Inside and outside the broch
What a difference a day makes!
The ferocity of the rain and wind on Monday has been replaced by a near idyllic day today (Tuesday). As I type today’s blog, it is sunny, with a few clouds and a light breeze is blowing. I would hazard to guess that the temperature is 15 deg c. It doesn’t get much better than that!
As for today, it was the first on-site day for the many of the new group of UHI Archaeology Institute students and volunteers.
Work today was spread over five areas outside the broch and three areas within.
External broch work
Grace, Joanne, Iris and Craig (as supervised by Holly) worked on the area between the broch’s wall and the souterrain’s inner wall and the area extending outward (to the south-east) from the souterrain. This area is best described as that immediately to the left of the broch’s entrance.
Today’s work included context sheet completion regarding past excavation and finds. Also, soil, bulk soil, clay and charcoal samples were taken. As well, more overburden/rubble clearing occurred between the souterrain wall and the broch wall. Considerable amounts of bone fragments and shells were also found, and the articulated vertebrae (discovered last week) were removed from the ground. A very exciting find included a pot lid. Work continued on drawing profiles of the inner walls of the souterrain.
Django, Claire, Carrie, Milly and Rebecca (as supervised by Holly) worked on the area immediately to the left of the broch’s entrance.
This team was working to remove the overburden, and more rubble was cleared from the area further defining the possibility of a wall that lies approximately 2-3 metres away (but paralleling the broch’s wall. Today’s finds include bone fragments, pot boilers, shells, and some charcoal deposits.
Sarah, Lewis, Nathan, Ellen and Emma are working on Structure B2.
They are methodically clearing back materials to isolate stones (for possible removal) while making some discoveries, which have included a tooth and a few bone fragments. The team also mentioned the discovery of a “creepy spider”!
Robert (currently working on his own) is also in Structure B2 (but a few metres to the south-west of the team members mentioned above. He is working within a grid and is sampling floor deposits. Today, he discovered a pot base section and is also working on the ashy deposits near the hearth.
Anthea and Deryck are working at the larger U structure (U4). Their work has also included some excavation (downward) within Structure U4. They are also working above U4’s north-western wall in an attempt to determine how the walls might be converging. During today’s excavation, they have found a few bone fragments and a shell.
Internal broch work
Liz and Sarah are in the north-eastern quadrant of the broch, working within a grid and bringing the floor down – looking to reach the level of the natural till. They are taking grid samples and have found a jaw and teeth from a wrasse. The teeth from this fish are very uniquely shaped.
Thore (working on his own) is in the broch’s northern room, also working within a sample grid to sample the greyish deposits (down on to rich organic material below). Also, a large area of heavily cracked stone slab has been unearthed, which is likely to be the surface of a new hearth.
Chris, Bev and Travis are in the broch’s west room. Again, they are working within a grid and primarily on the hearth in this area. Sampling is being performed and continued excavation around red deer bones have uncovered additional bone fragments.
Expert supervision (and some tour work) was provided by Amanda, Martin, Kevin, Holly and Chris.
A special call-out to Kevin for splitting a large stone in half with a few mighty blows!
Craig Barnes
