- Two thousand-year-old occupation deposits in the Eastern half of the broch in the process of clean-up
A rather grey and windy day at The Cairns today, yet that didn’t stop the many visitors stopping by. The weather didn’t stop the exciting developments that have been happening across the site today.
The south-west extension was especially exciting today as the bronze object (possibly a pin), which was found yesterday, was lifted by Martin, under the close observation of many onlookers. At the other side of the extension Gary and I found quite a substantial amount of finds in one small area, these included two different animal jawbones, beside a stone tool, sherds of pottery and an animal bone that has signs of butchery, which were located under some of the rubble that we had just removed.
- The crucible showing the spout that would have been used for pouring molten bronze
One of the Star finds of the day was found by Hanneke in the rubble that is butting against the broch wall, a large piece of pottery that turned out to be a piece of a crucible, a vessel that would have carried molten metal.
Down in the broch, things have also been slowly progressing, the floor deposits in the eastern section have been cleaned back. In the western portion, the paving has been cleaned and is being recorded.
- The new wall emerging in Karoline and Marianne’s pit, outside the eastern wall of the broch
Across the site in ‘the Pit’, an area of modern disturbance and back-fill, Marianne and Karoline also had quite an exciting day, the wall that started to make its appearance over the last few days is now looking even more enticing, the wall now is adjoining to another wall at a right angle. Another of the star finds today was also from this area, where articulated cow vertebrae were found.
Down in Trench Q things seem to be coming on quite nicely, though it was previously not quite looking like anything other than ‘voidy rubble,’ it is starting now to show signs of some of wall lines joining through the baulk to a structure in Trench M, if this is the case or not, only time will tell.
Mary Renshaw, BA Archaeology student, UHI.
