Finds, glorious finds…
Hello from the trenches!
As we sadly wind down for the season for what feels ridiculously shorter than four weeks, I thought it relevant that I give a general view of the finds that have came to light for the first time for quite some time!
As always, the processes of natural decay mean that we find the more resistant artefacts to the process. Bone, stone, pot and shell are always the main stay punctuated with items such as glass and metalworking, depending on the surrounding soil environment.
Fortunately, this season’s return from The Cairns has proven to be spectacular in some of these areas and prolific in others.
So, to a finds tour of the excavations:
‘The Cells’
Firstly, the bone (my god the bone)! What can I say other than there was so much coming into the finds hut that I actually dreamed about it on more than one occasion.
The Cairns has always provided an incredible amount of bone but this year yielded a spectacular volume and it mostly came from the area dubbed ‘the cells’ a post-broch complex to the south-west.
The rubble infill was littered with remains of cattle and deer and given the trend of deliberate deposition across the site, may be a significant addition to this. This area has fairly come on this season and has been a real favourite with the many visitors.
Structure O
Moving slightly downslope to the north-east, we come to Structure O, an area that could provide a real insight into the relationship between the broch and its nearest contemporary buildings.
Unfortunately, about nine or ten tonnes of rubble from the broch, collapsed on top of those remains, stood in the way! With great determination we cracked on with it and eventually got our just rewards.
Despite the mundane visuals that rubble throws up, we found that, contained within, was a great number of bone, shell (including some caches) and pottery which raises interesting questions of what was contained in the upper walls of the broch.
In the last week we think we have finally reached the sub rubble layer. Indications for this were a distinct change in artefactual recovery. Quernstones were the order of the day here with some real showstoppers recovered.
No fewer than five querns were recovered from this relatively small area. When cleaned, the rotary quern base showed the circular grooves the wear marks from the upper stone being turned countless times on top and giving us the human connection that makes it all worthwhile.
The saddle querns almost always tend to be found inverted across the site, deliberately turned upside down, which raises many questions as to why.
Excavation within the broch has always shown that there was a preference to deposit stone tools against the wall and almost guaranteed at the junction between the inner wall face and an orthostat (large upright slab). This trend has continued in Structure O with the recovery of a beautiful hammerstone.
The ‘Overburden’
A few metres north, but a lot higher up, efforts were concentrated on exposing more of the broch wall.
This area, much like Structure O, involved working through the rubble caused by the collapse of the broch superstructure, but again, like Structure O, has yielded a surprisingly high number of artefacts.
Shell again came out in incredibly high numbers, but the rubble also contained a diverse range of animal bone. There were also stone tools, pottery, and the seemingly mandatory quern fragment. All of this within broch rubble, which will certainly give us food for thought through the winter (which felt like it started on June 27 this year!).
Structure B
Moving to the north-west, the finds from this area of high-status post broch building complex have been very interesting.
The fine quality of the pottery has been noticeable and, although still using local clay, there is clearly a potter, or potters, of considerable skill at work at that time.
Some incredible, heavily used, stone tools also emerged (one of such a size that you wouldn’t want to fall out with the person who routinely used it!). I’m looking forward to adding these finds to the previous years’ catalogue, adding to the overall picture of life in the late Iron Age.
One thing we can say instantly about life then is that The Cairns was still connected to the wider world. The discovery of Roman glass was a welcome addition to the exotic collection of international finds so far.
The broch
Last, but not least, we arrive at Structure A.
The work inside the broch this year has been necessarily detailed and focused but, as always, never fails to disappoint in terms of artefacts. At all levels of occupation this building has been incredible in its generosity of finds.
Thankfully, folk in prehistory never seemed to place much importance in tidying up or minded living with uneven floors. Their stubbed toes are our gain, however, and broken pot and animal bone prevail. The Cairns has provided strong evidence that within this everyday detritus, there are very deliberate deposits of some significance.
Today was the day that we decided to excavate and remove some artefacts that have presided over our excavations for many years. In the period leading up to the broch’s decomissioning, many deliberate and varied acts of deposition were made.
Around the orthostats of the central room we removed an assemblage of stone tools, shell, a variety of animal species bones and pottery – all grouped together in tight confinement and, unsurprisingly, between and around the stone architecture.
Shortly after we also removed an inverted (of course) saddle quern from the broch interior. This was an absolute beauty of a quern and well worth the stiffness tonight after lifting it.
Summary
It’s been another wonderful season at The Cairns despite the inclement weather fighting us.
I say us, but I really mean me because it’s taken much longer to dry things before bagging them. Having said that, it truly has been a really enjoyable season, the mood on site has been of very high spirits throughout and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everybody involved including a noted rise in local visitors to site!
See you next year!
Kevin Kerr
ORCA Project Officer
Small Finds Supervisor, The Cairns
