Excavation

Date 16 April 2011 - 13 September 2011

Event ID 966097

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/966097

NF 1010 9930 A full season of fieldwork 16 April–13 September 2011 included condition surveys, coastal erosion monitoring, conservation work and two small-scale excavations.

Blackhouse F A small trial trench was excavated within Blackhouse F, as part of the annual St Kilda Work Party conservation works. This blackhouse has been used for many years as a dumping ground for excess building materials, which the Trust is now gradually removing. In order to do this without risk to any in situ archaeological deposits a small trial trench was excavated to examine the deposits.

A trench was opened at the S end of the interior of the blackhouse, measuring 3.3m E–W and 0.8m N–S. Six contexts were recorded. No finds worthy of further study were encountered and the excavation was curtailed as soon as in situ archaeological deposits were recognised. The evidence indicated that a small camp-style fire took place in the SW corner of Blackhouse F shortly after the building had been abandoned and the roof had collapsed. Occupational debris had been dumped in the ruin during the 19th century and sometime after this sandy gravel and stones were dumped in the blackhouse by NTS work parties.

Blackhouse B The southern wall of this blackhouse abuts the main village street and had become extremely unstable. It was agreed to dismantle the exterior face, record all archaeological deposits encountered and then reinstate the wall. A written and drawn (plan section and elevation) record was produced of 20 contexts and bulk samples taken from in situ layers. The trench showed stratigraphic relationships which indicated at least two phases of wall, one of which was recent enough to contain concrete and a rubber plimsole. Finds of 19th- and 20th-century date were recovered from the soils, but returned to the wall during rebuilding, as per Trust policy.

Other discoveries A length of turf dyke on the SE side of Claigeann Mor; a section of wall at Bioda Mor, Dun; a wall cutting across the headland over the tunnel; two upright stones on Conachair; two pivot stones, one between house 9 and blackhouse K, and a stone with two pivot like depressions in the wall of enclosure 53; pumice stone from the roof of cleit 67; clay tiles in the eroding soils near the store; a line of WW1 postholes; and 7 sherds of unglazed handmade pottery from the eroding coastal cliff. A day survey was also undertaken on Soay.

Archive: RCAHMS and www.kilda.org.uk (intended). Reports: Western Isles SMR

Funder: Historic Scotland and the National Trust for Scotland

The National Trust for Scotland, 2011