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Eday, Dale

Burnt Mound (Prehistoric)

Site Name Eday, Dale

Classification Burnt Mound (Prehistoric)

Alternative Name(s) Coursan, Fersness

Canmore ID 3215

Site Number HY53SW 1

NGR HY 5297 3311

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/3215

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Orkney Islands
  • Parish Eday
  • Former Region Orkney Islands Area
  • Former District Orkney
  • Former County Orkney

Archaeology Notes

HY53SW 1 5297 3311.

(HY 5297 3312) Cairn (NR).

OS 6"map, Orkney, 2nd ed.,(1900).

A roughly horse-shoe-shaped mound of burnt stones, 35' in diameter and about 4'6" in maximum height.

On the NW are fragmentary traces of building (probably the 'fire-box'). One side appears to have been a single large slab set on edge and measuring 4'3" long by at least 2'3" high.

RCAHMS 1946, visited 1928.

A burnt mound as described by RCAHMS.

Surveyed at 1/2500.

Visited by OS(RL) 23 July 1970.

On the flat coastal plain 800m S of Fersness steading there is a burnt mound, described by RCAHMS in 1928 as being roughly of horseshoe shape and measuring about 35ft (10.67m) in diameter and 4ft 6in (1.37m) in greatest height. Since then, however, a drainage ditch cut through the N side of the mound, and spoil piled on top, have altered the shape; in the N side of the cutting there are several protruding slabs set on edge, all aligned N and S, and probably representing the house associated with the mound.

Visited October 1981.

RCAHMS 1984.

HY 5297 3312 Samples were collected from a series of burnt mounds on Eday in July 2000 as part of a broader investigation of luminescence dating of burnt mounds being conducted at the Scottish Universities Research and Reactor Centre, East Kilbride.

Archaeological work was undertaken at Dale burnt mound to clean and record sections prior to sampling for luminescence dating. The mound, measuring 19 x 10 x 2m, lies to the S of Fersness Farm in a low-lying peaty area of grazing close to the shore. The northern third of the mound is greatly truncated and disturbed by a large E-W drainage ditch and boundary wall. The W half of the mound is higher than the E and has large flag rubble piled on top.

The work involved cleaning and straightening the section along the line of the drainage ditch, revealing several layers of burnt mound material. Stone and soil samples were taken from three contexts within this area. In addition, a 1m wide sondage was dug into the slope of the western area of the mound. Two deposits of burnt mound material were encountered, the upper layer much disturbed. Stone and soil samples were collected from both for further analysis.

Sponsors: Historic Scotland, ESPRC

I Anthony, D Sanderson 2000, R Housley, J Downes and J Robertson 2000

Activities

Field Visit (23 July 1970)

A burnt mound as described by RCAHMS.

Surveyed at 1/2500.

Visited by OS (RL) 23 July 1970.

Desk Based Assessment (1970)

A roughly horse-shoe-shaped mound of burnt stones, 35' in diameter and about 4'6" in maximum height.

On the NW are fragmentary traces of building (probably the 'fire-box'). One side appears to have been a single large slab set on edge and measuring 4'3" long by at least 2'3" high.

RCAHMS 1946, visited 1928.

Field Visit (July 2000)

Archaeological work was undertaken at Dale burnt mound to clean and record sections prior to sampling for luminescence dating. The mound, measuring 19 x 10 x 2m, lies to the S of Fersness Farm in a low-lying peaty area of grazing close to the shore. The northern third of the mound is greatly truncated and disturbed by a large E-W drainage ditch and boundary wall. The W half of the mound is higher than the E and has large flag rubble piled on top.

The work involved cleaning and straightening the section along the line of the drainage ditch, revealing several layers of burnt mound material. Stone and soil samples were taken from three contexts within this area. In addition, a 1m wide sondage was dug into the slope of the western area of the mound. Two deposits of burnt mound material were encountered, the upper layer much disturbed. Stone and soil samples were collected from both for further analysis.

Sponsors: Historic Scotland, ESPRC

I Anthony, D Sanderson 2000, R Housley, J Downes and J Robertson 2000

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