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Proc Antiqc So Scot, (1991)1 12 , 17-25

Muirtown, : preliminary investigatiof no a shell midden MyersGourlayB M R A *& t

ABSTRACT The discovery, excavation analysisand ofshella midden presentedare discussed.and The site provides evidence for exploitation of the sheltered coastal environment in the Inverness area fourthduringmid the millennium suggestsbeand similarities with Later Mesolithicand Neolithic shell middens elsewhere .in

INTRODUCTION The site (NGR NH 652 457) is located approximately 1 km south of the present shoreline of the (illus 1). It was first identified by District Council Staff in May 1977 through test bores and service trenches dug in connection with a building development adjacent to the in . The trenches exposed a deposit of marine shells between 9 and llm OD which, upon examination by one of the authors (RG), appeared to consist of a variety of species intermixed with flecks of charcoal and small fragments of poorly preserved e lattebone th e majorit f th r O . y wer fragmenteo s e d that specie s determinede coulb t dno . However, the base of a red deer (Cervus elaphus) antler was identified. No worked lithic artefacts were recovered. Buried beneath some 1-1.5 f overburdenmo , mos f whico t h appear o havt s e been derived from upslope deposie th , t rested upo surfaca n f unconsolidateo e d rounded pebbles and gravels which have their origin in the extensive deltaic deposits laid down in the area by a sub-glacial river (Syng ee tim1977)th et A whe. e shels depositednth wa l e gravelth , t a s Muirtown may have formed part of an east-facing early post-glacial shoreline. Nowhere in the exposed sectionshele th ld deposidi s thicknestn i excee presencs m it 6 t d0. srecorde s ye ewa d from sections and bore holes over a distance of at least 100 m north/south. On the information availabl t i seemee d thae deposith ts intermittent wa t , possibly consistin a serie f go f o s semi-discrete deposits. Immediately overlying the shell was a dense black (7.5YR-2/O) sediment formin glayea r varying betwee thickm 3 n0. . 0.0Thid 9an s laye presens l rwa al n i t sections and immediately overlay the unconsolidated pebbles and gravels in those areas where shello n ther s . blacs ewa Botit n ki h slightls colouit d yan r sticky texture this laye quits wa r e distinct fro overlyine mth g brown loam.

* Dept of Archaeology & Prehistory, University of t Regional Council, Inverness 18 SOCIET ANTIQUARIEF YO SCOTLANDF SO , 1991

ILLU 1 SLocatio p showinma n e positio e Muirtowth g th f o n n midde relation i ) (1 no Castl t n e Street (2)o tw , previously discovered shell midden centre th Invernes n f si north-wese o th o t e s Muirtowf on (3,4o t d )an n (5)Invernesd an , s fire station (6).

EXCAVATION developede b o t s site th ewa smala s , A l areselectes awa excavatior dfo orden ni o t r obtain more detailed informatio contente th shele n no th f l, o depositstructur e ag e d Th .e an overburde removes nwa d usin gmachinea , the surface shele nth th f l eo deposi exposes twa y db hand and cleaned over a total of 7 m2 (illus 2). The brown loam contained a large proportion of well-rounded quartzite cobbles but very little sandstone. In contrast, the black sediment and e surface shelth th f l o edeposi t contained numerous rotted sandstone block t verw bu s yfe quartzite cobbles interface th t A . e betwee browe nth blace n th loa kd msedimenan t thers ewa a narro 0.0wc ( ban) 4m d wher formee eth r appeare stainee b o dt ddara k grey-brown. There were some localized instances where shelmixes wa l d wit blace hth k sediment. In certain areas the surface of the shell deposit appeared to be pitted with depressions 10-20 cm deep. These features were concentrated in squares 1, 2 and 3 (illus 2A), and varied in size and shape, some being small (c 0.1 m diameter) and circular while others were larger (c 0.4 m MYER GOURLAYS& : MUIRTOWN, INVERNESS: PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATIO SHELA F NO L MIDDE9 1 | N

(A) (B)

0 m 1

Midden

^» Depressions

:";-r¥i Hearth Gravels

ILLUS 2 Plan of the excavated area: (A) square numbers and section letters referred to in the text; (B) sketch plan of the midden, hearth and depression features found in the midden surface.

across) and more irregular. The features were filled with black sediment which, in some cases, contained shelllargeo Tw . , irregular depression squarn si were1 e founpointe e b th o dt n si midden where the unconsolidated pebbles of the beach directly underlay the black sediment fill. shel e Iedgn nth a squaref l7 e o deposi d founan s s4 wa t d and, once again blace th , k sediment immediately overla unconsolidatee yth d pebble gravelsd san . Her eevidenco thern s er wa efo mixine th f beacgo h material wit blace hth k sediment. Whateve depressioorigie e th rth f no n features it seems unlikely that they were formed after the black sediment had been deposited. In squares 5 and 6 the shell deposit followed the contours of a depression in the underlying beach whilst in square 2 the shell deposit was seen to contain an area of grey, highly comminuted shel smald an l l fleck f charcoalo s wer3 . d Squaree an selecte2 , 1 s r carefudfo l excavatio e shelth f l no deposit l excavateAl . d material from these square bagges wa s r dfo storag Invernesn i e s Museu t GallerAr m& y apart from small samples take r detailenfo d 20 SOCIET ANTIQUARIEF YO SCOTLANDF SO , 1991

examinatio t Sheffielna d University. Onc squaree eth beed sha n bottomed m5 a ,sectio s nwa opened up through the deposit (illus 3 a-b). However, owing to the instability of the section in squar sectiom thie6 5 se t recorden par th no (a-e f mucs s o ta )wa n d i h reste detaith .s a l It soon became apparent that squar containee2 d heartpara f o t h which extended into norte th squar d h sectioan e 5 comprise d an n ) (illu3 & t leas dsa 2 t four dark, compact lensef so burnt shell surrounde loosy db e deposit f greyso , comminuted materia smald an l l piecef so charcoal. Some sandstone blocks withi shele nth l deposi beed ha tn expose heatingo dt e Th . sandstone blocks appeare mose b o dtt numerou around an hearthe n si dth numbea , e th f o r blocks lying withi dare nth k lenses. Whil sandstone eth availabls ei e locally (within square4 large slabs were found lying buried in the unconsolidated pebbles and gravels) it would seem that material had been deliberately brought to the hearth either in connection with activities undertaken structuretherpars a a f r o te o connectioe Th . n betwee sandstone nth e withie nth shell midden and that within the overlying black sediment remains unclear. In squar e middeth 1 e n appeared truncated while throughou hearte th t h depositn i s

MUIRTOWN MIDDEN 1979

Unconsolidated gravels

/ BROWN LOAM

[•-'••|.j GREY / BROWN LOAM J SANDSTONE

[^Tfj BLACK SEDIMENT | CHARCOAL

HI SHELL MIDDEN I BURNT SHELL

^3 DENSE BLACK LAYERS

Unconsolidated gravels

ILLUS 3 Muirtown midden: sections a-b and c-d. MYER GOURLAYS& : MUIRTOWN, INVERNESS: PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATIO SHELA F NO L MIDDE1 2 N square 2 the depression features observed in the midden surface appeared to cut through the lenses. Whether these feature truncationd an s s were formed during occupational activities connected wit middene hth represenr o , t modification naturay sb anthropogenir lo c agenciet sa some time followin midden'e gth s formatio unclears ni e suc sectiom On h . 5 featur e nth n i e (illus 3) is deep and narrow and may be a stake hole. However, the four main lenses of burnt shell withi hearte nth h appeared substantially undisturbe situ,n i lensee d th dan s being sharp and well defined. Both the lenses and those sandstone blocks lying on or within them followed the slope of the underlying beach into the hollow in square 6. Lumps of charcoal were recovered from withi e shelth n l material beneat e lowermosth h e maith nf o tlense d an s submitted for radiocarbon determination; they were identified as oak (Quercus), possibly from mature timbers provided an , datda f 5635±6eo (GU-1473)p 5b , which calibrated (Stuive& r Reimer 1986) gives a range of 4675-4350 BC at 2a with a mean of 4469 BC.

MIDDEN CONTENTS During the excavation several poorly preserved fragments of what appeared to be bird bone were identifie fiso base hN . th squaref bone 2 et o da d otolithr an so s1 s were recognized in spite of careful examination of the excavated material. Small pieces of crab shell, mainly claws, were recognize t thedbu y wer t numerouseno f thosO . e shellfish species represented (table 1) oyster (Ostrea edulis) was dominant. However, other species, such as mussel (Mytilus edulis) and cockle (Cardium edule), occurred in small localized concentrations; one such concentratio f musseo n l shells removed fro e lowesmth t leve n squari l 3 consistee f o d approximatel valves0 y13 e majoritth , f whico y h were virtually intact. Give e fragilitnth f o y mussel shells the presence of so many intact valves would suggest that this area suffered little disturbance following deposition. Less pronounced variations were also noted during the

TABLE 1 Shellfish species representatio habitad nan t

Ostrea edulis most abundant, sheltered/sandy Mytilus edulis locally 100%, open coas r sheltered/rocko t s Cardium edule locally 100%, sand burrowing Littorina littorea present throughou t locallbu t y numerous, open coas r sheltereo t d Buccinum undatum one broken spiral, deep water Ensis sp. few fragments, sand burrowing Venerupis sp.? one valve, estuarine Patella . (vulgata?sp ) very rare, open coast or sheltered rocks Nucella lapillus very rare, open coast or sheltered Littorina littoralis very rare, open coas r sheltered/seaweeo t d 22 SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND, 1991

excavation: at the base of the midden in square 2 and the northern half of square 1, for example, winkles (Littorina littorea) were particularly numerous. Consideration of the habitat preferences of those species represented in the midden suggests that cropping was from a predominantly soft-shore, relatively sheltered coastal environment containing rock outcrop t unlikno se presenth e t conditions found alone th g Mora Beauld yan y t onl soft-shore No .yar e species dominan t hard-shorbu t e species, such as limpets (Patella sp), are all but absent. The presence of mussels in some numbers does however, suggest acces roco t s k outcrops e threTh . e complete dog-whelk (Nucella lapillus) shells recovered have a mean shell-length to aperture-length ratio of 1.45±0.05 which would also suppor interpretatioe th t f croppinno g fro mshelterea d environment (Crothers 1975). No worked lithic artefacts were found during the excavation or in the subsequent examination of material. It is not clear to what extent this accurately reflects the content of the whole site. Mellars (1978, 389s drawha ) n attentio e presencth o t n e withi e Obaniath n n midde Cnof no ctypeo Coi tw shelf sf o g o l deposit, 'shell heaps 'occupatiod an ' n surfaces'd an , noted thae formeth t r contain relativel artefactsw fe y e investigateTh . d are f Muirtowo a n midden may represent one such deposit. However, the presence of a hearth might suggest that at least part of the excavated area was once an occupation surface. The 'shell heap' explanatio e absencth r fo f nlithi o e c artefact s difficulti s , therefore o reconcilt , e wite th h structural evidence. Furthermore, during the initial examination of the site a series of exposures faile yielo dt d lithic artefacts balancen O . seemt i , s unlikely tha absence th t lithif eo c artefact explainee b n sca d simpl termn yi spatiaf so l variatio contene th n ni r structuro t e th f eo midden.

MATRIX SAMPLES A serie f matrio s x sample s takewa s n from various point r furthefo s r analysis. Weight-los ignition o s n (LOI) tests, using Ball's low-temperature method (Ball 1964), were carried out to assess the organic content by weight. A test for manganese concentration was also performed (Hodgson 1976, 62)e resultTh . r botsfo h test givee sar tabln ni . e2 matriNone th f eo x samples from withi middee nth n produce dhiga worts hi t LOIi t h bu , noting the very low value obtained for the hearth sample (no 8). The most striking result from the LOI test is the very high organic content indicated for the black sediment. With an LOI of blace th k% sedimen25 markedla s ha t y higher organic conten samplee th f t o thay s fronan m the overlying brown loam (samples 3-5) or the stained loam (sample 2). The manganese test broadly implies thae loweth t r stratigraphic units have higher concentrations. Strongest reactions were obtaine e blacmiddee th th r f ko dfo sedimenn e matrion d xan t samplese Th . results might suggest some concentration of manganese as a result of fluctuating water tables in areae th , althoug concentratiot e cleath no f s i ri t hi n could accoun dare th kr coloratiofo t n ni the black sediment. The black sediment appears to be quite distinct in composition from the overlying deposits suggesting thae middeth t s undergonnha t leastphaseo ea tw f burialo s . Furthermore, the highly organic content and extensive spread of the black sediment suggests tha depositionas it t l historconnectee b y yma d wit majoha r phas clearancf eo e activity, itself o f considerable archaeological interes worthd an t furthef yo r study. Ther indicatione ear s that i t mormaa e yb e widespread phenomenon m1 0. laye a similaf s ra o , r composition interbedded with water-deposited, perhaps marine, sands has been noted beneath Inverness fire station 668H fro6 (N m Muirtowe k 4618m th 6 1. ; c illu , n 1) sshel l midden. MYER GOURLAYS& : MUIRTOWN. INVERNESS: PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATIO SHELA F NO L MIDDEN 23

TABLE 2 Matrix analysis results

Sample No. Colour Before & L.O.I. Manganese & Location After Drying % Test

1 Black 7.5YR-2/0 25.0 very strong Sediment 7.5YR-5/4 2 Stained 10YR-3/2 8.0 weak Loam 7.5YR-5/6 3 Brown Loam 7.5YR-2/3 10.5 quite strong Lowermost 5.0YR-5/6 4 Brown Loam 10YR-3/2 9.0 quite strong Midprofile 7.5YR-5/6 5 Brown Loam 2.5YR-4/2 4.5 none Uppermost 7.5YR-5/6 6 Hearth 10YR-5/4 1.0 strong 10YR-6/2 7 Midden 7.5YR-3/2 8.0 very strong Uppermost 2.5YR-5/4 8 Midden 7.5YR-3.5/2 5.5 quite strong-- Lowermost 5.0YR-4/6

DISCUSSION e shalloTh d seeminglwan y patchy e naturshelth f l o edeposi t suggest a series f o s short-term occupations. There are some indications that we may be dealing with small number f individualsso e well-defineTh . d concentration f particulaso r shellfish speciee th n si midden might represent the refuse from individual gathering trips or meals. The absence of stone tool d wastean s , combined wit e verth h y limited evidenc r exploitatiofo e f fooo n d resources other than shellfish, suggest restrictesa sitee d th rol ,r whilefo superimposee eth d layerin f burngo t deposit hearte th n si h point somo st e reuse ove unknown a r n period. Given presence th f well-preserveeo d fragile mussel shells aroun hearthe dth hars i t envisagso i dt e sustaine r intensdo e human activit thin yi middense parth f o t . Perhap muse sw t thin termn ki s of frequent necessarilno d an t y seasonal short-ter individualtime mw fe on visit ea y y an sb t sa who made use of particular hearth areas on a number of occasions. Non-intensive exploitation of local shellfish stocks would seem to be the implication. Other site Invernesn i s sd elsewher (illuan ) 1 s Scotlann i e d have provided evidence relevan interpretatioe th o t Muirtowe th f no n siteabsence Th . industriaf eo l evidenc shelr efo l middens along the eastern coast of Scotland is far from unique. Middens which accumulated throug exploitatioe hth f soft-shorno e shellfish communities (primarily oyster containind )an g features suc hearthss ha , some faunal remains industriao t littln bu r , eo l evidence have been excavated alon e Fortgth h Valley (Mackie 1972; Sloan 1982, 1984 e Latedated th an ) o rdt Mesolithic, the Neolithic and later. The single date obtained from Muirtown suggests that the activity represented by the lowermost deposits of the excavated area dates from the fourth millennium be, the final stages of the Later Mesolithic (sensu Jacobi 1973; Mellars 1974). This 24 SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND, 1991

is significantly later thae Mesolithith n c evidence recently uncovere t Castla d e Street, Inverness (Wordsworth 1985). However deeplo tw e y th ,burie d shell middens discovered previousl Invernesn yi s would Wordsworts a , notes hcitha p d(o , 90), appea post-dato rt e eth Castle Street assemblage and, inasmuch as they probably post-date the main marine transgression in the area (Sissons 1976), may be broadly contemporary with Muirtown. A third shell midden recorded by the (Record Card NH64NW2) 1 km to the north-wes canno5 Muirtowf o t46 locatee 5 datino b tn 64 centre d d H gndan an N evidenc n do e is available. Bearin minn gi laterae dth l extent, shallownes indicationd san breakf so spreae th n sf i do the shell midden, the information gained from the area investigated may only be representa- tive of a fraction of the total site. Further investigation of the Muirtown midden might establish the presence of Neolithic or later activity although as the site is now covered by low-density housing access might prove difficult. Given thacharcoae th t l use r datindfo y gma have come from mature oak timber it must be acknowledged that the date obtained may be some hundred f yearo s o oldto s . Consequentl e absencyth f lithio e c technolog r otheo y r potentially diagnostic artefacts present significansa t obstacl establishino et g with confidence the broader cultural association of the midden. This problem is compounded by our present uncertainty over the precise chronology of the Mesolithic to Neolithic transition (Kinnes 1985, ; Woodma18 n 1989, 22). However e evidencth , e from Muirtown does confirm thae th t Inverness area provide focuda r communitiefo s s seekin exploio gt coastae th t l environment during the mid-fourth millennium be. Whilst the Muirtown midden is far shallower than those in the Forth Valley the similarities in composition are noteworthy. It is possible that a pattern of soft-shore exploitation commo firthe th f easter o so nt n Scotlan establishes dwa d durine gth later stageMesolithie th f so continued can d intbeyond oan Neolithice pattere dth th w f no Ho . exploitation represente thesy db e enigmatic sites meshed wit e widehth r rang f economieo c and settlement activities during the Mesolithic and the Neolithic is a subject for future research. Clearl a ymor e balance d detailean d d pictur f chronologyo e , settlemend an t economy alon ease gth t coas f Scotlanto d durin fourte gth h millennium be wil criticae r b l ou o t l understanding of Muirtown and similar sites.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The excavation was funded by the Scottish Development Department (Ancient Mon- uments). We are grateful to Dr M Wilkinson for his assistance both during and after the excavation, Dr D Gilbertson and Dr P Mellars for their advice and to Mr C Grimbley for help with the matrix analyses.

REFERENCES F Ball196 D , 4 'Loss-on-ignitio n estimata s a n f organio e c matte d organian r c carbo n noni n - calcareous soils', J Soil Science, 15 (1964), 84-92. Crothers H 197 J , 5 'On variatio N.Lapillusn ni (L): shell shap populationn ei s fro Soute mth h Coast of ', Proc Malacological Soc, 41 (1975), 489-98. Hodgson M 197 J , 6 Soil Survey Technical Monograph-(5). . Jacobi, R M 1973 'Aspects of the "Mesolithic Age" in Great Britain', in Kozlowski, S K (ed), The Mesolithic in Europe, Warsaw, 237-65. Kinnes I , 1985 'Circumstance t contextsno Neolithie th : f Scotlanco sees da n from outside', Procc So Antiq Scot, 115 (1985), 15-57. MYERS & GOURLAY: MUIRTOWN, INVERNESS: PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF A SHELL MIDDEN 25

Mackie, E W 1972 'Radiocarbon dates for two Mesolithic shell heaps and a Neolithic axe factory in Scotland', Proc Prehist Soc (1972), 38, 412-16. Mellars A 197P , 4 'The Palaeolithi Mesolithic'd can Renfrewn i , (ed)C , , British Prehistory, London, 41-99. Mellars A 197 P , 8 'Excavatio economid nan c analysi f Mesolithio s c shell midden islane th f n do o s Oronsay ()', in Mellars, P A (ed), The Early Postglacial Settlement of Northern Europe, London, 371-96. Sissons, J B 1976 The Geomorphology of the British Isles: Scotland. London. Sloan D ,198 2 'Nether Kinneil', Curr Archaeol, , 13-1584 . Sloan, D 1984 'Shell middens and chronology in Scotland', Scott Archaeol Rev, 3 (1984), 73-9. Stuiver Reimer& M , J 198P , 6 'C14 calibration program', Radiocarbon, (1986)8 2 , 1022-30. Synge, F M 1977 'Land and sea level changes during the waning of the last regional ice sheet in the vicinity of Inverness', in Gill, G (ed), The Firth Area Geological Studies, Inverness, 83-102. Woodman, P C 1989 'A review of the Scottish Mesolithic: a plea for normality!', Proc Soc Antiq Scot, 119 (1989), 1-32. Wordsworth, J 1985 'The excavation of a Mesolithic horizon at 13-24 Castle Street, Inverness', Proc Soc Antiq Scot, 115 (1985), 89-103.

This paper is published with the aid of a grant from Historic Scotland