces survived. A large weathering midden deposit adjacent to the broch was cleaned and drawn. It produced many finds, especially pottery. Finds of pottery were also made in other parts of the site from areas of rabbit and sheep disturbance.

P Strong and A Haggarty 1983

A re-examination of midden and internal broch deposits was undertaken to provide samples for radiocarbon dates and micro-faunal analysis. In the course of this work new evidence for the broch structure was revealed. The excavation also produced a small assemblage of finds including pottery, worked stone, steatite and a fragment of cloth.

R McCullagh 1989b.