Westray, Pierowall Links

HY44NW 13 43 49

(IL 182-9).

IL 182-4: pieces of iron and wood

IL 185: small iron sickle

IL 186: iron key, pierced at top

IL 187: iron knife

IL 188: gilt bronze knob of sheath, curiously ornamented

IL 189: small ball of clay

From grave on Links of Pierowall: James Farrer, 1855.

(IL 193-4)

Bronze cheek-ring of bridle (4 ? ins diameter) and iron rivets found in 1841 in grave in sands of Gill, Westray: Col. D Balfour, 1863.

(IL 195-6)

IL 195: portions of iron sword, with cross guard

IL 196: iron spearhead, imperfect, 10 ? ins long

From graves at Pierowall, Westray: Col. D Balfour, 1863.

(IL 197-201)

IL 197: oval, bowl-shaped brooch

IL 198: penannular brooch of bronze with flattened ends, ornamented with interlaced panels (illustrated)

IL 199: iron shield-boss

IL 200: iron axehead

IL 201: iron spearhead, 8ins long

All found in grave at Pierowall, Westray: William Rendall, 1851.

(IL 202-8)

IL 202-5: bones of leg of horse

IL 206-7: iron buckles, 3 and 2 ins diameter

IL 208: portions of wood and rivets of iron

From Sandhill at Pierowall: James Farrer, 1864.

National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS) 1892.

The sand dunes ('links') of Westray extend over an area of 3 or 4 sq km and have seen numerous discoveries of antiquities, typically after their exposure through sand blowing, which has now ceased with the advent of modern cultivation practices. The best-recorded discoveries are those of what was apparently a cemetery of Norse inhumation-burials found on Pierowall Links.

In no case has any technique of scientific, metrical or osteological analysis been applied to the human remains or the associated artifacts. It also remains unclear whether or not these graves were found under mounds. The primary authors mention the presence of such features but do not describe any specific association with what were possibly no more than natural sandhills.

The complicated (and often confusing) history of the discovery of the site has been reconstructed as follows:

1. In 1839 William Rendall excavated five graves and recovered 'relics' which passed to the Bateman collection, Derbyshire and Sheffield, and were dispersed when this was sold in 1893. Objects recorded in the 1855 catalogue of the collection included an iron sword and spearhead and part of a shield-boss. These discoveries were also noted by Crofton Croker, who described two tortoise brooches, a ring-headed pin and a comb.

2. In 1841 George Petrie visited the area and apparently excavated a grave.

3. In 1839-49 Rendall excavated a further nine graves. These discoveries have become conflated with those of 1839.

4. In 1851 Rendall gave antiquities (both weapons and women's ornaments) to the (then) NMAS. Only a sword (IL 195) and a spearhead (IL 196) can now be identified in the collections, but other finds included brooches of tortoise and penannular forms, half a shield-boss, an axe and a spearhead (IL 197-201). These artifacts were said at the time to have come from only one grave but subsequent accounts suggest that the weapons came from one grave and the ornaments from another. Among these, there were a bronze ring (IL 193) which was said to have been found by Petrie in 1841 in a grave 'on the sand of Gill' (at the north end of Pierowall Links) where the skeletons of a man and horse were found with fragments of a shield-boss. Nine clench-nails ('boat-rivets') were also donated (IL 194) and their discovery has become conflated (without apparent justification) with the same discovery, which is thus erroneously seen by Anderson (1879) as representing a 'boatgrave' with a man and horse.

5. In each of the years 1855 and 1863 James Farrer excavated a further grave and presented the finds to the NMAS. The accession entries for these artifacts specify the discovery of one grave in each year.

6. In 1862 Col. Balfour gave some antiquities from Westray to the NMAS. These had been brought at the sale of Kirkwall Museum some years before; a sword and a spearhead have been considered to come from a grave on the links.

7. In 1925 the 'Scientific Research Fund of 1919' sent Sigurd Greig from Oslo to list the Viking antiquities of Scotland; Br?gger (1930) listed all the Westray discoveries of which he was aware but omitted Rendall's discoveries of 1839. The account of the site in Viking Antiquities (1940) is 'terribly confused' but that given by RCAHMS (1946) is 'really good'.

On the basis of this evidence, Thorsteinsson has reconstructed the recorded burials as follows:

Grave 1 (Rendall 1839, no. 1). This grave was excavated on 25 April 1839 about ? mile N of Pierowall village. It was cut into a circular mound and may have been a secondary burial. A single skeleton was found slightly flexed and nearly complete, and was accompanied by a sword, a dagger, a shield-boss (described as 'the top of a helmet') and a comb. There was a large flat stone behind the head of the skeleton.

Grave 2 (Rendall 1839, no. 2). This grave was excavated on the same day as no. 1 and 'in the same place'. The bones of the inhumation were in very poor condition, but it apparently lay face down. The artifacts found in apparent association comprised a ring-headed pin (found beneath the skull), two tortoise-brooches (found 'a little below the head') and 'something like a dagger'. This last was of unstated material, but was possibly of wood as it 'mouldered when handled'; it may have been a weaving-sword.

Grave 3 (Rendall 1839, no. 3). This grave was excavated on 1 May 1839 'in the same place' as nos. 1 and 2. The bones of a skeleton (seen by Rendall as that of a person 'in the middle of life') were 'much decomposed' but it apparently lay on its back in a slightly flexed attitude with the hands crossed on the abdomen. The associated artifacts comprised a possible sickle (described as 'a semi-circular piece of iron'), a comb, two tortoise-brooches, a spindle-whorl or stone bead (described as a 'small circular perforated stone'), a ring-headed pin and a small cylindrical piece of bone with something like an iron rod found in it.

Grave 4 (Rendall 1839, no. 4). This grave was excavated on 2 May 1839 about 30 yards (27.4m) E of nos. 1-3. It was both covered and surrounded by large flat stones, and contained a 'nearly entire' skeleton which was said to be that of 'an aged person of the ordinary size'. This lay in a somewhat twisted attitude with the head to the S. The accompanying artifacts comprised two combs, two tortoise-brooches, seven beads (of unstated material), a ring-headed pin and part of a second.

Grave 5. [Thorsteinsson does not discuss this discovery in detail but it was presumably that excavated by Petrie in 1841 'on the sand of Gill'.]

Grave 6. (Rendall 1839-49). This grave was found forming a line (with nos. 7-9) running N-S along the coast. It had seen prior disturbance but the skeleton apparently lay roughly extended with its head to the S. Only half the skull was found, this having possibly been cleft before burial. A small iron axe, half a shield-boss and several small pieces of iron were also found.

Grave 7. (Rendall 1839-49). This grave was found forming a line (with nos. 6, 8 and 9) running N-S along the coast. It contained a single skeleton (which was apparently headless) lying with its feet towards the N and the thighbones crossed. The skeleton of a small horse lay 'quite entire' with its head to the W, so that the human skeleton lay 'immediately before' the horse's head. The recognisable artifacts comprised a bridle-bit (set between the jaws of the horse), a buckle, a small piece (either a spearhead or a small sword) and a piece of bone (which had been attached to metal). Part of the skeleton of a dog and 'much remains of iron rust' were also found in the grave.

Grave 8. (Rendall 1839-49). This grave was found forming a line (with nos. 6, 7 and 9) running N-S along the coast. It contained part of a human skeleton (the position of which could not be ascertained), part of the skeleton of a horse, a small dagger and the remains of bridle-bits.

Grave 9. (Rendall 1839-49). This grave was found forming a line (with nos. 6, 7 and 8) running N-S along the coast, but lay 'a considerable way' to the N of the others. The unaccompanied inhumation lay in a flexed position on its right side.

Grave 10. (Rendall 1839-49). This grave was found (with nos. 11-14) 'round a Mound of Sand and Small Stones, at a considerable distance from the Sea, in a line running north-west from the former Sites of Graves'. It lay on the S side of the 'mound' and comprised large stones set 'in a square form'. Within this there was a 'nearly entire' skeleton in a flexed position with its head to the N. The grave-goods comprised a sword, a shield-boss, a comb, a large whetstone and several large beads. There were also found 'bits of iron and wood attached'.

Grave 11. (Rendall 1839-49). This grave lay on the N side as of the same mound as nos. 10 and 12-14. It contained a skeleton which was noted for its small size and lay N-S, the head being to the S. Two tortoise brooches, a pin and what may have been a third brooch were found in apparent association.

Grave 12. (Rendall 1839-49). This grave lay on the N side as of the same mound as nos. 10-11 and 13-14. It contained a skeleton which resembled that in grave 11 in size and orientation, but was distinguished by having a row of small stones along each side. Two long combs bearing ornamental carvings were found (one above each shoulder) in cases held together by bronze or copper nails. Two tortoise brooches and a ring-headed pin were also found.

Grave 13. (Rendall 1839-49). This grave lay on the N side as of the same mound as nos. 10-12 and 14, where it had evidently been disturbed. Only part of the skeleton was identified, lying N-S with the head to the S. No grave-goods were recorded.

Grave 14. (Rendall 1839-49). This grave lay on the NE side as of the same mound as nos. 10-13. Part of a 'small' skeleton was identified, lying N-S with the head to the S. The grave-goods comprised two tortoise brooches, two combs and a ring-headed pin.

Grave 15. (Rendall 1849-51). The location of this grave was apparently not recorded. It contained a skeleton of about 6ft (1.83m) height accompanied by part of a shield-boss (NMS IL 199), a tool-axe of unusual form (NMS IL 200), a spearhead (NMS IL 201) and 'pieces of iron'.

Grave 16. (Farrer, pre-29 October 1855). No record survives of either the location and form of this grave or of the nature of the interment. The silvered bronze terminal mount of a drinking-horn (NMS IL 188) was apparently found within it. There were also found: fragments of an iron knife (NMS IL 182), two pieces of wood with fragments of iron adherent (NMS IL 183-4), an iron sickle-blade (NMS IL 185), an iron key (NMS IL 186), a further knife (NMS IL 187), 'nails and nail-heads' and a bead of burnt clay (NMS IL 189).

Grave 17. (Farrer, July 1863). This grave was found in 'the lower parts of the Links, probably north of Pierowall' [village] and beneath a sandhill which was probably of natural origin. Parts of a human skeleton and that of a horse were found in an unrecorded relationship. There were also found two iron buckles (NMS IL 206-7), 21 clench-nails or 'boat rivets' (NMS IL 208), iron fragments and half a bone button.

A Thorsteinsson 1968.

In 1864 'The Orcadian' noted that finds from the site had been donated to the Scottish Antiquarian Museum. 'The Orkney and Shetland Journal and Fisherman's Magazine' in 1839 describes excavations at this site between April and May.

M Howe 2006