A group of postgraduate students have been in South Ronaldsay this week carrying out survey work around the Howe of Hoxa.
In glorious sunshine, the MSc and MLitt students began the fifth and final day of their fieldwork this morning, carried out as part of the archaeological and geophysical survey module.
At the helm were Dr James Moore from the UHI Archaeology Institute and ORCA’s Chris Gee.
The Howe of Hoxa is an Iron Age broch, which stands in a prominent position at the end of a natural hog-backed ridge. It was investigated by Orcadian antiquarian George Petrie in 1848, but shortly afterwards suffered alterations in the name of 19th century “conservation”. Outside the broch are a number of features which may represent both prehistoric activity and excavation rubble.
Today’s goals were to carry out a series of resistivity surveys on the sides of the broch mound. These were done by Cat and Michelle while Stephen and Vivian carried out a plane table survey of the ridge features.
