Saville, A., Hardy, K., Miket, R. F. and Ballin, T. Bjarke. (2012). An Corran, Staffin, Skye: a rockshelter with Mesolithic and later occupation . York: Council for British Archaeology. https://doi.org/10.5284/1017938.

The An Corran rockshelter, on the north-east coast of the Trotternish peninsula, Skye, contained a series of shell midden and other deposits with evidence for human occupation from Mesolithic and later periods. A rescue investigation of the site in the winter of 1993-94, immediately prior to anticipated total destruction by rock-blasting for roadworks, included the excavation of a trench dug down to bedrock. A total of 41 separate contexts were identi-fied. Of these, 31 were recent or later prehistoric, the upper levels containing a series of hearths of recent date and an Iron Age copper-alloy pin. The lowest 10 layers were identified initially as Mesolithic on the basis of bone tool and lithic typology, but a series of 18 radiocarbon dates indicates they contain the residues of subsequent prehistoric activity as well. These layers consisted of several distinct areas of midden, below which there were two, possibly three, horizons which probably, based on the presence of broad blade microliths, represent Early Mesolithic activity. The midden layers also contained some human bones radiocarbon-dated to the Neolithic period. The rockshelter was located below an outcrop of baked mudstone and near a source of chalcedonic silica. Both these lithic raw materials were widely used during the Mesolithic as far away as the island of Rum.

An introduction to the specialist analyses emphasises the emergency nature of the excavation and the protracted nature of the analyses. It is likely that some material has been lost and the results are therefore not wholly representative.

Two pieces of antler and 114 pieces of bone were identified as modified for, or by use, and mainly belong to the category of bevel-ended tools. The remainder are bone points or miscellaneous pieces.

A total of thirty nine bones and seven teeth representing a minimum of five individuals were recovered. A single rib was reclassified as pig after the original analysis.

Limpets, periwinkles and other shellfish representing at least fourteen species of shellfish were present. Most of the shellfish represented in the deposits were probably collected for human consumption but some (especially limpets) may have been used as bait for fishing.

A total of eighteen dates were obtained and there are problems with the results. Two dates from burnt bone can be discounted as unreliable, however, the remaining sixteen show a significant lack of cohesion even within individual contexts. Possible reasons for this are considered.

There seems to be a strong possibility that part of the assemblage represents the earliest Mesolithic type of lithic finds from Scotland. On the basis of the radiocarbon dates it is assumed that most of the human remains are Neolithic. There is also limited evidence for Bronze Age and Iron Age activity.