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Arran, Kingscross Point

Burial (Viking), Cairn (Viking), Coin (Viking)

Site Name Arran, Kingscross Point

Classification Burial (Viking), Cairn (Viking), Coin (Viking)

Canmore ID 40078

Site Number NS02NE 3

NGR NS 05590 28255

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/40078

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
Canmore Disclaimer. © Copyright and database right 2024.

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Administrative Areas

  • Council North Ayrshire
  • Parish Kilbride
  • Former Region Strathclyde
  • Former District Cunninghame
  • Former County Buteshire

Archaeology Notes

NS02NE 3 0559 2825

(Name: NS 0555 2823) Viking Burial (NR)

Human Remains and Bronze Coin found AD 1909 (NAT)

OS 6" map, (1924)

A Viking grave-mound was situated on the landward side of, and 23ft from the fort NS02NE 1. When first examined, it consisted of a very irregular heap of stones, about 30ft x 8-10ft and 1 1/2- 3ft in height (see plan on Illustration Card). When excavated by Balfour, he found two settings of stones, 6ft apart, and about 2ft above the middle of the mound, there was a heap of articles consisting of calcined human bones, pieces of whalebone decorated with concentric circles, charcoal, pieces of iron, including Viking boat rivets, bronze fragments, two pieces of vitrified stone and a bronze coin - styca of Wigmund, Archbishop of York, AD 831-854. Nothing else was found.

The finds are in the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS) (Accession Numbers IL 333-360).

J Balfour 1909; S Grieg 1940.

Viking boat grave arranged in an older cairn.

A O Curle, M Oslen and H Shetelig 1954.

NS 0559 2825. This excavated mound occupies the S end of a rocky knoll above Kingscross Point.

The remains lie on an extensive, naturally level slab of bedrock and comprise a trenched, elongated mound 8.5m long by up to 3.5m wide and 0.5m high. Large stones form much of its surviving fringe and the 1.5m to 2.0m wide "trench" has a floor of living rock. There is nothing to suggest that the site had two phases.

Resurveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (J R L) 13 November 1977.

NS 0559 2825 Site identified as part of a coastal zone assessment survey.

M Cressey, S Badger, 2005.

Activities

Field Visit (March 2017)

NS 05566 28224 A path to a Viking grave (Canmore ID: 40078) and a dun (Canmore ID: 40075) bi-sects the remains of a rough, ill-defined structure identified by a perimeter of boulders, possibly outcrop and, also, earthen mounds. Parts of the SW side are formed from earthen banks and grass-covered boulders. Here, an arc of stones could suggest the presence of an annexe. The age and function of the structure is unknown but it may have some relation to agricultural activities as evidenced by the presence of rig immediately to the SW. The site was visited in March 2017.

Archive: NRHE and Arran Heritage Museum

Dugald MacInnes – Association of Certificated Archaeologists

(Source: DES, Volume 18)

Note (11 June 2019 - 13 June 2019)

The location, classification and period of this site have been reviewed.

HES Survey and Recording 11-13 June 2019

References

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