Knowe Of Moan
Barrow (Early Bronze Age)(Possible), Cist(S) (Early Bronze Age), Cremation (Early Bronze Age), Bead(S) (Amber)(Early Bronze Age), Bead(S) (Faience)(Early Bronze Age), Brooch (Bronze)(Early Bronze Age)(Possible), Pounder(S) (Early Bronze Age), Scraper (Tool)(S) (Early Bronze Age), Slag (Early Bronze Age), Unidentified Pottery (Pottery)(Early Bronze Age)
Site Name Knowe Of Moan
Classification Barrow (Early Bronze Age)(Possible), Cist(S) (Early Bronze Age), Cremation (Early Bronze Age), Bead(S) (Amber)(Early Bronze Age), Bead(S) (Faience)(Early Bronze Age), Brooch (Bronze)(Early Bronze Age)(Possible), Pounder(S) (Early Bronze Age), Scraper (Tool)(S) (Early Bronze Age), Slag (Early Bronze Age), Unidentified Pottery (Pottery)(Early Bronze Age)
Canmore ID 2027
Site Number HY31NW 35
NGR HY 3124 1802
NGR Description HY 3124 1802 and HY 3119 1801
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/2027
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish Birsay And Harray
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Orkney
- Former County Orkney
HY31NW 35 3124 1802 and 3119 1801.
(HY 3124 1802) Tumulus (NR) (Site of)
OS 6" map, Orkney, 2nd ed. (1903).
Knowe of Moan, a hillock a little to the N. of Harray Church in which a short cist about 18 ins square was discovered in 1886. Half-filled with black earth, it contained a number of glass and amber beads, a small bronze harness-mounting or brooch of the early 9th century, fragments of bronze, a small piece of slag and a white pebble, a fragment of flint and four sherds of clay vessel.(J W Cursiter 1887).
Further examination by Fraser in 1930 revealed a number of stone artifacts, such as scrapers and pounders, and parts of fire-blackened stone pots.(This information from the Orkney Herald 1 October 1930).
RCAHMS 1946.
Mr Flett (Mr J R Flett, Moan, Brough, Harray) who was present during Fraser's examination in 1930, confirmed that the published site, on a low natural mound in a field under crop, at about 100 ft OD, was correct. The name 'Knowe of Moan' is not known locally.
An empty short cist was ploughed up by Mr Flett, about 10 years ago, at HY 3119 1801, in a natural depression, c. 54.0 m. WSW of Fraser's excavation. It measured c. 18 ins by 15 ins by 12 ins deep, and consisted of four side slabs and top and bottom slabs. It was removed.
Visited by OS (NKB) 15 June 1966.
Note (2020)
Knowe of Moan
This burial site in Orkney Islands was a focus for funerary practices in the Bronze Age period, between 1900 BC and 1651 BC.
Prehistoric Grave Goods project site ID: 60167
CANMORE ID: 2027
Total no. graves with grave goods: 1
Total no. people with grave goods: 1
Total no. grave goods: 4
Prehistoric Grave Goods project Grave ID: 74123
Grave type: Cist
Burial type(s): Cremation
Grave good: Pot (Unknown/Unspecified)
Materials used: Pottery
Current museum location: Unknown
Grave good: Bead(s)
Materials used: Amber
Current museum location: Unknown
Grave good: Bead(s)
Materials used: Faience
Current museum location: Unknown
Grave good: Pebble
Materials used: Quartz/Quartzite
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
Small brooch of bronze in shape of cross-patee, ornamented
with interlace work, from cist at Moan. Facsimiles purchased
from Orkney, 1888. [R2]
Information from Orkney SMR [n.d.]
