Construction and Re-use of Bargrennan chambered cairns, South-West Scotland
Vicki Cummings, Chris Fowler, 2005. https://doi.org/10.5284/1000202. How to cite using this DOI
Data copyright © Dr Vicki Cummings, Dr Chris Fowler unless otherwise stated
This work is licensed under the ADS Terms of Use and Access.
Primary contact
Dr
Chris
Fowler
School of History, Classics and Archaeology
Newcastle University
South Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 7RU
England
Tel: 0191 2225759
Resource identifiers
- ADS Collection: 418
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1000202
- How to cite using this DOI
Construction and re-use of Bargrennan chambered cairns, South-West Scotland
Vicki Cummings and Chris Fowler, 2005
Overview
The results of the work at each site are summarised below. We have placed interim reports for each year in the form which they were originally published, as well as a series of images of the excavations, and a data structure report for the 2005 season. The final results from both sites will be published as a British Archaeological Report.
Cairnderry - Summary of results
Excavations at Cairnderry have identified that the cairn was probably built in a single phase, and was fronted with a façade of flat kerbstones topped by dry stone slabs. There was activity on the site prior to the construction of the cairn, shown by the presence of a small early Neolithic lithic and pot assemblage. The date of the construction of the cairn is still uncertain, but it was the focus for the deposition of five collections of cremated bone in pits during the early Bronze Age. One of these included a polished stone battleaxe, a collared urn and an accessory cup. These pits clustered close to the kerb, and some were later covered by collapsed dry stone slabs from the cairn. Bones from four pits have been radiocarbon dated and have given a remarkably tight range of early Bronze Age readings from c. 1900-1700 BC. The pits were located around the south-east of the cairn were fairly closely-spaced, and we did not locate any pits further from the cairn or around the north, north-west, west or south-west of the monument. The chamber contained no prehistoric finds in situ.
Bargrennan White Cairn - Summary of results
While no pits were found around the perimeter of the cairn, the pit located by Piggott and Powell in 1949 was re-examined and cremated bone and charcoal were found in situ. A long bone fragment subjected to radiocarbon dating has yielded an early Bronze Age reading. Our excavations suggested that this feature was cut through the cairn, and it is therefore later than the construction of the monument. We found no pits around the immediate periphery of the existing extent of the cairn. However, we did locate a Bronze Age cist cut into the south-western area of the cairn close to the passage, and excavated this feature. The cist contained a well-preserved cordoned urn, with whipped cord decoration, which dates to the later part of the early Bronze Age. The urn contained a considerable quantity of cremated human bone. We found no archaeological remains under the paving slabs in the passage and chamber. Due to the discovery of the cist we were unable to excavate to the bottom of the cairn on the western side, while on the eastern side we were only able to reach beneath the cairn in one area. Here we immediately found a feature containing a ceramic vessel. We were unable to excavate this feature with time remaining, and restored the site with the aim of returning in 2005.
Excavations at Bargrennan were completed in 2005. As well as recovering the vessel, which has now been identified as a collared urn and which contained cremated bones, a bone belt hook and a fire-damaged polished stone axehead, we were able to identify a cremation deposit inserted into the eastern side of the cairn. Furthermore, investigation of the cairn revealed that it had been bounded by a kerb of stones with flat faces. The monument had collapsed outwards, and was originally smaller than it appears today. The collared urn was therefore inserted near to but outside the kerb, and was later covered by material from the gradually collapsing monument. As well as excavating at the front of the monument, the 2005 season included investigation at the rear of the site, and two kerb stones were located here, suggesting the kerb was a continuous feature. Underneath the cairn and around the edges of the cairn we found a small lithic assemblage dating to the late Mesolithic. However, no archaeological features were located underneath the lowest layer of the cairn.
