Excavation

Date 6 January 2012 - 18 January 2012

Event ID 993374

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/993374

NF 77630 61590 An excavation was undertaken 6–18 January 2012 of a possible cremation urn, which had been discovered in eroding sand dunes. The ongoing erosion has created 4m high W-facing dunes and the urn was exposed near the base of a sequence of midden deposits. The midden extends c40m to the N, 10m to the S and is c1.5m deep.

The pot had been deliberately deposited above a layer of midden material. Although the base of the pot was intact the vessel was not complete and only one side of the pot, which had collapsed, was in situ. The pot is an undecorated, straight-sided, bucket-shaped vessel, and has a straight rim with a slightly bevelled interior. The pot contained nine quartz pebbles within loose dark brown sand. There was no evidence that the pot had contained cremated material. However, a thin black residue was visible on the inner surface of the pot. The contents of the pot were recovered for further analysis. The pot was covered by further midden deposits. A setting of five, irregular shaped stones which had been set within one of the upper deposits may have been placed to mark the pot’s location. Further midden deposits had accumulated above the stone marked layer, one of which contained several pieces of plain pottery, a bone point and unworked bone.

A large amount of archaeological material has been recorded at Ceardach Ruadh over the last century, and the progressive and ongoing erosion has revealed a complex sequence of Late Bronze Age to Late Iron Age activity, as well as a number of burials. It is probable that the pot and midden form part of this prehistoric settlement complex.

Archive and report: RCAHMS (intended). Report: CNES SMR

Funder: Historic Scotland

Kate MacDonald, Uist Archaeology

Rebecca Rennell,

2012