Excavation

Date 23 June 2013 - 20 July 2013

Event ID 994353

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/994353

NF 7300 1733 An Doirlinn is a small islet exposed on the causeway that leads from the mainland of South Uist to the tidal island of Orosay. As a result of its exposed coastal location, storms had been eroding this potentially important Neolithic site for decades. A small investigation led by Niall Sharples in 2005 revealed potentially Early Neolithic pottery and flint within an apparent occupation layer, and a possible wall which appeared to be part of a stone structure. As a result of its possibly early fourth millennium date, and because of the continuing loss of this important site through coastal erosion, An Doirlinn was selected as one of three key sites to be excavated within the broader Stepping Stones research project, which aims to understand early Neolithic settlement around the ‘western seaways’ of Britain: http://www.neolithicsteppingstones.org/.

The work, 23 June – 20 July 2013, excavated c80% of the surviving total surface area of the site down to bedrock. The main aims were to characterise the archaeology in more detail, to investigate whether there are any stone buildings preserved, and to recover vital dating evidence (in the form of pottery and organic materials which could be radiocarbon dated). An Doirlinn turned out to be a deeply stratified settlement, dating to the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age. The settlement consisted of partially stone-built buildings, postholes, pits, hearths and midden-like occupation deposits. The earliest phases of the site produced very substantial quantities of Early Neolithic Hebridean wares, the later phases of Grooved Ware and Beaker pottery; a very large assemblage of flint and quartz was also recovered. These assemblages have been analysed by Mike Copper (University of Bradford, pottery) and Anne Pirie (University of Reading, chipped stone); radiocarbon results are pending, and monograph publication is underway.

It is important to bear in mind that, due to erosion by the sea over many centuries, what remained to be excavated in 2012 was almost certainly a small portion of the original site which stood in the Neolithic. The site adds significantly to our knowledge of Neolithic settlement in the Outer Hebrides, not least because it produced such large material assemblages (including the first Grooved Ware pottery to be associated with a settlement site in the islands).

Archive and report: University of Southampton (currently). CNES HER, RCAHMS and Museum nan Eilean (intended)

Funder: Arts and Humanities Research Council; the Universities of Liverpool and Southampton

Duncan Garrow and Fraser Stuart, University of Reading and University of Southampton, 2013

(Source: DES)