Reshuffle on site as poor weather continues
Today was a bitty day on site.
While yesterday we had hoped we had seen the end of the bad weather for this season, today the rain was back in waves. Also, unfortunately illness had slightly reduced our numbers.
Due to the bad weather, the broch floors were not uncovered to protect the sensitive nature of the deposits within the south, central and north rooms. However, this did mean that the there was more help available in the other areas.
Structure B2
Logan, Jean, and Quin were back in their trench area cleaning up the last of a context they had uncovered previously. Quin was clearing up a section that followed a wall, however, the end of it, has for the moment disappeared.
Neil found his first fragment of pottery in the morning, and this find was soon followed with a worked stone tool and some animal bones.
The cells
Ole, Emily, and Sylvia were joined by Alfie today.
While it was not raining, they were excavating their way through midden material and rubble that filled the cell. As with Quin, in Structure B2, Emily, Alfie and Sylvia also found a possible wall. However, it is still too obscured by the midden and other rubble material to know where it is going.
When the rain swept across site, they were moving tyres to make access to the site easier and to tidy it in readiness for Friday. Ole had a very strange day as he managed to eat lunch with the rest of us rather than later due to no lunchtime visitors and ensuing tours!
The front of the broch
Neil and Kate started removing the rubble that hides the “back wall” of Structure O. Most of the rubble consists of large stones and a real difference can already be seen.
Out of the rubble came several animal bones and some more shells, which made Holly very happy. By removing the rubble it is hoped that the full extent of Structure O will be seen.
Holly supervised this and let Neil and Kate have their fun removing the large stones, while also sampling and planning a hearth. Here she also gave a masterclass on how to draw a section to several other diggers.
The overburden
Jan and I joined Ross and Joanne in their trench section of the overburden.
The plan was to mattock down to expose the section of broch wall uncovered yesterday and to remove a large section of the rubble that hid it. The rain made the moving of soil interesting.
While mattocking, some animal bone was uncovered, including a piece of naturally shed antler. Unfortunately, due to the continuing rain, the mattocking had to stop as we were wearing more of the spoil than was going in the buckets. We all found other jobs moving tyres and tarps for safety and for Friday.
When the weather cleared a bit, Ross and Joanne drew a section of a hearth, or possible furnace base, that was next to the section.
Hopefully the weather does get better during the week and that work in the broch can continue.
Alannah Edwards
UHI Archaeology Institute MSc Archaeological Practice student
