Hill Of Heddle
Barrow (Early Bronze Age), Cist (Early Bronze Age), Cremation (Early Bronze Age), Cinerary Urn (Early Bronze Age)
Site Name Hill Of Heddle
Classification Barrow (Early Bronze Age), Cist (Early Bronze Age), Cremation (Early Bronze Age), Cinerary Urn (Early Bronze Age)
Alternative Name(s) Binscarth
Canmore ID 2102
Site Number HY31SW 17
NGR HY 3452 1343
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/2102
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish Firth
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Orkney
- Former County Orkney
HY31SW 17 3452 1343.
A well-defined mound, measuring about 35ft in diameter and 3ft high, lies on the NW shoulder of the Hill of Heddle on the S. side of the public road between Finstown and Stromness. In its centre is exposed a short cist, and, in 1859, a burial was found within the mound, comprising cramp and bones under an inverted urn. The urn was embedded in clay and surrounded by large blocks of stone and lumps of cramp in which were fragments of calcined bone.(G Petrie 1927).
Many loose stones are scattered over the mound.
RCAHMS 1946.
This tumulus was located at HY 3452 1343 and is as described by the RCAHMS, except that the west side of the cist has been removed. The capstone, 1.3m x 0.9m, lies at the E. edge of the mound.
The present whereabouts of the urn could not be ascertained.
Surveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (NKB) 11 May 1966.
Field Visit (11 May 1966)
This tumulus was located at HY 3452 1343 and is as described by the RCAHMS, except that the west side of the cist has been removed. The capstone, 1.3m x 0.9m, lies at the E. edge of the mound.
The present whereabouts of the urn could not be ascertained.
Surveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (NKB) 11 May 1966.
Orkney Smr Note (May 1981)
This is definitely not the find-spot of Petrie's urn, which
came from Grimbister. RCAMS unfortunately does not give any clue
to the source of its information; if it came from an independent
local source and is not merely based on a mis-reading of Petrie,
it is possible that an urn and/or burial had in fact been found
in the cist. RGL
Mound and cist exactly as described OS.
Information from Orkney SMR (RGL) May 81.
Field Visit (4 April 1994)
This bowl-shaped mound was recorded by the Orkney Barrows Project. Measuring 13.2m by 13.6m and 1.15m in height, a cist and possible kerb were visible. It is located on a false summit, and is visible for 1-2km to the E and W.
Information from the Orkney Barrows Project (JD), 1994
Note (2020)
Hill of Heddle
This burial site in Orkney Islands was a focus for funerary practices in the Bronze Age period, between 2200 BC and 1501 BC.
Prehistoric Grave Goods project site ID: 60029
CANMORE ID: 2102
Total no. graves with grave goods: 1
Total no. people with grave goods: 1
Total no. grave goods: 2
Prehistoric Grave Goods project Grave ID: 60013
Grave type: Cist
Burial type(s): Cremation
Grave good: Pot (Unknown/Unspecified)
Materials used: Pottery
Current museum location: Unknown
Grave good: Cramp
Materials used: Organic (Uncertain/Unspecified)
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/
