A new radiocarbon date for a shell-filled pit at The Cairns Iron Age site in South Ronaldsay shows that it was in use in the fifth or sixth century AD.
The pit appears to have been used to cook shellfish and after consumption, their shells, all 18,637 of them, were put back in it.
The site director at The Cairns is University of the Highlands and Islands Archaeology Institute lecturer Martin Carruthers.
He said: “This is an astonishing number of shells for a short-lived, single-event context. This suggests it may have been part of a special food event, a feast involving the whole community of the site or even beyond.”
The majority of the shells, which were analysed by UHI Archaeology Institute Masters student Holly Young, belonged to limpets (84 per cent), with common periwinkles making up the rest.
The radiocarbon date shows the pit was in use at the same time as the nearby souterrain.
“One of our project research aims has been to investigate the role of souterrains and this extraordinary contemporary feasting is adding to our picture that souterrains may have been very special places involving social and ritual practices, in addition to whatever other roles they may have had in food production or storage.
“Indeed, during the construction of The Cairns souterrain another cache of shells was placed over the slab roof of the structure along with a special deposit of rotary querns!”
Re. careful deposition near the souterrain………..
https://theorkneynews.scot/2019/07/11/the-cairns-on-a-sunny-sunny-open-day/
The Cairns just keeps on revealing……….
I’ve been thinking, again, about this big shell-fish-feast. I might be being confused – I am not an archaeologist, and I sometimes am a confused person. Here goes anyway….them as knows can correct me, if they wish to do so.
I have an idea that folk were a bit puzzled that, considering where it is, there wasn’t much evidence of people eating fish at The Cairns.
I wondered if it was that fish was just for the high-ups – like rabbit was, centuries ago in Britain.
https://theorkneynews.scot/2017/07/03/bernie-bell-the-cairns-the-story-of-a-broch/
And then the team at The Cairns found a big deposit of shellfish, probably from one event.
I was thinking out loud to Mike about this – and he suggested……..
In ancient times the sea was revered – Poseidon was feared and placated in the Mediterranean area. There had been a tsunami which affected Orkney in the Neolithic, and people then had long memories – they needed to, to learn and survive. Climate change moving into the Bronze Age, presumably accompanied by increased storminess and rising sea levels.
The sea, quite rightly, was revered, feared, placated, especially by folk who lived near it.
Mike suggested that shellfish, being collectable from the shore line, were acceptable, but maybe the people of The Cairns were cautious of going out on the sea, fishing. Maybe they did, sometimes, but with due care and respect.
Even today, wise fishers respect the sea.
So – there’s a thought to conjure with. Maybe not much fishing out on the sea – taking from the sea, but, for this big event – maybe the end of the broch as a place to live, the establishment of the souterrain and the broch becoming a place of reverence? A feast was wanted – why not meat? I don’t know! The main idea I’m playing with – walking round it to see what shape it takes – is ….shellfish were OK to take, as you’re not really taking from the sea, or the Gods of the sea. So – a big shellfish feast. Mebbe?