Ramberry

HY41SW 279 HY 4240 1383

(HY 424 138). Bronze Age funerary structure and house HY 424 138 In the field immediately N of the Late Neolithic settlement of Crossiecrown (HY41SW 154) ploughing revealed several concentrations of stone, investigated initially by fieldwalking.

One concentration was associated with cremated bone and a square prehistoric pot. This site, and one close to Ramberry Head were excavated due to the risk from further ploughing. The cremated bone was found to sit on a large flagstone within a sub-rectangular setting of stones, that in turn was surrounded by a carefully arranged surface of beach cobbles. A series of flagstones created a well-defined outer paved kerb to this central setting, c 2.5m in overall

diameter. Beyond this was an open clay surface, c 1m wide, that was enclosed by a stone bank, c 2m wide, giving the funerary structure an overall diameter of c 8m. Further cremations were found associated with the central setting.

In the second area, the remains of a badly plough-truncated Bronze Age structure was uncovered. This was oval in plan and c 4m in internal diameter, defined by a stone wall up to 2.5m wide. The wall was revetted on either side of a partially paved entrance passage. This passage was 2.5m long, with a threshold stone and pivot stone at its inner end. The floor of this structure was devoid of any features and had only ephemeral traces of floor deposits, containing some small pot sherds and charcoal flecks.

A possible earlier structure was represented only by a 4m length of curving walling. A barbed-and-tanged arrowhead was also retrieved from ploughsoil in the immediate environs to the E of the funerary monument.

Report lodged with Orkney SMR and NMRS.

Sponsor: HS.

J Robertson 2005

An OS ngr of HY 4240 1383 is reported by Mr Howe.

Information to RCAHMS from Mr M Howe via e-mail, 14 April 2008