Highland Archaeology Services Ltd Applecross Broch Community
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Highland Archaeology Services Ltd Bringing the past and future together Applecross Broch Community Archaeology Project Excavation and Site Presentation Report March 2008 7 Duke Street Cromarty Ross-shire IV11 8YH Tel/Fax: 01381 600491 Mobile: 07834 693378 Email: [email protected] Web: www.hi-arch.co.uk VAT No. 838 7358 80 Registered in Scotland no. 262144 Registered Office: 10 Knockbreck Street, Tain, Ross-shire IV19 1BJ Applecross Broch: Report March 2008 Applecross Broch Community Archaeology Project Excavation and Site Presentation Report March 2008 Report No. HAS080305 Site Code HAS/APL07 Client Applecross Archaeology Planning Ref (N/A) Revised 01 April 2008 Author John Wood, with contributions by Mary Peteranna, Gemma Shannahan, Emma Malone, and Cait McCullagh 2 Applecross Broch: Report March 2008 Photo 1 The Time Team at Applecross, 2005 Summary Archaeological excavations were undertaken in October 2006, and April and September 2007 at Applecross Broch, to follow up a Time Team dig in 2005. The archaeological objectives were to expose the plan of the building’s final phase, and enable the site to be laid out for visitors; equally important was the aim of enabling the local community to lead the project, assisted by professional archaeologists, to enable the widest possible inclusion of local people in all aspects of the work, and develop practical, research, educational, social and economic benefits. The site proved more complex and time-consuming to excavate than expected; and produced finds of major interest and importance. Adverse weather, as well as the presence of an electricity pole, however hindered progress archaeologically. It was therefore impossible in practice to complete all the archaeological objectives within the time and budget available. However the three short seasons of 10 days each were very well received and attracted volunteers from across the Scottish Highlands as well as local people. There has been wide interest in the project with articles appearing in Scottish Archaeology News and History Scotland magazine. The community objectives were met therefore and in this respect the project represents a considerable success. At present approximately half the area of the broch has been uncovered. Artefacts found are being kept in secure and stable conditions. The site too has been covered and protected. However there remains a need to complete the archaeological programme and take advantage of the success so far with a new, follow-on project. A project design is in preparation. 3 Applecross Broch: Report March 2008 Contents Location.........................................................................................................................................................................5 Aims of the Archaeology programme ...........................................................................................................................5 Site details and archaeological background...................................................................................................................6 Work to date ..................................................................................................................................................................9 Assessment of background information ....................................................................................................................9 Initial walk-over survey and photography; risk assessment......................................................................................9 Excavation.................................................................................................................................................................9 Proposed Future Work.................................................................................................................................................20 Bibliography................................................................................................................................................................20 Illustrations Figure 1 Site Location ..................................................................................................................................................5 Figure 2 The site in context ........................................................................................................................................14 Figure 3 Summary plan as of September 2007...........................................................................................................15 A moment of discovery .........................................................................................................................................Cover Photo 1 The Time Team at Applecross, 2005...............................................................................................................3 Photo 2 The site during the Time Team dig ...............................................................................................................10 Photo 3 Substantial foundation or earlier building phase? .........................................................................................11 Photo 4 Intramural passage modified to form small chambers...................................................................................12 Photo 5 Stone settings in rubble .................................................................................................................................12 Photo 6 Excavation of entrance passage, September 2007.........................................................................................13 Photo 13 Work has continued in all weathers.............................................................................................................16 Photo 15 Souterrain running beneath broch wall........................................................................................................16 Photo 7 Incised stone..................................................................................................................................................17 Photo 8 Pottery from rubble overlying broch .............................................................................................................18 Photo 9 George III coin ..............................................................................................................................................18 Photo 10 Incised bone.................................................................................................................................................18 Photo 11 Spindle whorl ..............................................................................................................................................18 Photo 12 Ironworking slag..........................................................................................................................................18 Photo 14 Fundraising sale and craft fair, 2007 ...........................................................................................................19 Acknowledgements We wish to thank Professor Mick Aston and other members of the Time Team, as well as the Goldthorpe family, the Applecross Archaeology Society, and members of the North of Scotland Archaeology Society (NOSAS) and Applecross Historical Society for their enthusiasm and support for this project. Staff and pupils from Gairloch High School also took part. Cathy Dagg, Mary Peteranna, and Gemma Shannahan provided professional supervision and assistance on site. The project would not have been possible without the volunteers who contributed to the excavations and the whole of the Applecross community. This report is the result of a collaborative effort by Mary Peteranna, Gemma Shannahan, Emma Malone, Cait McCullagh and John Wood. Background mapping has been reproduced by permission of the Ordnance Survey under Licence 100043217. 4 Applecross Broch: Report March 2008 Location The site is centred approximately at Ordnance Survey National Grid Reference NG 7118 4433 on a ridge of periglacial material at approximately 30m above sea level. Figure 1 Site Location Mapping reproduced by permission of the Ordnance Survey: Licence 100043217 Aims of the Archaeology programme The aims of this project were set out in the initial project design: 1. To expose the last phase ground plan of the broch. The initial impetus to the project was to follow up the work of the Time Team, and clarify the full layout in plan of the uppermost lines of walling which could not be established by that short programme. Thus it was only intended to examine the latest phases of activity on the site, rather than remove any part of the walls, to dig into the occupation layers of the broch, or to attempt to establish pre-broch activity. 2. To assess the presence and survival of later structures overlying the broch. We aimed to clarify as far as possible whether there are any remains of later buildings overlying the broch itself – either 5 Applecross Broch: Report March 2008 adapted from the broch, or newly built using the broch as foundation. Following the initial Time Team investigation it appeared that the broch might have been dismantled in the post-medieval period – but this proved not to be the case, as several interesting adaptations and unexplained features were soon discovered, representing adaptation, or more likely re-use of an abandoned site. In this Applecross is similar to many other broch sites which show a long history of later re-use in the