More copper alloy fragments in south-east room
This grey Monday, we start week five of The Cairns excavations!
Even though we’re missing the sun and our friends from the previous field school group, that won’t keep us down for long and we keep on truckin’.
Starting with the frontage brigade, Cath is sampling a layer rich in organic material, charcoal, and fish bones in the western corner of Structure O. A highlight of these finds is an animal long bone with a carved/serrated edge! Meanwhile, Dani is continuing to work on the platform/wall that is appearing in the frontage perpendicular to Structure O.
Craig is working carefully to uncover a stone wall built close to the eastern trench-edge. This wall is located close to the souterrain (Structure F) wall, and in the process, he recovered a stone tool.
Dan is working on the north-east front wall of the broch, next to the souterrain. Holy shell! Did he find some shells! In a cross-section of about 50cm by 100cm, he excavated and recovered some three trays worth of periwinkle shells, and below that shell cache deposit, continues to uncover some limpet shells. Only time will shell how far this deposit extends!
Inspired by Nathan Fielder’s workout craze: The Movement [Canadian TV reference], our very own Nathan has been working on his upper body strength by clearing rubble from outside the souterrain wall! In the process, he uncovered some shells, charcoal, and a circular, flat stone tool. Kev joined Nathan in the pursuit of upper body strength, clearing rubble after diligently working on processing finds from last week.
Isaac drew a beautiful rendering of the section through the material between the souterrain passage and the broch wall to show how the structures featured in the section are associated with cell U1.
Deborah and Ron are working on excavating the rubble from the infill of cell U1/U2 on the eastern side, while Lindsay and Sedat worked on the western side close to where the new roofed chamber has been uncovered. They’re investigating an in-situ piece of furniture placed into the wall on the eastern side of the chamber. It’s possibly a wall-cupboard.
Now, saying goodbye to the frontage brigade and hello to the broch brigade, we move inside the broch to check in with Ceiridwen and Emma. They have been working hard to re-set up the grid system in the south room to continue excavating occupation deposits.
Scott has been taking sedimentary DNA (sedaDNA) samples from the floor, hearth, and organic deposits inside the broch in the west room and north room, as well as in Structure F (the souterrain). The analysis of these samples can tell us about the life and diet of those who lived in the broch, but also about their cleanliness level, based on the microbes recovered.
Thore is continuing to sample the hearth deposits in the north room, particularly the black charcoal-rich deposits around the hearth. The hearth base slab itself is very clear now.
In the west room, Bev has been working carefully to photograph and draw sections of the deposits to the north of the hearth. This area is interesting as it might be an ash-box, built to receive remnant ashes from the fire.
Outside the hearth, there’s unburnt, splintered bone. Jem was lifting an iron object, which was recovered near the copper spiral ring and bone mount next to the hearth. Travis continued to excavate grid squares on the south side of the west room, recovering a red deer leg bone, and revealed a pottery spread.
Finally, Amanda continues to tease out hearth deposits in the broch’s south-east room and has been finding tiny fragments of copper alloy in the process.
Dani Furtado
Archaeologist
