Ardnamurchan, Sanna Sands

NM46NW 1 centred 44 69 and 444 689.

Burial, Sanna Bay (Site): In August 1926 a cremation burial was discovered in the sand dunes at Sanna Bay; the burnt bones and ashes were surrounded by small stones, but there were no accompanying finds to indicate the date of deposit. Mesolithic flint-work, sherds of Beaker ware, a flint barbed-and-tanged arrowhead, two flint knives or scrapers, two stone axeheads, and early medieval material found in midden deposits within the dunes on this occasion are now in the University Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Cambridge (Acc Nos: 26.501; 26.502; 51.1044). Further arrowheads, scrapers and borers were recovered by Crerar in 1961 from sand bunkers; three shell heaps investigated did not yeild any artifacts.

T C Lethbridge 1927; A D Lacaille 1954; R Crerar 1961; J N G Ritchie 1973; RCAHMS 1980.

The precise spot where Lethbridge and Crerar found these objects is not known locally but the most likely situation is in the areas centred NM 444 694, NM 445 691 and NM 446 692 where the shifting sand dunes have eroded down to the original raised shell beach. Here a local inhabitant, Mr J Maclean (Sanna), has found numerous undecorated potsherds. Areas of shell beach delineated on Record Sheet.

Visited by OS (N K B) 5 June 1970.

NM 444 690. A number of sherds and flint and bloodstone flakes were found eroding from the dunes.

NM 444 689. Erosion of the duns has revealed an occupation layer from the surface of which were recovered several porsherds and half of a pierced lead disc 2.7cm in diameter.

J Kirby 1983.