Sunshine, planning, antler and bone
After a foggy start the sun broke through. But there was no time to admire the weather as the excavators of Structure O were already at work, guided by supervisor Sean.
They were finishing the plans of the excavated paved surface capping Structure O, adding context numbers and the slope of the stones. Level measurements were then taken at 16 different points by the UHI fieldschool students.
The structure planned, the paving can be removed, allowing us to see if a feature, set in the middle of the paving, could be a pit, or even a pit-hearth. We’ll keep you posted on how this turns out.
Stones also needed to be removed in the broch’s ‘Frontage’ area, where Kevin kindly answered our cry of help by helping to split the heavy rocks to make them more manageable to remove. He did this with the help of our new chisel, donated by Alec Harding (Orkney Antique Centre, Birsay. Thank you very much to him!)
Holly then charged her troops to remove the rubble so they could consider the extent of midden layers and how they interact with the walls of the surrounding structures.
In Structure E there were many more interesting finds, including animal bones, shells and stone tools. Ole, lifting a stone, revealed a deposit of animal bones- a loosely articulated group that we’ll also keep you posted on.
The Structure E team continued to excavate the walls, allowing us to see the contrast of the different constructions – notably one, very straight wall that stands at an almost a perfect right angle to the curving cell wall it issues from.
Inside the broch, in the North Room, Dom kindly explained to me the mission of the day. After skilfully excavating the floor for the past few days, he has reached an occupation deposit with an orange, clay soil.
This could be the uppermost (latest) floor in the area. It is being excavated and sampled on a grid, the samples being sent for further analysis.
Similarly, in the centre of the broch, intensive grid sampling was taking place, allowing us to witness the excavation of two stone tools and a perforated antler mount.
We wish good luck to the brave excavators working in the broch, who have been valiantly facing the merciless sun; they might not have the wind in their backs, but they remain the heroes in all our thoughts!
Wishing all of our readers: enjoy reading about The Cairns as much as we enjoy finding out more about it as each day passes!
Elio Camus
BA (Hons) Archaeology student
