Holly’s rotary quern is the earliest so far on site
It started as a cloudy, cool morning on site, with a cool breeze and a flat sea – a nice break from the scorching heat of the last two days.
Rubble continued coming out of the northern side of the site as the team in Structure B2 continued the search for their elusive late Iron Age floor deposits. Rubble was a theme on site for the day as the teams in both the “Overburden” and the broch frontage kept working their way down.
The find of the day came just before lunch as Kevin and Holly unearthed a rotary quern – the earliest yet found on site. The broch frontage team also uncovered more of the back wall of the adjacent souterrain.
The “Overburden” team cleared their way through shattered shillet and found an ash lens with well-preserved charcoal, which was spot sampled for later lab analysis. Three pottery sherds and a small shell cache were also uncovered.
In the cells, an extensive spread of animal bone was partially uncovered. The spread, a part of the rubble fill of the building, included several species of animal (cattle, sheep, and pig), and a few stone tools in the southern part of the structure.
In the south-east room of the broch, a formal hearth is under investigation.
With a possible flue on its southern edge, the feature includes multiple layers of hearth base stones with fine layers of peat ash between, and it may have contracted over time.
A halo of ash and clay soil expands out around the stones.
The broch’s north room, around the “well”, is being carefully drawn in plan in preparation for further excavation, while in the central room a stone setting is being examined at the base of one of the orthostatic walls.
Another set of possible stone tools is still in situ beside the orthostat.
A heavy fog, followed by a rain squall brought an abrupt end to the day’s work, but could not dampen the spirits of the crew who will return tomorrow undeterred!
Logan O’Brien
Area supervisor
Structure B
