Archaeology Notes

Event ID 694967

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/694967

NR82NE 3 8980 2811

(NR 8980 2811) Cairn (NR) (Site of)

Bronze Blade and Gold Fillet found AD 1900 (NAT)

OS 6" map, Buteshire, 2nd ed., (1924)

A very large cairn formerly stood here, S of Blackwaterfoot, In 1772 it was described as a 'stupendous cairn, 114ft over, and of vast height'. It was severely robbed in the 19th century and a number of cists were exposed. In 1900 a further cist was found. It measured 4ft 3ins x 2ft 4ins x 2ft 6ins deep, with a capstone, 7ft x 5ft and contained an Early Bronze Age dagger and gold pommel-mount, now in the NMAS (Acc. No. EQ 268).

T Pennant 1776; J McArthur 1861; T H Bryce 1902; A S Henshall 1968; J N G Ritchie (ed.) 1973; R McLellan 1977.

(Bronze dagger of Sproughton type). Triangular dagger-blade, damaged and corroded, broken in two. W-shaped heel which may have continued as tang. Two rivet-holes with stout rivets still in position. W-shaped hilt-mark. Three delicate ribs converging towards tip, which is missing. Hilt-mark outlined by row of tint dots. Ribs bordered by rows of dots, spaced 10 to 13 per cm. Very flat section with slight swelling for ribs.

Found with curved strip of ribbed sheet-gold which was part of pommel-mount. Length 22.8cm, width 6.4cm.

S Gerloff 1975.

There is no trace of the cairn or cists at Cairnhouse (NR 8979 2814). The occupier (Mrs H Macalister, Cairnhouse, Blackwaterfoot) believes the cairn was sited where the house now stands and that the cist was found at NR 8982 2810.

Visited by OS (TRG), 11 October 1977.