Lewis, Pabay Mor, Meathannan

NB13NW 57 1048 3795

GUARD excavated a single crouched inhumation as a result of a human remains call-out contract at Pabay Mor, Isle of Lewis. Although the burial had been disturbed and partially redeposited, the majority of the skeletal material was preserved in situ. The body was buried on its right side, with the legs extremely tightly flexed.

A number of artefacts were also recovered during the course of the excavation: a polished pebble and a smoothed, worked piece of pumice were found in the upper spine region. Overlying the ribs and vertebrae a smashed, but almost complete, pot of was found. Preliminary analysis of the fabric suggests a prehistoric, possibly Bronze Age, date.

The finds and human remains have been deposited with Stornoway Museum.

Sponsor: Historic Scotland

GUARD 2002 (MS/1069/73); information from RCAHMS (SO), 2003.

NB 1048 3795 The partially redeposited remains of a crouched burial, aligned N-S, were discovered at Pabay Mor.

The body was buried on its right side with the legs extremely flexed. No trace of a cairn or cist was found, although the burial was clearly defined by the extent of a darker, silty sand layer. A large headstone, which clearly cut the dark layer, lay at the W end of the burial. The dark soil lay directly under the topsoil and cut into windblown sand below. At first only three small areas of human remains were apparent, but with further careful excavation it became clear that most of the remaining burial remained undisturbed and partially articulated. It is likely that redeposited bones recovered from the machair topsoil above originally belonged to the crouched burial, as the elements missing from this burial are all to be found in the group of redeposited remains - many of which also had dark staining.

In the process of excavating the mandible and upper spine, a polished pebble and a smoothed worked piece of pumice were recovered. Immediately to the E of the headstone a broken, almost complete pot was uncovered lying smashed on its side. The fabric is suggestive of a prehistoric, possibly Bronze Age, date. The ribs and vertebrae to the W of the mandible were overlain by the pot. (GUARD 1313)

Sponsor: HS

R Barrowman 2002.