Terally
Long Cist Cemetery (Early Medieval), Unidentified Flint(S) (Flint)(Prehistoric)
Site Name Terally
Classification Long Cist Cemetery (Early Medieval), Unidentified Flint(S) (Flint)(Prehistoric)
Canmore ID 61149
Site Number NX14SW 8
NGR NX 12265 41202
NGR Description Centre
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/61149
- Council Dumfries And Galloway
- Parish Kirkmaiden
- Former Region Dumfries And Galloway
- Former District Wigtown
- Former County Wigtownshire
NX14SW 8 1227 4123
(Centred NX 122 412) A long cist cemetery, found in 1955 by workmen laying a water main, was excavated by Livens in 1956. The cemetery contained at least 13 typical long cists, oriented E - W, but no grave goods. They were aligned, apparently in a single row, between the standing stone (NX14SW 1) and Terally Mote (NX14SW 3). This suggests that these features were present when the cemetery was laid out, and probably gives an Early Christian or Medieval date for it, with a slight bias towards the latter. The excavation also produced some 117 worked flints, of which less than a dozen had been used, the rest being waste from Mesolithic flint-knapping. They were scattered evenly over the area, without any noticeable concentrations.
R G Livens 1958.
NX 1227 4123. There is no trace of the cists. The flints are in the possession of Sir Ninian Buchan-Hepburn of Logan.
Site surveyed at 1:2500 from excavation plan.
Visited by OS (DWR) 25 January 1972
In 1955 eleven long cists were found by workmen digging a trench along the edge of the raised beach to the N of Terally Bridge (NX 1228 4113). In 1956 excavation by Livens revealed a further two cists and showed that the cemetery was bounded on the N by a standing stone (NX14SW 1) and on the S by a natural mound (NX 1223 4110) known as Terally Mote. The graves were probably all aligned E-W and contained extended inhumations. Numerous flint flakes, some worked, and all probably of Mesolithic date, where found during the excavation.
A E Truckell 1956; R G Livens 1956; R G Livens 1958; PSAS 1960; J M Coles 1964; A E Truckell 1964; RCAHMS 1985, visited September 1984.
Note (10 March 2022)
The location, classification and period of this site have been reviewed and changed from LONG CIST CEMETERY (EARLY MEDIEVAL), UNIDENTIFIED FLINT(S) (FLINT).