Archaeology Notes

Event ID 644458

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/644458

HY42NW 3 4142 2761.

(HY 4146 2771) 'Blackhammer', an Orkney-Cromarty Stalled Cairn, situated on a shelf on the lower slopes of the hillside. Since excavation in 1936 the site has been placed under DOE guardianship and is now protected by a modern roof, the whole construction being turfed over. Before excavation the cairn measured 78' by 34' and 5' in height, and was already much robbed and disturbed.

Excavation showed that the structure measured 72' 6" long by 27' wide, with the main axis E by S and W by N. It is roughly rectangular with slightly curved sides and rounded corners and faced with a carefully built wall-face, surviving in one place to a height of 3' 6". An inner wall-face lies 3' to 7' behind and remains up to 3' 9" high.

The passage, at right angles to the main axis of the cairn and chamber, opens from the S and is 9' 9" long, 2' 6" wide and 3' 6" high. When excavated, it was found to be blocked by masonry, the outer face flush with the outer wall surrounding the cairn. The chamber, 42' 6" long, 4' 9" to 5' 6" wide and from 2' to 5' high, is divided into seven compartments by six pairs of divisional stones, four of which have been removed. Two masses of rough masonry, of unknown purpose and date, have been inserted into the chamber. This re-use of the chamber probably accounts for the removal of some of the divisional stones and the reduction in height of others.

Finds included fragmentary skeletal remains of two adult males, numerous animal bones and pottery sherds, scrapes of pebble and flint, part of a bone pin, a flint knife and a polished stone axe of fine grain grey-green stone. The latter objects were donated to the National Museun of Antiquities of Scotland by Walter G Grant.

J G Callander and W G Grant 1937; RCAHMS 1946; A S Henshall 1963.

Blackhammer Cairn (a) at HY 4142 2761 as described and planned by Henshall.

Surveyed at 1/2500.

Visited by OS (ISS) 9 October 1972.