Working through key occupation layers
In the south-east room of the broch, Amanda and James continued the excavation of the hearth-settings and moved into the bay, which is defined by a stone kerb division, where they are finding charcoal that is possibly the remains of a hurdle screen! The bay is a little paved area with clay packed between its stones.
In the south room, Quin continued excavating animal bones strewn across the floor. Although not articulated, there are some whoppers that will enhance our understanding of the waste products of consuming food.
Liz and SJ have removed the deposits around the stone mortar/knocking-stone in the north-east room and found another rubbing stone. They are working along the broch wall, which has a hard clay deposit.
Valerie is working on the north room’s hearth and found a burnt whalebone and a fragment of copper alloy.
In the west room, Declan and Mabli found deposits that include bone, an articulated phalange from a small mammal and stone tools. Jem has been planning the stone-lined ash box and will be investigating it further afterwards. whil
Also in the west room, Jemima had a shock today when she found waterlogged, anaerobic plant material while lifting the slab floor. This may represent floor matting that became sealed under the flagstones once they were laid. She has been taking this out as carefully as possible to keep it intact.
In Structure O, Bev continued taking deposits from the edge of the broch. She is coming down onto redeposited natural material – yellow clay. Anna and Logan have been cleaning the courtyard paving and found pottery, including a lovely rim sherd from a decorated pot.
Tim found articulated seal bone in Structure T, including some jaw and shoulder bones. It is possible he’s reached the bottom of the shell midden. Working through the upper floor deposits in Structure T’s Cell 2, Iris found some bone and pottery sherds.
In Structure K, downslope from, and to the north of, the broch, James, Joanne, and Jamie have been exposing the last stretch of inner wall of the building. They have found a worked stone, stone tools, antler, and shells. The next goal is to deal with the building’s floor, that we know saw metalworking.
Craig is working in “the overburden”, an area of soils left deliberately higher than the surrounding buildings on the north exterior of the broch, but he’s also been showing visitors around the site. In the process, he has found an antler tool for poking holes (a bone awl) (I promised to also include he has made site-changing discoveries, ha ha!).
In Structure B2, Iain’s team is excavating the thin occupation layer, and beneath this appears to be shattered, small stones on top of remains of the broch. There has been a lot of black organics and peat ash. Jan is continuing to work away on the hearth and Shelly is planning the excavated layer. Saffie has been supervising them work away, napping in the sun and enjoying the pats she has had from the volunteers.
In Structure U3, Mary is investigating the walls on both sides and digging deeper, recording a new context. She has found pottery and a potential stone tool.
In Structure J, I’ve been removing the rubble to try and find the wall of the building in the eastern corner. Olivia was delving further down, recording a new context and trying to reveal more of the wall found yesterday.
In Structure U1, Ole found an iron object (too rusty to determine what it is at this stage) and spent the day trying to sort out the rubble and freeing up space to access the floor of this impressive building.
Kevin has been working away in the finds tent. The last two days has produced the most finds he has experienced when working at The Cairns. This really shows we are in the midst of key occupation levels. When asked about his favourite find of the day he has advised there is no favourite…but a beautiful quern rubber was found in Structure O.
Lauren English
Volunteer
