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South Ronaldsay, Liddel
Burial Cairn(S) (Period Unassigned), Cairn(S) (Period Unassigned), Cist (Period Unassigned)
Site Name South Ronaldsay, Liddel
Classification Burial Cairn(S) (Period Unassigned), Cairn(S) (Period Unassigned), Cist (Period Unassigned)
Alternative Name(s) Isbister; Banks Head
Canmore ID 9557
Site Number ND48SE 4
NGR ND 4612 8326
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/9557
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish South Ronaldsay
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Orkney
- Former County Orkney
ND48SE 4 4612 8326
Orkney SMR Reference: OR 1145, OR 2866
ND 4612 8326 - A group of six cairns visible as low turf-covered stony mounds. The largest has a diameter of 14.5m and height of 1.1m but the majority average 8.6m by 0.6m high. Mr R Simison (of Liddell Farm) has dug into two of the mounds exposing kerbs of coursed dry-stone walling around both and indications of a causeway connecting one of them to an adjacent mound. No other features were uncovered and no artifacts were found.
To the west of the group are three or four small grassy mounds which may or may not be artificial.
Surveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (IMT), 26 April 1973.
ND 460 832 Six prehistoric burial mounds, disturbed.
ND 462 833 Mound, ?prehistoric
Sponsors: Historic Scotland, Orkney Archaeological Trust.
G Wilson and H Moore 1997.
Orkney Smr Note (September 1986)
The largest (B on plan) was excavated with a deep cut through
it by Simison in 1985, exposing a composition of large rough slabs
placed in slanting fashion about a central cist, the cairn having
apparently been constructed outwards from the cist. The cist is
made of four rough slabs and contained only some burnt bone
fragments. According to Simison some of this material was taken
for C14 dating by Prof. Renfrew in 1985. The cairn has a neat
outer face of coursed, horizontally-laid masonry, surviving on
average 3 courses high. The thickness of the cairn material at
centre of the mound is 1.4m measured from the bottom of the cist,
which is only very slightly sunk into what appears to be original
ground level. The cairn is formed on a layer of clay which
possibly represents remains of an old soil. It appears that the
cairn pre-dates the formation of the surrounding peat.
The other excavated cairn, C on plan, is low and flat-
topped. The excavation has exposed its complete perimeter of
coursed masonry. At some earlier time, it appears that a small
near-square trench has been cut rather S of the centre of this
cairn; this now appears as a grass-grown hollow.
The other cairns appear as rough grass-covered mounds. A,
immediately E of the large excavated cairn B, E to the W, and
F which lies apart, 70m W of B, are approximately circular.
A is 9m dia, 0.6m high; E 9m dia, 0.4m high; F 7m dia, 0.3m
high. The tops of A and E are slightly hollowed. Between B
and E lies D which is shapeless and appears to have been
damaged. A low knoll between D and E, appearing
superficially like another cairn, seems to be due to rock-outcrop.
The Easternmost three cairns A, B, C, lie on the edge of the
drift cap, with the land falling away steeply from their S sides
towards the cliffedge. Further W cairns E and F lie further
back from the cliff, with a vestige of an old dyke, appearing as a
low bank, running along the cliff-edge. Some small green knolls W
from F may possibly be other cairns, although they are difficult
to distinguish from natural peat formations.
Information from Orkney SMR (RGL, BS) Sept 1986.
Field Visit (13 April 1994)
Banks Head 1: Cairn. Diameter 9.0m. Height 0.6m.
Banks Head 2: Cairn. Diameter 13.0m. Height 1.0m.
Banks Head 3: Cairn. Diameter 4.0m. Height 0.3m.
Banks Head 4: Cairn. Diameter 3.0m. Height 0.3m.
Banks Head 5: Cairn. Diameter 9.0m. Height 0.4m.
Banks Head 6: Cairn. Diameter 7.0m. Height 0.3m.
None of the mounds are located in a prominent position.
Information from the Orkney Barrows Project (JD), 1994
Field Visit (August 1997)
A cluster of six mounds are located close to high cliffs; all have been disturbed to some extent. Five of the group (i-iii, v, vi) share similarities in size and detail and appear to represent small earthen burial mounds of the 3rd to 1st millennia BC. The sixth mound (iv), which has been badly damaged by recent excavation, is substantially larger, has a large stone constituent and may be a chambered cairn of earlier date.
(i) A slight, sub-circular mound, 6m in diameter, lies 10m from the coast.
(ii) An amorphous mound, lying 10m from the cliff edge, measures approximately 10m in diameter.
(iii) A sub-circular mound with partly exposed central cist and peripheral kerb lies 8m from the cliff edge. It is 3.5m in diameter and stands to 1m high. The cist has been emptied and the slab sides are now slumping slightly. It measures 0.5m by 0.45m and is 0.75m deep. The remains of the kerb comprise a basal course of carefully laid slabs which define a sub-square rather than circular area. This mound is over 50% denuded of vegetation.
(iv) A very disturbed, sub-oval mound measuring 20m by 17m is located 8m from the cliff edge. It is aligned E-W and stands to a maximum height of 3.75m. The centre of the mound has been roughly excavated in the recent past, probably by machine, leaving an open trench. The trench measures 11m by 4.5m. A cist, set into the ground surface adjacent to the N side, measures 0.5m by 0.3m is formed from large slabs. The structure of the cist, as presently constituted, may not be in its original form; parts of it appear to have been recently reconstructed. Small fragments of burnt bone are visible in the area surrounding the cist. The trench sections provide an insight into the construction of the mound: the lower 1m -1.5m portion of the interior is formed from flat slabs laid in a diagonal fashion. The standing remains are very unstable and in danger of imminent collapse.
(v) A small grass-covered knoll lies to the NW side of (iv). It is sub-circular in plan, measuring 8m in diameter; it stands to 0.3m high.
(vi) A sub-circular mound, 8m in diameter, lies to the E end of (iv). It is up to 1m high and has occasional stones protruding from beneath the turf.
ND4629 8335: A grass-covered mound, 6m in diameter, stands to 0.75m high. It is sub-circular in shape and lies 10m from the cliff edge. It may be an associated outlier to a cluster of mounds at ND 4609 8325 (see SR82).
Moore and Wilson, 1997
Coastal Zone Assessment Survey
