It has been a bright and sunny day in Orkney – we cracked 10 degrees C today and the team are jubilating! We even saw some skin on the site with the native Orcadians displaying bare arms. Other nationalities decided to play it safe and continued to cover up.
Here is a summary of activity across the site:
North/west area, Structure B2
Quin (team Scotland) and Logan (Team USA/Ireland) found two walls – one expected and one a pleasant surprise. They proceeded to clean it out, while the Border Reiver, Quin, worked amicably with the American contingent (Logan). No dispute regarding feet/inches vs cm/metres was detected. Some miscellaneous bone was discovered in the proceedings and identified as probable red deer and cattle.
West area. Bottom of structure C (overburden)
Ross (team Scotland) and Allan (team England) display the kind of teamwork that represents the best of United Kingdom. Their dulcet tones could be heard by the neighbouring teams singing Just the two of us.
Allan discovered a broch wall and they were then kept busy pulling that section back. The finds of the day include two bones – one yet to be identified and the other a likely horse ankle.
Broch frontage. Above Structure O
Here Holly (team Scotland) and Jaron (team USA) were dismantling a revetment wall and lifting the paving to reveal the extent of Structure O. The paving area was likely an outdoor space. Bone finds included cattle and deer jumbled into the rubble.
Jaron displayed a methodical approach that many colleagues in the profession could learn from: “take it slow and be observant”.
Note: Holly was observed sidelining digging efforts with bee preservation – archaeologist and naturalist!
South-east corner. The cells
This section represents the multinational digging efforts at The Cairns to perfection.
Working in perfect harmony here were Ole (team Germany), Marianne (team Finland/Germany), Monami (team USA/India) Lindsay (team Orkney) and me, Sylvia (team Canada), an unsurpassed harmonious multinational effort!
We found a “beautiful” wall, not rubble!
The wall is a major find, indicating two distinct phases in the development and use of this space. The clear remodelling of space is indicated by the addition of the wall. Now all that is required is to determine the age of the walls and how they relate to each other.
South-east room of the broch
Ethan (team Scotland), Alfie (team England) and team leader, Amanda (team Scotland/UHI), were kept busy quadranting their area. They recorded, photographed and sampled peat-ash deposits, typical of hearth remains.
North room of the broch
Chris (team Orkney), Jan (team England) and Jean (Tajikistan, although she’s actually a Kiwi) were working on a multi-context plan, with Jan kept busy establishing a sample grid.
Kevin, the finds officer (Team Scotland), was excited by the associated bone group (ABG) found in the removal of paved revetment because one of the bones showed gnaw marks.
And to finish off, the final words from site director Martin Carruthers: “It’s been a very good day, weather for the better”.
Sylvia Campbell
UHI MLitt archaeological studies student
