Excavation
Date June 2010 - July 2010
Event ID 884668
Category Recording
Type Excavation
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/884668
NG 04350 96818
A team from the University of Birmingham spent three weeks investigating areas of dune during June and July 2010. The dunes are on the machair fringe on the W coast of the island and are currently used only for summer grazing. The objectives of the 2010 season were:
• to further our understanding of this substantial prehistoric settlement on Harris
• to continue geophysical techniques in local dune systems to establish the extent of the remains
• to evaluate the likely structural integrity of any buried remains through trial excavation
• to further characterise any remains for type and date An enhanced outreach programme, including school visits and lectures, student activities, class site visits and hands on exercises was also undertaken.
During the 2010 season the excavation of 2009 was partly reopened and extended to cover a 7.5 x 5m area. The trench lay on the tip of a 2.5m high mound. Previous excavation had revealed a small complex of structural remains; this reflected the latest phases in a substantially rebuilt and adapted series of structural sequences heavily subsumed by sand. Components of three recognisable structures had been
determined during 2009 and this year the extended area was focused on Structure 1, the most complete of the three.
The area opened for excavation was extended substantially to expose the whole of the building. This proved to be effectively circular, c4.8m in diameter and
standing (in part) to c1.3m high. The local geology on Harris does not lend itself readily to the production of laminar building materials. Although many of the walling
stones were appropriately faced, those on the uppermost courses were much cruder and presumably reflect a lower need for structural stability against the eaves. Construction consisted of an inner single face of stones packed against
the sand. The walling appeared partially corbelled, but it was not clear whether the internal batter of the stones was a deliberate corbelling effect or a result of the pressure of sand from the outside. The inconsistency of the batter suggested the latter. Sections cut through the walling in two places illustrated the absence of any backing material (eg turf) and it was assumed that the structure had been cut into an existing dune. The basal courses had been constructed directly on to sand and no foundations were evident. No obvious post supports were identified, although
two possible contenders (F209 and F210) were positioned at the edge of the walling. Their shallow profile suggests that they were probablyt post-pad impressions. A central hearth was identified towards the centre of the structure.
A further programme of geophysical surveying mapped the extent of the settlement and topographic survey compared this evidence with the current dune topography. The settlement is likely to date to the later Iron Age and
had become infilled with aeolian sand.
Archive: Western Isles Museum Service (finds), Birmingham
(paper archive)
Funder: University of Birmingham, Harris Development Ltd and
Leader Plus
K Colls and J Hunter 2010
