Polloch River

NM76NE 8 783 690

Loch Shiel (Polloch). NM 783 689. A shallow wooden-handled trough was found in shallow water on the edge of the channel where the River Polloch flows into Loch Shiel. It has been 14C dated to 800-1165 cal.AD. The finder, Master Guy Roberts, donated the vessel to the National Museum of Scotland.

Daybook no.DB 1991/33

NMS 1992.

This dish was found in July 1991 in mud at the edge of the River Polloch, and at a depth of about 0.3m; it has also been published as from Loch Doilet. It is unusual in form, being roughly rectangular around the inside of the rim while the flat bottom is more nearly circular on plan and two prominent opposing flat handles project from the rim. The overall measurements are 0.3m by 0.297m, while the handles and the base measure up to 32mm and about 12mm in thickness respectively.

The dish is of alder and apparently remains unfinished. The base is roughly-worked and displays various cutmarks while the sides have numerous indistinct vertical toolmarks of a narrow and flat or slightly curved tool. Charring may be identified both within the interior and (less obviously) externally.

The vessel is currently in conservation at the Royal Museum of Scotland (under NMS daybook number DB 1991/33). It has been radiocarbon-dated to 910 +/- 80 ad (OxA-3539), which determination may be calibrated to about 995 cal AD.

R E M Hedges, R A Housley, C Bronk-Ramsey and G J van Klinken 1993; C Earwood 1993; R J C Mowat 1996; information from Mr T Cowie.