Black Knowe , Blubbersdale
Barrow (Bronze Age), Cist (Bronze Age), Cremation (Bronze Age), Cinerary Urn (Bronze Age)
Site Name Black Knowe , Blubbersdale
Classification Barrow (Bronze Age), Cist (Bronze Age), Cremation (Bronze Age), Cinerary Urn (Bronze Age)
Canmore ID 1994
Site Number HY31NE 5
NGR HY 3695 1988
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/1994
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish Evie And Rendall
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Orkney
- Former County Orkney
HY31NE 5 3695 1988
(HY 3695 1988) Black Knowe (NR)
OS 6" map, Orkney, 2nd ed., (1903).
An unsurveyable (RCAHMS 1946) mound at the foot of Tooin Rusht was excavated by Petrie and Thomas in 1849, (F W L Thomas 1852), who described it as nearly semicircular, consisting of sandy clay under a layer of peat 1ft thick.
The excavation revealed, at a depth of 6ft, a short cist containing a broken urn in which were ashes and burnt bones.
RCAHMS 1946.
A circular grass-covered probable barrow, of earth and small stones, c.14.0m diameter and up to c.2.2m high.
Two small earthfast stones on top of the mound may be the remains of the cist.
Resurveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (RL), 6 June 1966.
Field Visit (6 June 1966)
A circular grass-covered probable barrow, of earth and small stones, c.14.0m diameter and up to c.2.2m high.
Two small earthfast stones on top of the mound may be the remains of the cist.
Resurveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (RL) 6 June 1966.
Field Visit (8 September 1993)
This bowl-shaped mound has decreased in size since the OS visit. It was said to be semicircular in shape but is not now. The surrounding land may have been reclaimed.
The measurements taken may not be stictly accurate as there was a large bull in the field at the time of visit. The mound measures 8.0m by 9.0m and is 0.75m in height. It is located on the shoulder of a low hill and is visible on the skyline to the E for 500m to 1km.
Information from the Orkney Barrows Project (JD), 1993
Note (2020)
Black Knowe
This burial site in Orkney Islands was a focus for funerary practices in the Bronze Age period, between 2450 BC and 801 BC.
Prehistoric Grave Goods project site ID: 60028
CANMORE ID: 1994
Total no. graves with grave goods: 1
Total no. people with grave goods: 1
Total no. grave goods: 1
Prehistoric Grave Goods project Grave ID: 60012
Grave type: Cist
Burial type(s): Cremation
Grave good: Pot (Unknown/Unspecified)
Materials used: Pottery
Current museum location: Unknown
Further details, the full project database and downloads of project publications can be found here: https://doi.org/10.5284/1052206
An accessible visualisation of the database can be found here: http://blogs.reading.ac.uk/grave-goods/map/
Orkney Smr Note
Situated on wet moor, at the foot of the Tooin of Rusht. It
has been so much disturbed that no satisfactory measurements can
be given. It was excavated in Febuary 1849 by Petrie and Thomas.
Nearly semi-circular in outline and consisting of sandy clay under
a layer of peat fully 1ft thick. They discovered a cist 6ft down
which measures 18in long by 1ft broad and 8-10in deep. In the cist
was a broken clay urn, 10in long by 7in wide, it was inverted over
a handful of ashes and burnt bones. [R1]
Information from Orkney SMR [n.d.]
