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Wyre
Building(S) (Post Medieval), Funerary Site(S) (Prehistoric)(Possible), Settlement(S) (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Wyre
Classification Building(S) (Post Medieval), Funerary Site(S) (Prehistoric)(Possible), Settlement(S) (Period Unassigned)
Canmore ID 293586
Site Number HY42NW 109
NGR HY 440 260
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/293586
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish Rousay And Egilsay
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Orkney
- Former County Orkney
HY42NW 109 440 260
HY 440 260 A desk-based assessment and landscape survey of the island of Wyre were undertaken during May 2006. A total of 91 sites were identified. These ranged from post-medieval standing buildings to possible prehistoric funerary monuments and settlements. During the course of the survey, several sites were identified in a recently ploughed field in the W of the island (HY 437 259). A brief scan of this field while recording led to the discovery of several artefacts in the ploughsoil, including several stone macehead fragments and two soft stone axes, in addition to coarse stone tools and pottery.
The identification of these artefacts as Neolithic led to additional funding and a programme of fieldwalking and geophysical (gradiometry) survey. Over 700 artefacts were subsequently recovered from the ploughsoil in this field, and both the distribution of these finds and the results of the geophysical survey indicate significant prehistoric activity. These initial results appear to suggest the presence of at least one Neolithic domestic structure, but the additional presence of artefacts usually associated with ritual sites suggests wide-ranging and complex prehistoric settlement in this part of the island.
Report lodged with Orkney SMR and NMRS.
Sponsor: Orkney Islands Council, the Flaws Family, Orkney Archaeological Trust and Orkney College Sandwick.
Antonia Thomas, 2006.
Ground Survey (May 2006)
HY 440 260 A desk-based assessment and landscape survey of the island of Wyre were undertaken during May 2006. A total of 91 sites were identified. These ranged from post-medieval standing buildings to possible prehistoric funerary monuments and settlements. During the course of the survey, several sites were identified in a recently ploughed field in the W of the island (HY 437 259). A brief scan of this field while recording led to the discovery of several artefacts in the ploughsoil, including several stone macehead fragments and two soft stone axes, in addition to coarse stone tools and pottery.
The identification of these artefacts as Neolithic led to additional funding and a programme of fieldwalking and geophysical (gradiometry) survey. Over 700 artefacts were subsequently recovered from the ploughsoil in this field, and both the distribution of these finds and the results of the geophysical survey indicate significant prehistoric activity. These initial results appear to suggest the presence of at least one Neolithic domestic structure, but the additional presence of artefacts usually associated with ritual sites suggests wide-ranging and complex prehistoric settlement in this part of the island.
Report lodged with Orkney SMR and NMRS.
Sponsor: Orkney Islands Council, the Flaws Family, Orkney Archaeological Trust and Orkney College Sandwick.
A Thomas 2006
