Category: The Cairns

Dig director sums up a successful 2023 excavation season

Work under way to re-cover the archaeology

Wrapping up on the final day of digging.

Red deer remains confirmed outside the broch.

Great work on site today before rain halted play…

Placing the ‘Elder assemblage’ in its contemporary context and setting

Evidence of cattle horn removal from outside Structure E.

More pottery, whalebone and delving into middens…

Back in the broch’s South-east Room.

Midway through the 2023 dig, site director Martin sums up the progress so far.

Human tooth found outside the broch entrance – and more whalebone, worked stone and a pig’s tusk!

‘A whole new world has opened up beneath my feet!’ – a day of stone tools, pottery and shells.

Sunshine, planning, antler and bone – work continues apace inside and outside the broch.

After a day of rain halted proceedings, it was back on site again today, where the broch was gridded to allow sampling.

A summary of week one and a look at what lies ahead.

Animal bone deposits and ritual activity? The archaeology keeps on coming in the broch as the team continued to unearth more of this fascinating Iron Age structure.

Whale rib and saddle quern inside the broch – another glorious day at The Cairns! The scale of activity has increased as the team get to work on specific areas around and inside the broch.

Revisiting Structure N – the site has been a hive of activity today as the excavation gets into full swing.