Dornoch Bridge Quarry

NH 7626 8922 A walkover survey and trial trenching evaluation were undertaken, 10 May 2017 – 23 June 2017, in advance of a proposed quarry extension (Phases 5–9). A desk-based assessment identified the possible presence of a hengiform enclosure, known to have been disturbed by a trench during WW2, the purported burial place of Viking ‘Sigurd the Powerful’, a possible ring ditch and a hut circle. The walkover survey confirmed the site of the hengiform enclosure but failed to identify any surface trace of either the ring ditch or hut circle. The presence of a large glacial esker running E/W and further eskers to the N, S and W of the site were also noted.

A total of 71 evaluation trenches of varying size were opened; of these 55 were archaeologically sterile. Buried remains of varying importance were recorded in the remaining 16 trenches. A small area was deturfed across the hengiform earthwork to confirm the location of the 1940s excavation. No further work was carried out on this feature.

The principal archaeology was revealed in Trench 47. An arrangement of tabular flagstones of varying sizes was revealed at the N end of the trench. The surrounding soil produced 15 sherds of abraded pottery, all prehistoric in appearance, together with a highly degraded metal object. The largest of the flagstones covered a cremation burial. A second cremation burial was revealed just a metre away from the first, the deposit placed over a larger flat stone.

To the NW of the cremations a large pit was revealed at the NW end of the trench, the lower fill of which produced a substantial assemblage of decorated prehistoric pottery sherds. A further well-defined pit, containing rubble in the upper fill, possibly reflects a further cremation burial. This was planned and photographed but not excavated.

A further cut feature was initially suspected to represent a small pit or a posthole. Excavation of the feature revealed fragments of a human skull and human teeth. The fragments consisted of part of the top of a skull that appeared to have been placed top down. The cut was traced to the NE by extending the trench. This produced a few additional fragments of human bone, possibly part of a femur. As fully excavated, the cut was greater than 1.6m long and 1m wide with a distinctive curved shape in plan.

The distribution and morphology of these features indicates episodic and multi-period funerary and other activity on the site between the Mesolithic and early medieval periods. The presence of both an inhumation and cremation burials is considered to be of particular importance.

Archive: Highland HER and NRHE

Funder: Pat Munro Ltd

Lynne McKeggie, Steve Worth and Andrew Young – Highland Archaeology Services

(Source: DES, Volume 18)

OASIS ID: highland4-387592