Excavation

Date 3 June 2013 - 8 June 2013

Event ID 994287

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/994287

HY 4375 2592 The final season of excavations was carried out at the Early Neolithic settlement at Ha’Breck from 3–8 June 2013. In Trench A, the drains within House 5, which run from beneath and around the central hearth to the S, were fully excavated. Floor deposits in the D-shaped room at the southern end of the building were excavated, revealing a bowl-shaped pit in the SE corner. The pit contained numerous pieces of wood charcoal. Externally, the drains either side of House 5 were fully excavated. On the western side below the remains of an external hearth, a series of narrow interlinked drains ran to the S. A short gully and pit was also found sloping into the house adjacent to the NW internal orthostat (1203) which was built into the main internal wall. On the eastern side, the main drain that ran down the side of House 3 continued past House 5 to the S where it broadened.

In Trench B, the eastern end of the Early Neolithic stone quarry discovered in 2011 (DES 2011, 134) was excavated. The quarry (c0.9m deep) contained a similar sequence of lower fills as those excavated in the section to the W in Trench E, displaying a neatly cut stepped quarry face and flat base.

Trench F (5 x 2m) was opened between Trench A (houses) and Trench E (quarry) to investigate an area of magnetic enhancement shown in the results of the magnetometer survey. No significant features or structures were encountered and the magnetic anomaly corresponded to a thin subsoil containing charcoal. Trench F confirmed that the house and quarry/working surface areas were discrete zones in the settlement.

Archive: ORCA

Funder: Orkney Islands Council, Orkney Archaeology Society and the Flaws family

Daniel Lee and Antonia Thomas, ORCA, 2013

(Source: DES)