Archaeology Notes

Event ID 645977

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/645977

HY53NE 3 5792 3852.

(HY 5792 3852 ) Erd House (NR) (Site of)

OS 6" map, Orkney, 2nd ed.,(1900).

An Orkney-Cromarty type cairn with a Bookan-type chamber which is built into the hillside with the lintels at roughly the old ground level. A slight mound with an indefinite edge can be seen about 2' high and 33' in diameter dug away at the centre to expose the chamber lintels. It is possible that this is upcast from early excavations but it seems too much and too regular to be accounted for in this way and probably represents a very low covering cairn. On the east side there has been some quarrying of the hillside for stone.

The site was excavated by Calder in 1937 but previous excavations had taken place during the 19thC. Finds from Calder's excavation were donated to the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS) by Major H H Hebden, Carrick House, Eday in 1938.

G Petrie 1927; J Farrer 1859; C S T Calder 1938; Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1939 (donations); RCAHMS 1946; A S Henshall 1963; D Fraser 1982.

As described and planned by Henshall.

Surveyed at 1/2500.

Visited by OS (AA) 23 July 1970.

A wall-lined and flagstoned hole with a 16-18 inch entrance was found near the edge of an ancient quarry, and was reported in The Orcadian newspaper on December 8th 1855.

This Orkney-Cromarty Bookan-type chamber is built into a steep hillside; excavated by Calder in 1936, it stands open, but remains in good condition. The lintels covering the chamber are at present-day ground level, and there are traces of a covering mound.

RCAHMS 1984, visited May 1983.