Wyre, Hallbreck Farm

HY 4375 2592 Two trenches and six test pits were excavated between 20 August–7 September 2007 to investigate prehistoric activity indicated by the results of the field-walking and gradiometry survey of 2006. The archaeological remains encountered across the site were found to be considerably plough-truncated, but have

nonetheless revealed occupation deposits and structural remains in association with early Neolithic pottery and flint technology.

Trench A was located over an area of high magnetic response which correlated with a high concentration of artefacts recovered during the 2006 field walking exercise. Although severely truncated, to the level of the natural glacial till in some places, several layers of charcoal-rich deposits and ashy spreads were exposed in this trench. In the final few days of excavation, a sondage across one of these spreads revealed a linear

arrangement of large, well-laid flagstones, overlain by secure deposits containing early Neolithic pottery.

Trench B was similarly positioned over an area of archaeological potential indicated by the 2006 survey. Occupation deposits were indicated by the presence of a rammed stone floor showing evidence of in situ burning and the incorporation of flint and cobble stone tools in the surface, which has been interpreted as a work area. Although the primary phases of this trench were not revealed, the working floor and short stretches of ruined coursed masonry show several episodes of activity with various stages of collapse, use and rebuild identified. Amongst the finds recovered from this trench were several pieces of worked flint, cobble stone tools and a decorated sherd of Unstan Ware pottery. Six 1m2 test pits were also excavated and all revealed evidence of human activity, including structural remains and ashy deposits. In addition, areas of considerable in situ burning were exposed in one of the test pits. This was subsequently extended to create Trench C. This small trench revealed negative features cut into the natural glacial till; these have been interpreted as representing internal structural elements and several phases of hearth settings, in association with early Neolithic pottery. It is likely, therefore, that this trench contains the remains of an early Neolithic dwelling, although the truncated nature of the features prohibits the identification of distinct phases of occupation at this stage. With the exception of Trench C, the test pits were not further investigated.

Report to be deposited with the Orkney SMR and RCAHMS.

Funder: Orkney Islands Council, Society of Antiquaries Scotland, Orkney Archaeological Trust, Orkney College, the Flaws family.

HY 4375 2592 Two trenches were excavated 25 August–19 September 2008, enlarging Trenches A and C from the 2007 season. Several buildings, all apparently Early Neolithic in date but representing different phases of habitation, have now been identified across the site.

Trench A was extended to investigate the extensive area of paving revealed in 2007. Further paving, consisting of slabs up to 1.5m in length was found underlying a thick layer of black midden that was rich in Skaill knives, Early Neolithic pottery and flint tools. This paving leads straight to a stone structure, the outer wall of which was exposed in the SW corner of the trench. Although the base of this wall was not reached, at least two courses of stones are surviving in places. A paved entrance with an upright threshold stone was also revealed in this wall.

Trench C was extended to 10m2 to investigate the badly plough-truncated features first exposed last season. The truncation was more severe than initially thought and there was a heavy iron pan across the trench. Nevertheless, postholes and gullies forming the footprint of an Early Neolithic-style ‘longhouse’ survived. A stone built ‘longhouse’ consisting of orthostats and further postholes forms a later phase of habitation, truncating the earlier building after it had fallen out of use. Hearths associated with both phases were relatively well preserved and despite the heavy plough truncation, a significant Early Neolithic ceramic and flint

assemblage was recovered.

In total, five polished stone axes were found, in addition to the hundreds of fragments of Early Neolithic pottery, flint and coarse stone tools, making this assemblage one of the largest and most significant from an Early Neolithic domestic context in Orkney. The activity on the site, all apparently oriented NW/SE, is spread over an area covering several 100m2 and is therefore one of the largest known Early Neolithic settlement sites in Orkney.

Report: Orkney SMR and RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: Orkney Islands Council, ORCA, Orkney College, the Flaws family and The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland

Antonia Thomas (ORCA), 2008

HY 4375 2592 Excavation continued at the plough-damaged Early Neolithic settlement from 31 August–23 September 2009. Further investigation of House 3 (the stone built longhouse discovered in 2008) revealed a NW–SE oriented rectangular structure with rounded internal corners measuring c6.5 x 3.7m internally with central orthostatic divisions projecting from the walls and a slightly off-centre hearth. A quern stone was found in situ against one of the orthostats. The stone threshold for this building discovered last year relates to the main NE-facing entrance which is built into 1.4m wide stone walls. The southernmost wall of the house is narrower than the others at 0.75m and appears to be a dividing wall for a further room or structure to the S of House 3. An entrance leads between the main room of House 3 and this structure and an additional threshold,

also facing NE, forms an external entrance into this part of the building. It is not yet clear whether the further remains to the S of House 3 are contemporary with the main room, in which case the House consists of two ‘rooms’ built end-to-end like a but-and-ben, or whether they reflect an earlier phase of construction. House 3 was apparently robbed out in prehistory and the entrance was sealed with redeposited natural clay before large amounts of black midden were deposited over the paving to the E of the house. Excavation of the midden deposits exposed a scoop hearth associated with postholes and round-based pottery. This structure, House 4,

appears to have been partially respected by the later paving outside of House 3.

In Trench C, the post-built rectangular house (House 1) was fully excavated. This NW–SE oriented structure appears to have been rapidly dismantled and its posts removed before a stone-built rectangular house was constructed on the same footprint. The hearth from House 1 was not re-used and a new stone-built hearth occupied a slightly off-centre position in the new building. The NW-facing entrance was in the short end of House 2. Measuring from the entrance arrangement to the axial post assumed to be at the rear of the building, and from where the orthostatic divisions would be tied into the side walls, gives estimated internal dimensions of 6.5 x 3.7m for Houses 1 and 2. A small ditch with an external bank of redeposited clay natural ran around the SW of House 2 and appears to respect the footprint of that building. This ditch contained round-based pottery and truncated some of the postholes associated with House 1. With the exception of a fine example of a barbed-and-tanged arrowhead, which was recovered from the topsoil during de-turfing in Trench A, all of the artefacts from the site have been Neolithic in date.

Archive: Orkney SMR and RCAHMS

Funder: Orkney Islands Council, Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, ORCA, Orkney College, the Flaws family, Orkney Archaeology Society and Andrew Appleby

Antonia Thomas – ORCA

HY 4375 2592 Excavation continued at the plough-damaged Early Neolithic settlement of stone and timber houses from 31 August–23 September 2010. Extensions to Trench A and further investigation of House 3 (discovered in 2008) revealed a NNW–SSE oriented rectangular stone built structure with rounded internal corners. The inner wall face is cut into the

natural glacial till. Although this building has been robbed out, 2–3 courses survive in places. House 3 measures c8 x 4m internally with central orthostatic divisions projecting from a slight pinch in the side walls, dividing the house into two unequal parts. The N is c4.4m long and the S part c3.6m long. A slightly off-centre 1m2 hearth occupies the S part of

the building. In the centre of the N part of the structure was an axial posthole that had been reworked at least three times, its last phase an elaborate square stone-lined box, containing a rounded post-pipe measuring 210 x 200mm NNW–SSE. A further large and extensively reworked posthole lies immediately to the SW and cuts through c200mm of ashy floor deposits. A series of small pits was revealed in the N end of the building. The stone threshold for this building (discovered last year) relates to the main NE-facing entrance which is built into 1.4m wide stone walls at the S end of the building. The S wall of the house is narrower than the others at 750mm and contains a 1m wide opening to the S. Trench A was extended to the S to expose this further room or building. This revealed a sub-rectangular structure, House 5, which is appended to the S of House 3. House 5 is oriented NNW–SSE and measures 4.8 x 3.2m internally. Although the western side wall has been largely robbed out,

the eastern side wall has two courses surviving and is 1m wide. The external entrance into House 5 is in this eastern wall and faces NE. The southern wall of this building is only 0.5m wide and has rounded internal corners on both sides; a central opening measuring 0.6m wide appears to open into a further room or structure beyond the southern limit of excavation. A rectangular stone-lined hearth on the same axis and measuring 1.2 x 0.8m occupies the central area. A stone polissoir, a polished stone axe, stone tools, flint and round-bottomed pottery were recovered from this structure. Although House 5 is stratigraphically later than House 3, there appears to have been a period when both buildings

were occupied. The stone-capped drain which runs along the E side of House 3 also appears to have been re-cut at a time contemporary with the construction of House 5. Several postholes were excavated outside of House 3 and their position under the robbed-out wall line provides evidence

of an earlier structure pre-dating, but on the same footprint, as House 3. This possibly mirrors the sequence of a wooden house replaced by a stone house seen in Trench C in 2009. Both House 3 and House 5 were robbed out in prehistory. Excavation also continued on House 4, immediately to the E of House 3. At least 14 postholes relating to this NNW–

SSE oriented sub-rectangular structure were excavated. The building measures c5 x 3m internally and 5.8 x 3.8m overall. Shallow linear cuts, interpreted as truncated beam slots, were excavated on the WSW and NNW sides of the structure. The postholes on the corners of House 4 were markedly larger than others in the structure and were blocked with large

boulders. An oval scoop hearth measuring c1 x 1.2m and oriented NNW–SSE occupied the northern central interior of the building. The postholes in the central area form a linear arrangement projecting into the interior, mirroring the central orthostats which project into the internal space in the

stone buildings on the site. The house is surrounded on its NNW and ENE sides by the remains of a shallow gully which leads into a sub-rectangular shallow sump at the SSE end of the building and then drains into a stone-capped gully. The entrance was not identified. Round-bottomed pottery,

charcoal, worked pumice, stone tools and a polished stone axe were recovered from sealed deposits associated with House 4. Further excavation took place in Trench B, which had initially been opened as a 10 x 2m area in 2007. This trench was extended to the W to expose the edge of the rammed stone floor, which consisted of a metalled surface of discarded stone tools and burnt stones. A large rim sherd of Unstan Ware pottery and a flint knife were recovered from this floor. At the W end of the trench three large intercutting pits, one of which cuts through the rammed stone floor, were excavated. These pits contained a small amount of flint debitage. A House 3 and 5, Trench A, The Braes of Ha’Breck small 1 x 2m test pit, Trench D, was positioned to the N of Trench B and revealed the same rammed stone surface, suggesting that this floor covers c10m2. A new 2 x 5m trench, Trench E was opened over an anomaly identified in the 2006 magnetometry survey. This revealed the edge of a substantial rock-cut feature, possibly a small domestic quarry, with a near vertical edge. Several layers of ashy midden were dumped against the rock face but the excavation of this feature was halted at 1.2m due to safety concerns. The midden deposits contained a large number of flaked stone tools, flint waste

and flat-bottomed Grooved Ware pottery with incised and applied decoration.

Archive: Orkney SMR and RCAHMS

Funder: Orkney Islands Council, ORCA, Orkney College, the Flaws

family, Orkney Archaeology Society and Andrew Appleby

HY 43740 25933 A resistance survey was undertaken in March 2010 across the Neolithic settlement to investigate the possible presence of any structural remains and to aid

in the targeting of trenches for this season’s excavation. Several anomalies were identified in the survey, including potential wall lines in the eastern part of the survey area

and a large area of moderately high resistance, which may indicate features such as paved or rammed earth surfaces. Other possible structural elements were identified in the W

of the survey area; however, a geological origin for these cannot be ruled out.

Archive: ORCA Geophysics

Funder: Xodus Aurora

HY 4375 2592 Excavation continued at the Early Neolithic settlement at Ha’Breck from 2–20 May 2011. Extensions to Trench A and continued investigation of House 3 (discovered in 2008) further defined this NNW–SSE oriented rectangular stone built structure with rounded internal corners. House 3 measures c8 x 4m internally with central orthostatic divisions projecting from a slight pinch in the side walls, dividing the house into two unequal parts. The N is c4.4m long and the S c3.6m long. A depth of 460mm of in situ floor deposits was excavated from the N area of House 3. The earliest levels of the floor consisted of a surface of clean glacial till, which had been stripped when the building was constructed. Several small intercutting steep-sided pits and gullies were cut into the glacial till at this level, and a scoop hearth, 560 x 520mm, lay on the central axis just to the NW of the central orthostats. Overlying these features were several thick layers of charred material, consisting of thousands of individual grains, which were spread across the N end of House 3. These charred grain layers were accompanied by several large pieces of wood charcoal, indicating a conflagration on a massive scale, which probably involved structural damage and was significant enough to redden the underlying glacial till.

Dramatic as this event must have been, it did not mark the end of the building’s life. The charred grain was pushed to the sides of the room and the scoop hearth was sealed with a large flagstone slab. A quern rubber was placed on top on this charred grain layer in one of the W bays and the area affected by the fire was covered with a thick layer of mixed clay. This effectively sealed all evidence of the charred remains, but left the quern visible above the surface of the floor. A small polished stone axe was then placed next to the quern and further floor deposits built up. A significant quantity of round-based plain pottery was recovered from these floor layers. A further small polished stone axe (number 15) was also recovered from a linear slot feature beneath the W wall line of the N end of House 3.

The southern part of House 3 did not appear to have suffered from the same dramatic burning episode as its northern counterpart. In its earliest phase, this part of the building consisted of a series of shallow pits and scoops cut into the floor. These pits were concentrated to the E and S of the scoop hearth, 1.16 x 0.96m, which occupies a slightly W of centre position. This was soon formalised with the addition of a large water worn hearth slab at the S end, which partially sealed the scoop (ENE–WSW). This slab was broken into two unequal parts, with the northern end of the slab moved 200mm to the N to allow for the insertion of an orthostat between the two halves of the slab, creating an edge. Large amounts of charred material containing a significant quantity of charred grain was found within the upper scoop hearth deposits and sealing a series of large flat slabs to the W that formed an early extension to the hearth area. The continuation of the northern clay floor to the E for the southern hearth indicates that the use of this hearth continued after the charred layers in the northern part of the house were sealed. The clay layer was cut by a small gully around the E side of the hearth. A sub-rectangular box feature, indicated by two linear slots at 90° to each other in the SW corner of the room, appears to be associated with the stone-capped drain which exits the building in this corner.

Trench A was also extended to the S to fully expose the footprint of House 5, which is appended to the S of House 3 and accessible through a 1m wide opening in the S wall of House 3 and through a NE-facing entrance in the E wall. House 5 is oriented NNW–SSE and consists of two rooms or cells. The main northernmost area is sub-rectangular, measures 4.8m x 3.2m internally and is divided in two by orthostats. The southernmost area consists of a small sub-oval cell measuring c2.2 x 1.32m ENE–WSW and is entered through a 0.59m wide opening between a pair of opposing stone-built piers, which project into the centre of House 5. The rectangular stone-lined hearth occupying the central room of the northern area, oriented NNW–SSE, measuring 1.2 x 0.8m, was fully excavated in 2011. The basal slab was found to seal a stone-lined drain or culvert. This runs downslope in a southerly direction to exit House 5 through an opening in the wall of the S cell.

Although House 5 is stratigraphically later than House 3, there appears to have been an overlapping period during which both of the buildings were occupied, with the outer E wall of House 3 given an additional ‘skin’ when House 5 was constructed. The stone-capped drain which runs along the E side of House 3 also appears to have been re-cut when House 5 was constructed. Both House 3 and House 5 were robbed out in prehistory. The entrance of House 3 was sealed with redeposited natural clay before large amounts of black midden were brought in and deposited over the paving to the E of the house to form a levelling layer.

Further excavation also continued on House 4. This NNW–SSE oriented timber structure was revealed in the form of truncated negative features sealed by the midden deposits immediately to the E of House 3 (DES 2010, 121–3). This is now confirmed as a sub-rectangular building measuring c5.1 x 2.9m internally, with a central sub-oval scoop hearth, measuring 1.12 x 1m, aligned on the central axis. An old land surface was identified to the E of House 4. This surface was overlain by a working area consisting of a rammed surface of burnt and unburnt stones, including stone tools and midden material.

Further excavation also took place in Trench B, which had initially been opened as a 10 x 2m area in 2007 and was extended to the W in 2010. Excavation of the rammed stone floor, which consisted of a metalled surface of discarded stone tools and burnt stones, revealed an old land surface similar to that revealed under the working floor area of Trench A. It is significant that across the site whilst the areas of land used for the houses had been stripped down to the glacial till prior to construction, the areas used for external working floors were not similarly prepared and the old land surface is still extant in these places. Coarse stone tools, flint tools and debitage, plain round-bottomed pottery, including fragments from a vessel with an unusual perforation in the side, and a decorated collar sherd of Unstan Ware pottery were also recovered from Trench B in 2011.

Additional excavation took place in Trench E, where the 5 x 2m area opened in 2010 and located over a strong geophysical anomaly had revealed the edge of a substantial rock-cut feature with a vertical edge. This had previously been interpreted as a possible small domestic quarry but excavation had ceased at a depth of 1.2m. The trench was extended by 0.5m to the E to allow for the section to be stepped for safe excavation. The bottom of this feature was reached in 2011 and an area measuring 3.64 x 1m was subsequently excavated down to bedrock at a depth of 1.98m below ground level. The feature has been confirmed as a small domestic quarry. The upper part of the bedrock is weathered, suggesting that in the Neolithic this would have formed an exposed outcrop of rock, which was exploited for stone. The many fills of the quarry cut can be broadly grouped into two main backfilling episodes. The lower consists of rubble dumps and contained a hammerstone and flint blade. The upper backfilling event consisted of midden-enhanced soils previously described as containing a large number of flaked stone tools, flint waste and flat-bottomed Grooved Ware pottery with incised and applied decoration (DES 2010, 123). The extent of the quarry beyond the trench was not clarified although GPR was undertaken.

Archive: Orkney SMR and RCAHMS

Funder: Orkney Islands Council, ORCA, LEADER European funding, Orkney College Archaeology Department, the Flaws family and Orkney Archaeology Society

Orkney Research Centre of Archaeology (ORCA), 2011

HY 4375 2592 The final season of excavations was carried out at the Early Neolithic settlement at Ha’Breck from 3–8 June 2013. In Trench A, the drains within House 5, which run from beneath and around the central hearth to the S, were fully excavated. Floor deposits in the D-shaped room at the southern end of the building were excavated, revealing a bowl-shaped pit in the SE corner. The pit contained numerous pieces of wood charcoal. Externally, the drains either side of House 5 were fully excavated. On the western side below the remains of an external hearth, a series of narrow interlinked drains ran to the S. A short gully and pit was also found sloping into the house adjacent to the NW internal orthostat (1203) which was built into the main internal wall. On the eastern side, the main drain that ran down the side of House 3 continued past House 5 to the S where it broadened.

In Trench B, the eastern end of the Early Neolithic stone quarry discovered in 2011 (DES 2011, 134) was excavated. The quarry (c0.9m deep) contained a similar sequence of lower fills as those excavated in the section to the W in Trench E, displaying a neatly cut stepped quarry face and flat base.

Trench F (5 x 2m) was opened between Trench A (houses) and Trench E (quarry) to investigate an area of magnetic enhancement shown in the results of the magnetometer survey. No significant features or structures were encountered and the magnetic anomaly corresponded to a thin subsoil containing charcoal. Trench F confirmed that the house and quarry/working surface areas were discrete zones in the settlement.

Archive: ORCA

Funder: Orkney Islands Council, Orkney Archaeology Society and the Flaws family

Daniel Lee and Antonia Thomas, ORCA, 2013

(Source: DES)

HY 43775 25937 A ground penetrating radar survey was undertaken on 28 April 2015 at the site of the Neolithic quarry identified during previous seasons of excavation (DES 2010, 2011 and 2013). With the trenches fully backfilled, a GPR survey was undertaken over a 19 x 25m grid. The rockcut quarry (c12m long, 6m wide and 1.8m deep from current ground level) was successfully identified in the data and a 3D model has been produced.

Archive: Archaeology Institute

Funder: Orkney Islands Council and Orkney Archaeology Society

Daniel Lee and Thomas Desalle – Archaeology Institute, UHI

(Source: DES, Volume 16)