Argyll Archaeology - Projects
Some recent commercial projects
An evaluation, in advance of the construction of a marine science park, at Dunbeg in Argyll revealed the presence of pits filled with charcoal, fire-cracked stone and some of which also contained cremated bone. A subsequent excavation exposed a linear alignment of pits rich in charcoal and other isolated pits filled with fire cracked pebbles and charcoal. A smaller example of one of these pits was lined and capped with cobbles which had protected the buried remains of a young infant. On excavation many of the other pits proved to contain abundant fragments of charcoal and fragments of burnt bone. Also within the excavation area two rectangular posthole structures were revealed and the recovery of daub from the around the postholes indicates that the walls of these structures may have been made from wattle and daub. One large excavated oval pit also contained a few fragments of iron which have yet to be identified. It is thought that this may too be a burial. The post-excavation phase has yet to begin but initial thoughts are that the site may be multi-phased, with pits perhaps dating from the late Bronze Age, Iron Age and the two posthole structures perhaps from the medieval period.
Cobble line pit containing infant burial, the remains of the skull can just be made out on the left side of the base of the pit
A controlled topsoil strip in Kilmartin Glen and undertaken in advance of the construction of a new house revealed the survival of a ring-ditch roundhouse. This is the first excavated prehistoric domestic structure of this type to be identified and excavated in Argyll west of Loch Lomond and is therefore a very exciting discovery. The ring-ditch was surrounded by a series of postholes that would have supported a roof structure. At least two phases of occupation are evident from the ring-ditch fills. The large number of postholes and their positioning indicates that at least some of the roof supports were replaced, presumably because they had started to rot. Within the backfilled ring-ditch a number of saddle querns (used for grinding cereal grain) and a variety of stone and flint tools were recovered. The saddle querns had been deliberately placed face down at the bottom of the ditch, this appears to have taken place at the end of the first phase of occupation. A large pit filled with a mass of charcoal was also excavated on the outside of the house; the function of this pit is not known but post-excavation analysis, which is on going, may provide some vital clues.
Ring-ditch roundhouse after excavation
An evaluation in advance of a large housing development at Glenshellach in Oban revealed the presence of prehistoric archaeology buried beneath the topsoil. Excavation, which so far has only taken place in one area, has exposed a probable burnt mound. This comprised a pile of fire cracked stone and charcoal located on the edge of a burn and a rectangular stone and silt lined pit backfilled with charcoal and fire cracked stone. A fire was located next to one end of the pit and may have been used to heat the stones which were then thrown into water contained perhaps within animal skins within the pit. The evaluation also revealed the survival of rock cut ring-ditch roundhouses and numerous postholes and full excavation of the prehistoric material is to be undertaken this summer. Also on the site is an abandoned farmstead, which may be part of the former township of Glenshellach. The farmstead is also to be fully excavated this coming summer/autumn.
Burnt mound and fire-pit at Glenshellach, Oban
A controlled topsoil strip was undertaken of a building plot on Colonsay. Within the backfill of a spring, a roughly tooled cruciform slab was recovered. This early Christian cruciform slab appears to have originally served as a marker stone of the holy well of ‘Tobar Chattan’. Following the topsoil strip of the site, approval was given for the construction of the new house.
This cruciform slab has been returned to Colonsay for display.
Open day at Glenshellach dig in Oban
Saturday 5th November
Guided tours start at 10 am, 12 noon and 2 pm
Come and travel back through time.
Explore an 18th century farmstead complex with houses, barns and kilns.
See the prehistoric roundhouses with their pebbled yards.
Handle the best finds from the site including a Neolithic axehead, decorated Bronze Age pottery and a Jew's harp.
Directions: from Oban take the Glenshellach Road, follow signs for Glenshellach caravan park. Pass the new MacLeod houses on your left and climb the steep hill with the entrance to the site located near the top of the hill on your left.
Glenshellach Dig
Please contact Dr Clare Ellis (member of the IFA (MIFA 2368))
for further information and quotations:
email -
or telephone/fax 01586 550239.
