Iona, Block House
Buried Land Surface(S) (Prehistoric), Midden(S) (Medieval), Pit (Medieval), Plough Marks (Period Unassigned)(Possible), Lithic Implement(S) (Period Unassigned), Unidentified Pottery(S) (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Iona, Block House
Classification Buried Land Surface(S) (Prehistoric), Midden(S) (Medieval), Pit (Medieval), Plough Marks (Period Unassigned)(Possible), Lithic Implement(S) (Period Unassigned), Unidentified Pottery(S) (Period Unassigned)
Canmore ID 312105
Site Number NM22SE 128
NGR NM 28500 24050
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/312105
- Council Argyll And Bute
- Parish Kilfinichen And Kilvickeon
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Argyll And Bute
- Former County Argyll
Strip And Record (2010)
NM 28500 24050 Two thin dumps of midden over natural windblown sand were exposed and hand excavated during a controlled topsoil strip at Block House in 2010. The midden contained animal bone (cattle and sheep/goat) and fish bone (cod etc), pottery and a few carbonised grains of barley and oats. A radiocarbon date from a charred barley grain dated the deposits to the later medieval period (1480–1650 AD – SUERC-29247, GU-21441). A shallow rectangular pit was recorded cutting through a cultivated soil. The base of this midden-rich soil was scarred by narrow cuts, which may have been the remnants of ploughing.
Archive: RCAHMS
Funder: Mr Erdal
Clare Ellis – Argyll Archaeology
Watching Brief (16 March 2017)
NM 28498 24034 A watching brief was undertaken, 16 March 2017, on topsoil stripping in advance of the installation of a septic tank. The work revealed a midden-rich topsoil/ ploughsoil rich in shells which capped bedrock.
Funder: Private individual
Clare Ellis – Argyll Archaeology
(Source: DES, Volume 18)
Watching Brief (16 March 2017 - 17 March 2017)
NM 28471 24057 A watching brief was undertaken, 16–17 March 2017, on topsoil stripping in advance of the installation of three septic tanks. A midden-rich topsoil with many fragments of animal bone, winkles and limpet shells capped the site. Beneath the topsoil a portion of a large, probable late medieval pit (15th to 17th century) was recorded. The pit was filled with grey silt and much animal bone as well as a number of sherds of organic tempered pottery and a large sherd of redware. The pit cut through
natural sand and two probable early prehistoric buried soils that contained a small number of lithics, two coarse stone tools and a single sherd of organic tempered pottery. It is thought likely that the artefacts were incorporated into the buried soil within midden.
Funder: The Gully Partnership LLP
Clare Ellis – Argyll Archaeology
(Source: DES, Volume 18)
