Ms Olly Owen

AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION AND WATCHING BRIEF AT VOYDALE, ORKNEY. GUARD 437 An Archaeological Evaluation and Watching Brief for Historic Scotland carried out by Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division. Table of Contents 1.0 Executive Summary 5 2.0 Introduction 5 3.0 Archaeological Background 6 4.0 Aims and Objectives 7 5.0 Methodology 9 6.0 Results 10 6.1 Trial Trenching (January 1997) 10 6.2 Trial Trenching (February 1997) 16 6.3 Watching Brief (March 1997) 21 7.0 Conclusions 25 7.1 Discussion 25 7.2 Recommendations 28 8.0 Post Excavation Research Design 29 9.0 Acknowledgements 30 10.0 Bibliography 31 AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVALUATION AND WATCHING BRIEF AT VOYDALE, ORKNEY. by Paul Duffy and Susan Bain 1.0 Executive Summary Prior to the construction of a new visitors’ centre for Skara Brae, Historic Scotland commissioned GUARD to undertake an archaeological evaluation of all areas likely to be affected by the enabling works. This consisted of an initial phase of trial trenching carried out in January and February 1997, designed to identify and record any archaeological material present in these areas. Following this, a watching brief was conducted during the enabling works in March 1997. The remains of several stone structures, probably earlier field boundaries, were observed and recorded, as well as a small channel leading from a post-medieval circular stone structure close to the shoreline. 2.0 INTRODUCTION The Bay of Skaill is a small bay on the west coast of the Orkney Mainland (fig 1). The land around it has significant archaeological potential, with a rich variety of archaeological remains recorded over the last three centuries. In 1996, Historic Scotland proposed that a new visitors’ centre for Skara Brae be built at Voydale, close to Skaill House (NGR HY 2345 1875). The site was then occupied by modern, standing agricultural buildings with associated hard standings, enclosed by a drystane wall and within an improved agricultural setting, c 300 m from the shoreline. Aware of the area’s high archaeological potential, Historic Scotland commissioned GUARD to undertake an archaeological evaluation of the proposed route of a treated sewage outflow pipe, a sewage treatment tank, and areas of the enabling works at the site, to identify and record any archaeological remains present in these areas. This took place in two main stages: an intensive programme of test pits and trial trenches carried out in January and February 1997, followed by a watching brief during the enabling works in March 1997. Demolition of some of the upstanding buildings and the enclosing drystane wall was also monitored, and the stones were examined for any indications that they had been re-used. 3.0 Archaeological Background The light sandy soils, easy access to the sea and the sheltered location of the Bay of Skaill have, judging from the rich archaeological remains, attracted settlement in all periods of human occupation on the Orkney Mainland. Skara Brae is perhaps the best known site on the bay (Childe 1931; Clarke 1976), and the impressive upstanding remains of this Neolithic village will form the focus of the proposed visitors’ centre at Voydale. The bay does, however, also contain many other remains, including sites of a variety of forms and periods, described in general terms by Morris et al (1985). Prehistoric remains have been recorded throughout the area, with an another potential settlement mound identified at the shoreline close to Skara Brae (Morris et al 1985) along with other Neolithic settlement remains (Clarke 1977; Richards 1994). Early funerary monuments have also been recorded, such as those found c 600 m to the north of Voydale. At least one of this group of low mounds contained cist burials (Low 1776, 276-7; RCAHMS 1946, 276-7) suggested to date from the early Bronze Age (Lysaght 1972; Lysaght 1974). More recently, a rock cut tomb containing a free-standing cist was discovered during sand quarrying at Sand Fiold, c 1 km from Voydale. The cist contained both inhumations and cremation burials, along with organic fibrous material and a slate pot lid (Dalland forthcoming). Other unexcavated mounds, such as one adjacent to Skaill House and the ‘Castle of Snugster’ near the north shore of the bay, may also prove to be prehistoric in origin. Viking remains have also been recorded in the immediate area, such as those found 200 m west of Skara Brae (Childe 1931, 143; Watt 1888). A rich assemblage of silver objects known as the Skaill Hoard, recovered from a rabbit burrow on the north side of the bay, also dates to this period (Graham-Campbell 1976, 119-21). Skaill House itself dates in part to the seventeenth century (RCAHMS 1946, 251), but it has been suggested that it overlies an earlier hall or manor (Lamb 1982). Recent excavations in the immediate vicinity of the house found a group of extended inhumations beneath simple grave markers (James, forthcoming); these may lend credence to the suggestion that an early chapel existed at the site (Clouston 1918, 100). These finds, along with several burials of indeterminate date on the north side of the bay (RCAHMS 1946, 254) and other enigmatic humps and mounds in the area, all suggest that there is significant potential for recovering archaeological remains within the area of Skaill Bay. 4.0 Aims and Objectives The fieldwork requirements of the project were twofold: an initial archaeological evaluation of the site area (Stage 1), followed by monitoring of the pre-construction enabling works (Stage 2). Stage 1 consisted of an intensive programme of test pits and trial trenches, both hand-dug and machine-excavated, within the proposed development area (fig 2). It was designed to extensively test the areas that would be affected by the proposed works, to establish the nature of the buried sediments in as many areas as possible and allow mitigation of any archaeological material before the enabling works commenced. This approach also aimed to minimise the possibility of any further mitigation work during Stage 2 of the evaluation, to avoid disrupting the contractor’s schedule as much as possible. Stage 2 consisted of monitoring all demolition and excavation during the enabling works. It was conducted according to established watching brief procedures, and was carried out in close liaison with the main contractor and project architect. Archaeological deposits encountered during this stage were to be preserved in situ if possible after detailed recording of the material, with minimum interference to the developer’s schedule. This is in accordance with the guidelines laid down in Planning Policy Guideline 16. 5.0 Methodology According to the initial project design the evaluation was to examine the area of a sewage treatment plant, service trenches and a sewage outflow pond (or reed bed) designed to dispose of treated sewage. Before Stage 1 began, the planned reed bed was abandoned and instead a sewage tank with an outflow to the sea was proposed, necessitating changes to the planned trial trenching. However, during Stage 2 the second plan was also altered; the contractors decided to use a different method of sewage disposal, which meant that no further excavation would take place outside the enclosed yard area. The project design had to be adjusted at short notice several times to accommodate these changes in the development plan. During Stage 1, 14 trial trenches were dug, five by hand and the rest using a JCB with a back actor fitted with a flat-bladed ditching bucket (see fig 2). The hand-dug trenches 1-5 lay in the farmyard, beside the enclosing drystane dyke. Another group of trenches, numbers 7-10, were machine-excavated in the yard to further investigate the nature of the deposits. When potential archaeological deposits appeared, machining stopped and the trench was then cleaned by hand and recorded. Four machine-excavated trenches, numbers 11-14 were also opened along the proposed line of the treated sewage outflow pipe, between the farmyard and the shoreline. Stage 2 involved monitoring the machine-dug trenches for the enabling works carried out by Watershed Ltd. These were excavated using back actors with both flat bladed and toothed buckets. Several small test pits, numbers 17-21, were dug to assess the height of the water table both inside and outside the farmyard, followed by the excavation of several trenches, numbers 22-26, for the various elements of the filtration tank system. A JCB with a narrow ditching bucket was also used to excavate two service trenches and associated manholes , numbers 15-16, beside the upstanding farm building. During the enabling works it was decided that the planned method of waste disposal would not be suitable; after the test pitting, no further work occurred in the area outside the Voydale enclosure. 6.0 Results 6.1 Trial Trenching (January 1997) Hand-excavated trenches (1-5) Trench 1 Trench 1 was located against the inner side of the south boundary wall. It measured 2 m by 1 m. The topsoil was a dark brown sand, c 0.2 m deep, which overlay a clean pale brown/yellow sand (002). This was excavated to a depth of 1.4 m. The only feature was an apparently modern pit [003] containing at least two bird skeletons (probably chicken) and fragments of eggshell. Trench 2 Trench 2 was located against the north boundary wall, and measured 2 m by 1 m. The topsoil, 0.3 m deep, was composed of loose angular stone and concrete rubble within a dark brown sand matrix. This overlay pale brown/yellow sand mottled with mid-brown sand patches (002). This was excavated to a depth of approximately 1.4 m.

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