Roger Bagula
2006-09-01 21:05:04 UTC
http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/69256.html
Iron Age chamber found under tractor
An underground chamber undisturbed since the Iron Age was revealed on
North Uist when a 10ft hole opened beneath the wheel of a tractor.
Archaeologists assessed the find at Port nan Long at the north of the
island, which has been sealed off from the public.
Dr Mary MacLeod, Western Isles Council's archaeologist, was delighted to
declare the hole an Iron Age souterrain, or underground chamber.
She said: "It is particularly exciting because it is so well preserved.
"It has lain undisturbed for 2000 years . . . I think there has been a
very large pre-historic settlement on this site, possibly over thousands
of years."
The souterrain is an oval structure over three metres in diameter, the
top of it lying just under a metre below the surface. The passage
leading off it is less than a metre high.
Dr Chris Barrowman, Historic Scotland's monument warden, said the
configuration was typical of Iron Age souterrains. The archaeologists
agreed that the passage was likely to lead to a house, possibly a
wheelhouse – a circular drystone building with a single entrance divided
by a number of stone piers arranged like the spokes of a wheel leading
to a central room.
Kate MacDonald, a Sheffield University archaeologist based at South
Uist, climbed inside the souterrain and entered the passage leading off it.
She carried out a visual assessment of the site and took photographs,
measurements and GPS readings.
She found cattle bones showing butcher marks, some inserted into
cavities in the wall. An intact lamb's skull was discovered at the back
of the chamber.
"Bones held a lot of significance for Iron Age people, but it's
impossible to guess at this stage why the bones were placed like that.
The souterrain itself is still a mystery. If it was a food store, why
the tiny passage leading to it? Did some kind of ritual go on here?"
Souterrains are normally found along the Atlantic seaboard of Scotland,
Brittany, Cornwall, and Ireland. Most of the 57 known in the Western
Isles were uncovered in the 19th century. The most recent was found in
the 1970s during road-building near Gress in Lewis.
An underground chamber undisturbed since the Iron Age was revealed on
North Uist when a 10ft hole opened beneath the wheel of a tractor.
Archaeologists assessed the find at Port nan Long at the north of the
island, which has been sealed off from the public.
Dr Mary MacLeod, Western Isles Council's archaeologist, was delighted to
declare the hole an Iron Age souterrain, or underground chamber.
She said: "It is particularly exciting because it is so well preserved.
"It has lain undisturbed for 2000 years . . . I think there has been a
very large pre-historic settlement on this site, possibly over thousands
of years."
The souterrain is an oval structure over three metres in diameter, the
top of it lying just under a metre below the surface. The passage
leading off it is less than a metre high.
Dr Chris Barrowman, Historic Scotland's monument warden, said the
configuration was typical of Iron Age souterrains. The archaeologists
agreed that the passage was likely to lead to a house, possibly a
wheelhouse – a circular drystone building with a single entrance divided
by a number of stone piers arranged like the spokes of a wheel leading
to a central room.
Kate MacDonald, a Sheffield University archaeologist based at South
Uist, climbed inside the souterrain and entered the passage leading off it.
She carried out a visual assessment of the site and took photographs,
measurements and GPS readings.
She found cattle bones showing butcher marks, some inserted into
cavities in the wall. An intact lamb's skull was discovered at the back
of the chamber.
"Bones held a lot of significance for Iron Age people, but it's
impossible to guess at this stage why the bones were placed like that.
The souterrain itself is still a mystery. If it was a food store, why
the tiny passage leading to it? Did some kind of ritual go on here?"
Souterrains are normally found along the Atlantic seaboard of Scotland,
Brittany, Cornwall, and Ireland. Most of the 57 known in the Western
Isles were uncovered in the 19th century. The most recent was found in
the 1970s during road-building near Gress in Lewis.
An underground chamber undisturbed since the Iron Age was revealed on
North Uist when a 10ft hole opened beneath the wheel of a tractor.
Archaeologists assessed the find at Port nan Long at the north of the
island, which has been sealed off from the public.
Dr Mary MacLeod, Western Isles Council's archaeologist, was delighted to
declare the hole an Iron Age souterrain, or underground chamber.
She said: "It is particularly exciting because it is so well preserved.
"It has lain undisturbed for 2000 years . . . I think there has been a
very large pre-historic settlement on this site, possibly over thousands
of years."
The souterrain is an oval structure over three metres in diameter, the
top of it lying just under a metre below the surface. The passage
leading off it is less than a metre high.
Dr Chris Barrowman, Historic Scotland's monument warden, said the
configuration was typical of Iron Age souterrains. The archaeologists
agreed that the passage was likely to lead to a house, possibly a
wheelhouse – a circular drystone building with a single entrance divided
by a number of stone piers arranged like the spokes of a wheel leading
to a central room.
Kate MacDonald, a Sheffield University archaeologist based at South
Uist, climbed inside the souterrain and entered the passage leading off it.
She carried out a visual assessment of the site and took photographs,
measurements and GPS readings.
She found cattle bones showing butcher marks, some inserted into
cavities in the wall. An intact lamb's skull was discovered at the back
of the chamber.
"Bones held a lot of significance for Iron Age
people, but it's impossible to guess at this stage why the bones were
placed like that. The souterrain itself is still a mystery. If it was a
food store, why the tiny passage leading to it? Did some kind of ritual
go on here?"
Souterrains are normally found along the Atlantic seaboard of Scotland,
Brittany, Cornwall, and Ireland. Most of the 57 known in the Western
Isles were uncovered in the 19th century. The most recent was found in
the 1970s during road-building near Gress in Lewis.
Iron Age chamber found under tractor
An underground chamber undisturbed since the Iron Age was revealed on
North Uist when a 10ft hole opened beneath the wheel of a tractor.
Archaeologists assessed the find at Port nan Long at the north of the
island, which has been sealed off from the public.
Dr Mary MacLeod, Western Isles Council's archaeologist, was delighted to
declare the hole an Iron Age souterrain, or underground chamber.
She said: "It is particularly exciting because it is so well preserved.
"It has lain undisturbed for 2000 years . . . I think there has been a
very large pre-historic settlement on this site, possibly over thousands
of years."
The souterrain is an oval structure over three metres in diameter, the
top of it lying just under a metre below the surface. The passage
leading off it is less than a metre high.
Dr Chris Barrowman, Historic Scotland's monument warden, said the
configuration was typical of Iron Age souterrains. The archaeologists
agreed that the passage was likely to lead to a house, possibly a
wheelhouse – a circular drystone building with a single entrance divided
by a number of stone piers arranged like the spokes of a wheel leading
to a central room.
Kate MacDonald, a Sheffield University archaeologist based at South
Uist, climbed inside the souterrain and entered the passage leading off it.
She carried out a visual assessment of the site and took photographs,
measurements and GPS readings.
She found cattle bones showing butcher marks, some inserted into
cavities in the wall. An intact lamb's skull was discovered at the back
of the chamber.
"Bones held a lot of significance for Iron Age people, but it's
impossible to guess at this stage why the bones were placed like that.
The souterrain itself is still a mystery. If it was a food store, why
the tiny passage leading to it? Did some kind of ritual go on here?"
Souterrains are normally found along the Atlantic seaboard of Scotland,
Brittany, Cornwall, and Ireland. Most of the 57 known in the Western
Isles were uncovered in the 19th century. The most recent was found in
the 1970s during road-building near Gress in Lewis.
An underground chamber undisturbed since the Iron Age was revealed on
North Uist when a 10ft hole opened beneath the wheel of a tractor.
Archaeologists assessed the find at Port nan Long at the north of the
island, which has been sealed off from the public.
Dr Mary MacLeod, Western Isles Council's archaeologist, was delighted to
declare the hole an Iron Age souterrain, or underground chamber.
She said: "It is particularly exciting because it is so well preserved.
"It has lain undisturbed for 2000 years . . . I think there has been a
very large pre-historic settlement on this site, possibly over thousands
of years."
The souterrain is an oval structure over three metres in diameter, the
top of it lying just under a metre below the surface. The passage
leading off it is less than a metre high.
Dr Chris Barrowman, Historic Scotland's monument warden, said the
configuration was typical of Iron Age souterrains. The archaeologists
agreed that the passage was likely to lead to a house, possibly a
wheelhouse – a circular drystone building with a single entrance divided
by a number of stone piers arranged like the spokes of a wheel leading
to a central room.
Kate MacDonald, a Sheffield University archaeologist based at South
Uist, climbed inside the souterrain and entered the passage leading off it.
She carried out a visual assessment of the site and took photographs,
measurements and GPS readings.
She found cattle bones showing butcher marks, some inserted into
cavities in the wall. An intact lamb's skull was discovered at the back
of the chamber.
"Bones held a lot of significance for Iron Age people, but it's
impossible to guess at this stage why the bones were placed like that.
The souterrain itself is still a mystery. If it was a food store, why
the tiny passage leading to it? Did some kind of ritual go on here?"
Souterrains are normally found along the Atlantic seaboard of Scotland,
Brittany, Cornwall, and Ireland. Most of the 57 known in the Western
Isles were uncovered in the 19th century. The most recent was found in
the 1970s during road-building near Gress in Lewis.
An underground chamber undisturbed since the Iron Age was revealed on
North Uist when a 10ft hole opened beneath the wheel of a tractor.
Archaeologists assessed the find at Port nan Long at the north of the
island, which has been sealed off from the public.
Dr Mary MacLeod, Western Isles Council's archaeologist, was delighted to
declare the hole an Iron Age souterrain, or underground chamber.
She said: "It is particularly exciting because it is so well preserved.
"It has lain undisturbed for 2000 years . . . I think there has been a
very large pre-historic settlement on this site, possibly over thousands
of years."
The souterrain is an oval structure over three metres in diameter, the
top of it lying just under a metre below the surface. The passage
leading off it is less than a metre high.
Dr Chris Barrowman, Historic Scotland's monument warden, said the
configuration was typical of Iron Age souterrains. The archaeologists
agreed that the passage was likely to lead to a house, possibly a
wheelhouse – a circular drystone building with a single entrance divided
by a number of stone piers arranged like the spokes of a wheel leading
to a central room.
Kate MacDonald, a Sheffield University archaeologist based at South
Uist, climbed inside the souterrain and entered the passage leading off it.
She carried out a visual assessment of the site and took photographs,
measurements and GPS readings.
She found cattle bones showing butcher marks, some inserted into
cavities in the wall. An intact lamb's skull was discovered at the back
of the chamber.
"Bones held a lot of significance for Iron Age
people, but it's impossible to guess at this stage why the bones were
placed like that. The souterrain itself is still a mystery. If it was a
food store, why the tiny passage leading to it? Did some kind of ritual
go on here?"
Souterrains are normally found along the Atlantic seaboard of Scotland,
Brittany, Cornwall, and Ireland. Most of the 57 known in the Western
Isles were uncovered in the 19th century. The most recent was found in
the 1970s during road-building near Gress in Lewis.