80 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1952-53.

V.

AN AISLED FARMHOUS E ALLASDALETH T EA , ISLE OF .

BY ALISON YOUNG, F.S.A., F.S.A.ScoT.

During 1950 and 1951 Sir Lindsay Scott examined the farmhouse at the AUasdale heath f do Barran ei mose th , t southerle y sizth y islan n ean i f do ; he planned to complete the excavation in 1952. In April of that yea became rh e seriously befor d ill ,an deats ehi Junn hi expressee eh d the wish that the examination of the site should be completed. Her t seemei s tributfittin y wors pa hi Scottisr o kgo fo t et h prehistory. His keen observation and wide outlook won for him a very special place in compane th Scottisf yo h archaeologists. Excavation at the AUasdale in 1953 was made possible by grants from the Society and from the Prehistoric Society. Thanks are due to The MacNeil, the owner of the site, for permission to excavate, and for presenting the finds to the National Museum of Antiquities.1 The site, described by Lindsay Scott as an aisled farmhouse, is built o nknola l of rocky outcro . abovft 0 ep40 sea-level, wher steeple eth y slabbed hil f Coro l a Bheinn characteristio s , e Hebrideath f o c n landscape, flattens int oseriea terracesf so , also typica terraie th f o l. n 1) (PI , V . The farmhouse entrance faces west across one of these terraces towards e nortClian th Be ho e sead T th shelter. e sitth se fro e worsmth f tho te north-westerly e south-wesgalesth o t , Martin Be t n rise abouo st ft. 0 , 80 t and the coastal plain at the foot of these hills is a wide stretch of machar bounded northwards by Greian Head, where there is deep water anchorage, shelvin e soute th th y ho b t gd reefan Seaf so l Bay. The site excavated consists of the farmhouse, with souterrain and kiln- hpuse and an outside working-place, as well as a steading, which included barn and byre, the whole standing in approximately 1^ acres of ground, enclosed by a wall (see fig. 1). The farmstead, known locally as Tigh Talamhanta ("The house under the ground"), was built with the entrance at the highest point of a rocky knoll steeply scarped on three sides. On the fourth, to the east, a gentler incline of gravelly soil overlies schistose rock (figs. 2, 3, 4). The wall footings were lai clay n havy clad o an y,ma e been use filo dt l

1 I am indebted to Miss K. M. Eichardson, P.S.A., and Mr B. Steel, who worked during the 1953 season; also to Mrs E. Steel for her drawing of the final plan of the site (fig. 3). Also to Mr H. H. Coghlan, P.S.A., and Mr A. D. Lacaille, P.S.A., for examining material. AISLED FARMHOUS E ALLASDALETH T EA , ISLE OF BARRA1 8 .

TIGH TALAMHANTA, ALLASDALE

, Farmhouse1 . PigNo , Souterrain 2 . . 1 . , KilNo ;3 . n , OutsidhouseNo ;4 . No ;e working place; No. 5, Steading; No. 6, Later structure.

Fig. 2. Conjectured reconstruction of farmhouse. VOL. LXXXVII. TIGH TALAMHANTA

j~ Ash

o Post holes

Uprights

FARM WALL HEIGHTENED TO FORM SIDE OF LEAN TO. STEADING

Pig. 3. General Plan. AISLED FARMHOUS E ALLASDALETH T EA , ISL BARRAF EO 3 8 . in between stones; this was easily obtainable at various points in the banks nearbo otw f y streams. These burns, risin Corn gi a Bheinn, divergee on , flowing west, drainin fertile gth e Allasdale othee ,th r turning north, providing alike defenc thein ei r marshy margin easiln a d y san accessibl e water supply. The iron present in the soil colours the burns, and the rocky sides are stained wintee th re o dt r high-water mark. e enclosinth n i p g ga wal A •l e nortopenth goon o ho t s d pasture, also towards another farm site, one of a group noted by Lindsay Scott, in this instance lying at a distance of half a mile from Tigh Talamhanta above the steep nort e banth f hko flowing burn.

ALLASDALE, BARRA

FARM HOUSE TI MM nit mini HITTT HEARTHS

DRAIN! BEAT enl .OCCUPATION GRAVEL OVEI CLAY FLOOR SCHISTOSE

IS 20

SOUTERRAIN

. FigCD . Section4 .d an B sA

The Farmhouse. This structure diametern i . ft 6 3 ,s roughl i , y circulae th plann i rd an , souterrain and kilnhouse open from the main building. The paved entrance on the west leads inward from a sill of the natural rock, and the building at this point is much wrecked. Rough steps in the rock lead down the knoll, which is an outcrop of Hebridean gneiss stretching westward from the entrance ove irregulan ra r are morf ao e . thaft Wher 0 n2 e wallin lais dgwa on the natural rock it has greatly collapsed. There were indications of a working platform outsid entrancee eth mera w e no ,rickl f stoneseo a t bu , series of bowl forms recovered from this area suggest a dairy. Pilin againsp gu e a eassofe gneis th s th i t t n schistoso s e rock with 84 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1952-53.

gravelly covering thin e greateo sth d an ,re farmhous parth f o t builts i e . The surviving wall stands at highest six courses and is built with no apparent sign of batter, well laid and of massive stonework. The outer and inner wall faces, filled with smaller material, have long stones lying athwart, bonding the whole. The choice of building-stone in this locality is poor,

nevertheless skil shows li 1 n bot selection hi layinn i d stone gnth an e walling. Phase I. The horizo e Phasth f neo I leve blaca s i l k layer. Thiascribes swa d by Lindsay collapsScote th burnto a t f eo roof covered an , centrae dth l area. It was of varying depth from 4 ins. to a mere powdering of ash over the beaten clay floor of the bays, excepting in Bay 6, where the ash deepened and contained numerous sherds of pottery. At the lowest level many of these cam rathea s e ha fror h t leasma large as e on t e Th storag . 1) r (fig , eja 5 . different characte thihavn y ri sma ebay beed rusan ,f no other ho r material whicn i h storage jars were set. Charcoal from twig willof so wrecordes i d at this point, and suggests that baskets were also used. Cobbling alternates with rough pavine centrath n gi l area, where th e fire was made on the gravelly soil which was reddened and burnt to a depth of 2 ins. The Phase I hearth, roughly oval, was defined on the west by slab paving. This feature was also noted on the west of the barn hearth (PL VI, 2) would an d provid elevea l cooking place r baking r potsth fo efo o r o T , . southeaa y stonelesf pho la s clay, unburnt. Roughl t stoneyse s limie th t hearth on the east. Large charred fragments identified as spruce, presumably from a log of drift timber,2 were recovered from and around a post-hole. Two smaller post-holes on either side of the original hearth indicate a wooden structure firse th t n phasei . Stone-built piers, set radially, formed the foundations of roof supports. Of these, seven remain; originally there must have been nine survivine th , g piers, also lai clayn do , showing sign rebuild.f so baye Th s 3forme thesy db e radials were fenced toward centrae sth l are kerbingy a b slippe e On .d corbel- stone originally joinin outee gth e rth radiae wallins th wa d l6 g piean . rno sole remaining evidence of the method of roofing employed, with the excep- tion of heather charcoal identified in samples from the black level overlying the earnest occupation. Lindsay Scott was of the opinion that the roofing techniqu similas ewa thao rt t indicate t Clettraval,da wherd wallan e eth s

are built free-standing as in the 4 AUasdale farmhouse, this is the simplest method of roofing where timber is scarce. He also postulated an overall

1 See plan (fig. 3). "Drift Timber in the West," Antiquity, XXV (1951), 151-3. 2 scraA 3 metalf po , perhap fragmene sth broocha f o e tbasfouns th f Pie wa ,eo t da (ser4 , e 1 fig , 9 . Appendid an . xB) ' P.P.S., xiv (1948), 53.

AISLED FARMHOUS E ALLASDALETH T EA , ISL BARRAF EO 5 8 .

43 86 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , 1952-53. roof of thatch or turf to carry rain-water down to the outer walling, and from the charcoal identified as heather twigs we may deduce thatching. The skin tent roofing recently suggested by Mr T. C. Lethbridge for his Kilpheder site,1 wher walle eth s wer t free-standineno t backegbu d against the sand, would be impracticable on an exposed site such as Tigh Talamhanta, where howeve e outeth r r wallin s capablgwa f carryineo e weighgth a f o t roof. A recess r walo , l chamber, opening fro interioe mth s Phasn i r wa eI entered by a doorstep 21 ins. in length, which indicates that the original floor-level of this feature was higher than the interior of the main building. A drain, lined and covered with slabs, led from a funnel-shaped basin of har behinn dra cla beyond , d6 y an Pierd an d s 7 whic t hjoinei furtheo dtw r length f draio s n which, however ,tracee b coul t theio dt dno r sourced an , were possibly destroye subsequene th n di t rebuil hearte th f do h e areaTh . outlet passed unde maie carefulls rth nwa wald ylan constructed t beyonbu , d this poin furtheo n t r channe r soak-awao l apparents ywa . This feature e seconmusth n i dt e phasehav us frod ef o an m,gon t thaeou t periot da leastt earlierno f i , , pile darf so k earth, streaked with uneven tip peaf so h tas and shells, mainly cockle and limpet, surrounded the landward side of the farmhouse and backed against the souterrain walling; the original turf line coul tracee db d belo e dumpwth . Ver sherdw yfe s came from these areas, thae b ty thema yt i werd an e peat heaps servin gduaa l purpos f fueo e l storage and added warmth and protection for the eastern portion of the main building. Phase II. There can have been no great gap between the collapse of the outer wall in Phase I and the rebuild in Phase II. The ash from a burnt roof and a peat hearth could be scattered by the gales of one winter. The principal feature of Phase II is the reinforcing wall which runs from entrancee th Pieo t 7 r . Thibuils swa t afte collapse th maie r th f neo wall between Pier 7 and the mutilated wall-chamber. The absence of large stonee destroyeth t a s d portio e walbeed th ha lf n no puzzling n 1953I . , however, examination of the hitherto unexcavated section showed that an inner reinforcing wall had been built, probably using the original stones of collapsee th d walling smalf o featur e A buildine lus .footinth e f eo th s gi g stones bedde clay n di tracinn I . innee gth r footing ruinee th f o sd wale th l doorstep of the recess was found, which indicated that the Phase I entrance was from within. Possibl thie yth n outer wal thif o l s chamber r recesso , , wa contributinsa g collapsfactoe earlieth e o th rt f eo r main t seemi wall d ,an s that some calamity, perhaps a gale, lifting the driftwood rafters, thrust back e sectioth n whic subsequentls hwa y reinforce innen a e y rb dth wall t A . 1 P.P.S., xvni (1952), 180. AISLED FARMHOUSE AT THE ALLASDALE, ISLE OF BARRA. 87 two lowest courses of this rebuild, a gritty substance was stuffed between e insidee stoneth th n o carboniseo s. to This wa s o admit d f preciso t e identification, but may have been sphagnum moss. In Phase II a bench, set to the south of the kerbed hearth, was built probabl stonef yo s fro destroyee mth d Piethio t srd phas8an , e belongs rough paving, superimposed over the beaten clay floors of the bays. Paving also covered the mass of ashy material in the central area, and the square-paved hearth edge thren do e sides with chamfered t ove stoneoriginae se rs th swa l oval fireplace.1

The Souterrain. The souterrain (fig. 1, no. 2; fig. 3, and fig. 4, C—D), an original feature, is enterestepo tw s y leadindb g downwards throug hnarroa w passage between passage Th . e5 passed Pieran s4 unde massivra e lintel beyond an , d this on the right is the opening to a semicircular recess with a cobbled floor. Although the space under the first lintel is only 2 ft. 10 ins. in height, numerous sherds were recovered which suggest that this reces s usewa sd as a larder or store. Beyond this a narrow trench 2 ft. in depth was . dow ft knolle e slope rock6 th regularl2 nth rund th f r eo n an .,i s fo t ycu A sill left in the rock below the second lintel indicates that the already small aperture between the two chambers was usually closed. The outer lintelsame th f eo , quartzose gneiss beed ha ,n lowemovede th d r entrancan , e was partly wrecked so that the opening cannot be reconstructed with certainty, althoug e sockethth f supportino s g e easstoneth t o t ssugges t originae th l position. rock-cue Ther trac o th sil a n n f li s e i o t e draith t na lower end of the souterrain, and the trench is carried beyond the lintel round a cobbled area which was covered with ash and charcoal. To describe this structure, which has Scottish and Irish parallels, as a

souterrai somethins ni meano n misnomera y b f sg o s underground wa t i ; . 2 The shalloedgee th f so w trench were buil witp tu h dry-stone walling, which apparently supported thatch or turf roofing carried from lintel to lintel over framewora t againskse t spruce ridge poles, which must have bee driftf no - wood. This is indicated by the presence of spruce charcoal throughout the lengte structureth f ho . Hazel longeo n , r commo e islandth n s alsno i , o identified, and most probably formed the framework of the roof. The side sectioe composite s (fig1i Th B ) n4 A . consistd an ,drawin a f healte so th f Lindsagy o h b y Scotd tan outee oth f r walling made durin 195e gth 3 season. 2 Among the numerous and varying types of "souterrains" the following may be quoted: P.P.S., xiv (1948) ; P.S.A.S.,95 , vn (1876), 165; Poshigarry, P.S.A.S., LXV (1930-1), 300; Jarlshof House III, P.S.A.S., LXVIII (1933-4), 224; Letterkeen, P.R.I.A., , 0454 (1952), housa 100 n i , e associated with drying kiln and metal-working; Cush, P.R.I.A., 45, C (1939-40), 92, 96, 99; Ulster J.A., xni (1950), 6; H. O'N. Hencken, Cornwall and Stilly (1932), 132. Hebridean examples may be due to the difficulty of building wall gallerie storagr sfo e purposes, e naturowinth o f locagt eo l stone, ansouterraie dth t na Tigh Talamhant addee th s da ha advantag goof eo d drainage. 88 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , 1952-53.

walling was backed by earth, reinforced by a peat stack or midden dump, streake tipy dshelb f so l debris pottero N spacfoune s . th y wa n edi between outed an possibl s i ) r 1 t lintel i , secone d VI e th an ,L tha d(P t this chamber, with its airflow, which could be controlled from the main souterrain, was used for drying and storing winter provisions.

The Kilnhouse. The kilnhous apparentls ewa ylean-ta o building entered fro maie mth n dwelling,.an Lindsan di y Scott's opinio uses r corn-drying.nwa dfo e Th 1 thif o wessd structuren t greatls ewa y wrecked t seemi t bu ,s probable that e onlth y entranc s frowa me withi e maith n n building. Uprights with • covering slab buile sar t ove e hearth pavea th r d dan , ven r smoke-holo t e ends with an upright stone which could have been adjusted to control the draught. Iron remainskniveo paia tw f shearsr f o o rso ,e b whic , y hma were recovered from the kilnhouse (fig. 9, 3 and 4).

The Working-Place. working-place ) Th 4 fig d , 1 .an farmhouse 4 e wes th , th f o tVI o e t L e(P was constructed against the edge of hard rock outcrop. A stone-built seat, backed on to the natural rock, was further heightened with upright slabs and banked with earth so stoneless that a turf construction is indicated. This shelter was probably only partly covered, and a payed drain runs down the centre and under the hearth which was built against upright stones. covee Th r fro thif uppee o m sth d drainen r e locath , f lwhico stones hwa , was smoothly hollowed, and may have been a discarded saddle quern re-used.

The Steading. The farmyard wall, computed by Lindsay Scott to stand originally 4 ft, high, alon e lengte steadinggth th f ho , forme e outeth d r a walbar f o nl d byr . d figan 3) ean . 5 (fig , 1 . A steadine parth 18tf e useo ts th hgn dwa i century uppee th d r level,an s wer a econfuse d mas f stono s e with wooden uprightd t insidol se s e th e walling. The lowest levels however turd ol f, e sealelineth ,y db sho footinge wth s of a dividing wall laid in the gravelly subsoil, and a second, slightly staggered entrance leading into the byre. Here it may be noted that this rectangular building, with rounded outer corners wels l,wa constructed thao ,s t tradition,

or practical use, suc s winha d resistance, inspire e circuladth re plath f no 2 farmhouse. 1 Antiquity, XXV (1951), 196. 2 Stuart Piggott, Neolithic Cultures of the British Isles (1954), 35. AISLED FARMHOUS E ALLASDALETH T EA , ISL BARRAF EO 9 8 . A lined and covered drain runs across the inside of the original byre entrance, following the line of the wall to a carefully built outlet, which opened into a sump where surface water still collects. Beside the dividing wall an upright stone, set well into the gravel, may be the remains of a central roof support. Backed against upright stones, a deep level of peat ash covered the clay-built hearth of the byre, and a heap of seashore sand was found nearby. From the ash an iron ring (fig. 9, 2) and an amorphous iron object were recovered s a fragmenwel a ,s a l f vitreouo t s character which canno e identifieb t d wity certaintyhan shelo N .l debris abundano s , t elsewhere heaph as thif e founs o sth wa ,building n di . The square-pavea bar s nha d heart gravee th lai ) hn 2 d o l, (PI floorVI . ; a dump of peat ash filled the angle of the inner wall. Apart from the farm wall which formed the north side of the steading, and was at this point stone faced and rubble filled, the outer walls were of stone with an earth core. A drain 24 ins. wide (PI. VI, 3), cut in the soft rock, surrounds two sides e steadinoth f leadd t belogan ou se farmyar wth d wall. Built inte oth entranc barne th f holea e,o d pivot stone apparently carrie framewore dth k of the door (see PI. V, 3).1

The Farmyard Wall. The enclosing yard wal s stonl wa (fig e) 1 buil. t where footings wern eo solid ground, changin stonelessa o gt , turf-buil tmarshe banth n ko y ground west of the farmhouse and on the south, as it approached the margin of the Allasdale burn, wher stone-builo en t structure practicables wa . Throughout yeare th s repeated spates have varie course burne dth th f e,o indicatea y db marshy are whicn ai h intermittent mound probable sar y remain once th ef so continuous earthen fare banth mf k o enclosure somr fo , e for limitatiof mo n must have existed if, as the walling suggests, the enclosure was used for stocke burTh n. itself would normally presen barrieo n t o sheet r d pan cattle. Indication buildina f so g wit hsmala l adjoining courtyar neay t dla rbu t agains no e eas th e wal. tth Examinatio n t6) o (figl , 1 . 195n ni 3 proved this to be a late construction, probably a shieling; the only outstanding featur levea s cleaf o l ewa n seashore sand immediately belo turfe we th th , whole nicely dated by a large sherd of late 18th-century crock.

E POTTERYTH . The bulk of the pottery from the Allasdale falls into two main groups of globular bowl jarsd san . These includ typee et all th some no f , so t frobu , m Another such stone is reported from Poshigarry (see P.S.A.S., LXV (1930-1), 303). 1 . 90 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , 1952-53. Clettraval, which have been very fully discussed by Lindsay Scott. The

Barra sherds, however, show form t sfigur whicno d e hdi amon e Nortgth h 1 TJist material, as well as certain individual types. . Much of the AUasdale pottery has a mere skin of well-prepared gritless clay, too thick to be described as a slip, and this covers the heavily gritted e typicapastth f eo l ring buildin d flake gan easilyf of s . Sherds froe mth finer pots hav ea goo d surface t coarsebu , r ware e finger-pressear s d dan uneven.

GroupI. Grou ppotI s occu botn ri h plai e phase b farmhouse r ny th o f so ma d ean decorate dPhas n I characteristie (fig th . eI .5) everteds i m c ri shows a , n ni nos. 1-14. Only one of these forms is decorated, the big storage jar, no. 1, from the lowest level of Bay 6. In this example the typical ornament is applied immediately belo evertee wth d rim. Sherds fro rebuile mth t wall joined on to the Bay 6 fragments. Another rim sherd from the rebuild is the fine little example no.' 5. No. 14, from the lower hearth, is greatly abraded and is of a different character from the rest of the group. e characteristiTh c decoratio f d thirelateo nan s d Hebridean sites 2 consist applien a f so d fille finf o t e clay, pressed int owava y lin meany eb f so bluna t tool typa , ornamenf eo t foun pottern do y from Mont Beuvray,d an

applied band f slasheo s r stampedo d decoration. Nearer home3 , Lindsay Scot suggestes ha t d affinities from south-west England. technique Th finger-pressinf eo r slashingo applien ga d ban claf ds o yha parallels elsewhere, e.g. from Traprain 4 and from Mont Beuvray,5 where a sherd wit f finger-pressea hdoublo w ro e d ornament occurred. Slashed decoration occurs at Gergovia 6 and the neighbouring sites of Corent and Ronziers.8 At Drum na keel,7 an Irish iron-working site of a later date, slashed decoration is also reported. The bowl form, no. 19, a brittle and over-fired pot from Bay 2, can be closely matched by another from Tiree, and a similar sherd is figured from

Eilean Malei Nortn i tfragment o htw e UistTh s. illustrate imlike dar e eth 8 bulk of the pottery in paste, and may be from a neighbouring island where wood-fired kilns were used Professo• . r Child s e pointepooth ha e t r ou d quality of pottery fired by peat alone,9 and so inadequate is the firing of many abraded sherds from Tigh Talamhanta, where the heavy accumulation of P.P.S.,e Se 1 xiv (1948). 57 , - P.P.S., xiv (1948). 68 , 3 Bulliot, Fouilles Montu d Beuvray, Album (1899), pi. xxvi. 5 , 4 P.S.A.S., LV:II (1923-4), 257, . fig13 . 5 Bulliot, Fouilles du Mont Beuvray, Album (1899), pi. xxxiv, 12. 8 Arch. J., xcvn (1940), p. 58, fig. 8, 7, and p. 62, fig. 10, 4-7. 7 Ulster J.A., 7-8 (1944-5), 27. 8 Erskine Beveridge, Coll and Tiree (1903), 174, pi. 1; ibid., North TJist (1911), 208. "• V. G. Childe, before the Scots (1946), 31. AISLED FARMHOUS E ALLASDALETH T EA , ISL BARRAF EO . 91 peat ash in hearths and dumps suggests its use as the main source of heat, that join oftee sar n impracticable. No. 15 shows decoration on the body of the pot. This vessel with uprigh fros i mlatea m ri t r context tha precedine nth g examples sucd an ,h sherds fro uppee mth r hearth denot uprighe e PhasTh . t erimII , however,

57 58 59 Fig . 6 .(Scal e }.) tended to break away, as in no. 18 (a feature also of the Clettraval pottery).

Perhaps- owinnature clae th th y o gfashionf t f e o availablo t felm ou lri , e eth 1 for rimless bowl-forms appear more frequently, e.g. nos. 19—21, 30 and 31, as well as coarse, shallow dishes such as nos. 22 and 23. Fracture sometimes occurs at the join of the ring building (fig. 5, 43), in some examples near the bottom of the pot where the clay ring appears to have been capped over the base, which was apparently made as a separate

P.S.A.S., LXIX (1934-5), 524, 19-21, 8g40 . . 1 92 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , 1952-53.

unit, and these fractures give the effect of a false rim. From other base fragment t appeari s s thae saucer-shapeth t d base unit f heavilo , y gritted paste, was squared and covered with the outer covering of gribless clay already noted. Varying forms of decoration from the second phase, where the fillet is applied nearer the greatest girth of the pot (fig. 6), suggest that ornamene th becoms ha t e functional, often coverin perhapd gan s reinforcing the joins of the lumpy ring building by means of the pressure used in workin appliee gth d ornament. I illustratePIVI . originae sth l fine rolf o l clay deteriorating int ocoarsela y applied band slashe finger-presser do d into varying patterns.

Group II. The second group, fig. 7, nos. 61-74, has incised decoration, and includes better fired examples of well-prepared and less heavily gritted paste. The incised patterns are boldly executed, and consist mainly of straight lines and "feathered " designs.1 A poorly applied wavy fillet, or a slashed imitation of the technique, defines the lower edge of the decoration. This group, mainly fro uppee mth r heart souterraie h th area d an , n entrance comparee b y ma , d to pottery from Dun ladhart in Skye, from Coll and Tiree, Clettraval, and from South appliee UistTh . d decoration pote e bodoccurth th f ,yo n so and the group may therefore be assigned to a dating coeval with or later tha secone nth d lasphase th t f groupeo . Certain sherds (fig. 7, nos. 61, 62, 65, 67; and PL VIII) show a curious ring pattern made with a stamp. Mr Lethbridge has recently published his account of excavations in South Uist, in which he illustrates one ring-

stamped sherd which resembles the serie2 s from Tigh Talamhanta. On comparing the sherds he established that the stamp used was a shouldered pin, of which he found iron and bronze examples. Shouldered pins of this type are recorded, among other sites, from Traprain, where they have been

dated 1st to 2nd century A.D. This suggests a date fo3 r the stamped pottery sequence, allowing perhaps westr somfa e .typ n th extensio pi n ei e th r nfo Sherds fropot o treatee mtw sar thin di s manner appead stampee an ,b o rt d with different e sampinsTh e. bold incised techniqu s use ei r nos dfo 4 .6 (fig 1 sherd, 7 7) . d san fro vessele m on slashee th , d pattern formin raisega d zone, in imitation of the typical applied decoration. The fragment no. 69 appears to be from a pot decorated in the manner of no. 64. No. -70 has a deeply incised pattern of triangles. The punch used for no. 74 served both raisee fo incisee th r infile th dth f o r patterld fo lines d nan . 1 Duuan Nighean, Erskine Beveridge, Coll and Tiree (1903), 174, pi', no. 9, and P.S.A.S., LXXXVI (1951-2), 196, fig. 9, 7; Dun ladhart, P.S.A.S., XLIX (1914-5), 57, fig. 13, 14; Clettraval, P.S.A.S., LXIX (1934-5), 517 ; Dunbeag25 , fig, 33 . , P.S.A.S., (1920-1)V L , 129. . 2 P.P.S., xvin (1952), 176,. 3 fig , 8 . P.S.A.S., XLIX (1914-5), 171 ; ibid.,,3 , fig (1915-6)25 .L . 8 , d 102an 7 , , flg23 .

AISLED FARMHOUSE AT THE ALLASDALE, ISLE OF BARRA. 93

71 72 73 74 Pig . Stampe7 . d and incised sherds. 94 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1952-53.

This group of incised pottery indicates the local development of imported characteristics, and parallels from North and South Uist support the sugges- tion of a Hebridean idiosyncrasy of which, however,- an echo may be traced in the North. . StevensoindebteK m a B. r excellen e I B . M th r o dt n fo t photographf so unpublished comparative material from the National Museum of Antiquities. The sherd from Cnoc a' Comhdhalach, Griminish, North Uist (PI. IX, 1), is closese th t analog ring-stampee th yo t d ware from Tigh Talamhanta, wits hit chevron patter f doublno e incised lines, rather carelessly cross-hatched, spacin e stampegth d decoration e raiseTh .d ban f slasheo d d ornament closely VIIIresembleL P techniquen d i ) (fig1 an 7 o 7 s. d nosTw an .4 .6 examples are shown (PL IX, 2) from the Broch of Lingrow, also

ornamented with incised lines forming a chevron pattern in which1 the pin-stamping is centralised. This pot has a slashed cordon immediately below the rim, which recalls a sherd from .Corent in the Auvergne, figured by Professor J. B. Ward Perkins. From the Broch of Ayre, Orkney,

another more crudely execute e incised th exampl , 3) d2 , s showeIX i L (P n chevron being unevenl n stamypi executee p th incomplete d an d e th ; sher s neverthelesi d s reminiscen e Hebrideath f o t n series n additioI . n to these parallels, a sherd from Eye Peninsula, in Lewis (PL IX, 4), shows a further developmen e stampeth f o t d motif recognise Stevensonr M y db , wh kindls oha y included impression patterne th f so , which giv clue eth o et the stamp used, a ring-headed pin with movable head. This form is regarded as a later development of the shouldered pin, and suggests that the method of treating pottery persisted. The brushed surface of the pot from Eye Peninsula resembles sherds from Tigh Talamhanta, which are noted as later than the main group of the pottery from that site. With the exception of the last quoted, these sherds also combine the chevron motif with ring-stamping. pottere Th y illustrate fign di show 8 . s type f whicso sherdw hfe s were found, and which do not fall into the preceding classification. Nos. 75 and 76 sho lumpe wth y pressed-on bosses als oladharn foun Foshigarry.Du d t da tan 3 It has been suggested that these simulate the round-headed rivets used as decoration in south-western metal forms, but this technique may also be the surviva half-forgottea f o l n nativ matchee b en tradition.ca y db 8 7 . No 4 a sherd from Eilean na Tighe and from Galson, as well as from a sandhill site in Tiree.5 A sherd illustrated from Kilpheder6 is curiously ornamented with 1 Scotland in Pagan Times: Iron Age (1883), 244. Unstratified finds of Roman coins include a denarius of Vespasian, two of Antoninus, and one of Hadrian, and two coins of Crispina. 2 Arch. J., xcvu (1940). 6 , fig, 10 62 ., 3 P.S.A.S., XLIX (1914-5), 68, fig. 13; ibid., LXV (1930-31), 342, fig. 24, 21. 4 Cf. , P.S.A.S., LXIV (1929-30). 2 , 190d an ,1 fig, 28 . 5 Eilean-an Tighe, P.S.A.S., LXXXV (1950-1) ; Galson1 , pi, 1 ,v . , P.S.A.S., LVTII (1923-4), 197. fig. 8, 7; Erskine Beveridge, Coll and Tiree (1903), 176: Sandhill pottery, pp. 1, 2. 6 Erskine Beveridge, North Uist (1911), 116. AISLED FARMHOUS E ALLASDALETH T EA , ISL BARRAF EO 5 9 . thumb-naia l pattern which closel fine ye Th resemblelittl . e89 . shersno d no. 82 with dot-filled incised pattern can be compared, Mr Hamilton tells me, to material from Jarlshof. No. 77 is like a sherd from Dun ladhart.1 Nos. 79, 83 and 87 are roughly incised and punched or finger-pressed, and resemble early material from Clettraval.2 No. 84 has a circlet decoration apparently stamped before firing with a hollow bone or reed. Nos. 85 and 86 are a

9O

Pig. 8. (Scale J.) debased type of the grooved or finger-channelled material which Lindsay Scott classified s Clettravaearlhi n yi l series. t thaA 3t site applieth e d decoration is finely executed, and the finger-pressed channels are in a bolder technique tha Barre nth a sherds, which are, apparently, frovessee md on lan have carelessly channelled lines limite a slashe y db d imitatio f applieno d ornament. No. 88 is a thin, well-made pot of light red clay unlike the native

paste, with regular ribbing, so evenly applied that the use of a slow wheel

2 1 P.S.A.S., XLIX (1914-5), 69, fig. 14. P.S.A.S., LXIX (1933-4), 516, fig. 32.

P.P.S., 14 (1948), 62, pi. viii. 3 96 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , 1952-53. is indicated. No rim or base fragment of this little vessel survives, but the paste and firing suggest an import. The raised circlet and punched decora- comparabls i 0 8 . tiono f sjierdno eo t s from Eilean Maleit. finger-presseA 1 d closele b n yca matche0 ladhart.n 9 . patterDu no t da f o 2 n m underi e th r colandee Th show, r base92 . s no ,sign thref so e holes made after firinge Th . sharp outline of no. 93 is reminiscent of a metal prototype and the two sherds are unique at the site. In conversation with Lindsay Scott he spoke of a third and later stage of occupation at Tigh Talamhanta, but in his working plans no evidence of this can be quoted. It is however confirmed in the pottery, for not only are there sherds which appear to antedate the bulk of the pottery recovered, the dot-filled ribbon, the unevenly scratched groups of chevrons and the raised bosses, evidenced by few and fragmentary sherds, sequencee th f o othee d th ,t en ra perhap t bu s coeval with t alsbu ,o post- datin wealte gth applief ho incised dan d decoration, ther plaia s ei n ring-built type, still of globular form, also a laminated ware, with brushed surface. The latter occur t Tigsa h Talamhant highese th n ai t withous leveli d san t character. decoraten all1 I rims7 26 base,0 12 8 d , an sd sherds were recovered, together with over four stone in weight of plain undecorated sherds, of which ring-built material is the characteristic type.3

CATALOGUE OF POTTERY ILLUSTRATED. FIG. 5.1. Fragment f largo s e storag r witja e h everted rim, applied fille n neci t k angle, well-prepared paste. From lowest level in Bay 6. Rims from rebuild P.P.S.,. joinCf . xiv (1948) , fig59 ,. 5.1A. 2. Everted rim. Cf aboves a . . . Well-prepare3 d clay, surface smoothed. From rebuildaboves a . Cf .. 4. Burn abradedd an t , sharply everted rim. From rebuild. Cf aboves a . . 5. Sharply everted rim, fine paste. From rebuildaboves a . Cf .. 6. Everted rim, fine paste, smoothed surface. From rebuild. Cf aboves a . . 7. Weak outline, well made, few grits. From hearth area. 8. Square rim. From hearth area. Cf. as above. 9. Well made, fine paste, few grits. From rebuild. 10. Coarsely made. From souterrain entrance. 11. Short, everted rim, slightly hollowed, coarse, heavily gritted, sandy paste. From Bay 5. 12. Nearly upright, slightly concave rim, finger-pressed on outer edge, finely made. From central area. 13. Coarse, short rim, thumbed at neck, coarsely prepared red paste, poor flaky surface. From souterrain. 14. Sandy paste gritsw fe , , greatly burnt surface. From hearth P.P.S.,: Cf . xiv (1948), 59, fig. 5.1c. 1 Erskine Beveridge, North Uist (1911), 208. 2 P.S.A.S., XLIX (1914-5), 57, fig. 13. B. K.Stevenson,e .B Se 3 (1953)n : Ma "Prehistori 97 , c Pot-building."

AISLED FARMHOUSE AT THE ALLASDALE, ISLE OF BARRA. 97 FIG. 5.15. Upright rim, swelling body, sandy paste, heavily gritted, inner surface gone, showing ring-building. From upper central area. P^S.A.S., LXIX (1935), 524, fig. 40, 19-21. 16. Tiny sherd of finely prepared, gritless clay. From working platform. 17. Upright rim with concave edge, gritty, abraded. From central area. 18. Upright rim broken at bottom, pale sandy clay, surface gone. . Bow19 l wit hd fille ,facetean t m immediatelri d y below edge. ErskinCf . e Beveridge, Coll and Tiree, 174. 20. Bowl form with faceted rim, much abraded, marks insidn o thougs ea h grass had been included in the paste, gritted, ring-built. . Sand21 y clay, good surface gritsw fe , . From working platform. 22. Shallow dish (compar . 21)eno , abraded. From working platform. 23. Shallow dish, sam , large22 e . rpast no grits s ea , well-smoothed surfacn o e rim but finger-pressed over ring build. From outside working-place. 24. Squared rim, coarse, sandy paste, heavily gritted, greatly abraded. From working platform. 25. Bowl with finger-and-nail impressions on top of rim and below, sandy paste, with large grits. From souterrain. bowlf o m 26, smoothedRi . , sandy paste. From rebuild. 27. Fragment from bowrinf o r fals go lm builderi , burn abradedd an t . From souterrain. 28. Finger-pressing below rim. 29. Rim thumbed round, sandy, coarse paste, heavily gritted and abraded. From upper hearth. Cf. Dun ladhard, P.S.A.S., XLIX (1914-5), 68, fig. 13; Cnoc a' Comhdhalach, Erskine Beveridge, North Uist, p. 204. 30. Bowl with slightly out-pressed rim, ring-built, clay well prepared an d smoothed surface. From upper hearth. Cf. P.S.A.S., LXIX (1935), 524. 1 , , fig40 . 31. Slightly rolled rim, sandy, gritty paste, surface gone. From rebuild. . Bases3236 . , coarse, sandy paste, foot outpressed brushe2 3 . no ,d surface. From souterrain. 33. Very flat base, kicked out, well-prepared paste, smoothed surface. From rebuild. 34. From Bay 2. 35. Base, fine paste, finger-pressed, brushed surface t ring-builtno , . From central area. 36. See no. 32. 37. Fragmen basef o t , sandy, abraded. From central area. 38. Slightly dished base, finpasted ere , well-prepared clay. 39. Base, finger-pressed, ring-built, much abraded. From rebuild. 40. Finely ring-built base, sandy clay, smoothed. 41. Base, finger-pressed, thin wall, ring-built, heavily gritted, well fired. From rebuild. 42. From central area. 43. Fro 3/4y m.Ba Describe textn di . 6.44. Finely applied fillet, decoration covering the join. From rebuild. Cf. Foshigarry, P.S.A.S., LXV (1930-1), 344, , fig4-823 .; P.P.S., xiv (1943), 62, pi. xi. 45. As above, fine good surface. From working platform. 46. Marked at the back with finger-pressure of ring join. From surface. 7 VOL. LXXXVII. 98 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , 1952-53. FIG. 6.47. As above, burnt. From central area. 48. Softd paste re gritsw , fe , , much abraded, showing ring-build. From souterrain wale silth linten f , o l o ln buil i . 2 lp u t 49. Coarse applied fillet thin-wallen o , d pot, smooth, good paste. aboves 50A . . . Ring-built51 , finger-pressed decoration applied, good, smooth paste. From rebuild, near entrance. 52. Thick paste. From central area. 53. Small fragment, unique pattern, applied band with strokes made with blunt point, fine paste; section shows ring-building. From souterrain, upper chamber. 54. Ring-built, softpasted re , , edges abraded, finger-pressed decoration. From surface. 55. Finger-pressed applied ban well-madn do e pot. From working platform. ladhartn CfDu . , P.S.A.S., XLIX (1914-5) , fig. 68 ,. 13 56. Ring-built, applied band slashed obliquely, good paste. See also no. 60. From upper hearth. 57. Good, red paste, applied band pressed on in pillow-shaped motifs, good joins in ring-building. From central area. Cf. Ulster J.A., XIII (1950), 22, fig. 8.2. 58. Very thin, soft, red paste, broken-off everted rim, applied pattern pointed on with blunt tool giving chain effect. From central area. 59. Applied band slashed, ring-built pot, surface burnt away. From rebuild. 60. Fine potd re , , inside abraded, large grit backing slippee th , d outer surface showing the marks of burning. Slashed band as no. 56. From central area. Nos. 44-60, cf. Clettraval, Dun ladhart, Foshigarry, Galson. 7.61. Hard, thin paste, ring-building well finished, insid mucm ri e h abraded, but one sherd is complete. Geometric incised pattern stamped with shouldered pin, groups of three impressions between chevron motifs above an abraded and poorly applied wavy fillet. From souterrain entrance. Cf. pi. VIIIP.P.S.,. Cf . xiv (1935), fig typ, .5 . e4 62. Stamped with shouldered pin, feathered incised pattern. 63. Fine, hard paste with feathered incised pattern, ring-built, finely joined, well fired. 64. 71. Sherds of well-made pot, incised pattern, feathered lines decoration, limited by slashed imitation of applied fillet. See text, p. 92. 65. Incised pattern, with shouldered pin stamp. Simpler technique of decoration. 66. Incised pattern. From hearth. 67. Thin paste showin thie gth n clay coating covering interior; stamped with pin. 68. Abraded sherd, originally brushed surface "with slashed applied band. Thin, well-made ring-built pot. From central area. 69. Fragment from pot similar to no. 64. 70. Well-made and fired sherd with incised pattern of triangles, good paste, burnt. From central area. .71. See no. 64. From central area. 72. Applied band imitated by pressing up clay and slashing, possibly with finger- nail; faintly incised chevron pattern abov e band . Foshigarryth e Cf . , P.S.A.S., LXV (1930-1), 343, fig. 23, 19. AISLED FARMHOUSE AT THE ALLASDALE, ISLE OF BARRA. 99 FIG. 7.73. Applied fillet finger-pressed, faint incised criss-cross pattern. From central area. 74. Four smal gritlessn i lt sherdpo a , f well-prepareso d paste, clay pusheo t p du imitate applied ban punched dan d with blunt point. Trace featheref so d incised pattern and infilled ribbon design. From central area. 8.75. Globular ring-built pot, applied thumbed-boss. Cf. Dun ladhart, P.S.A.S., XLIX (1914-5) , fig . 68 ,Fro. 13 y 5/4mBa . 76. Fragmen thumbed-of to n boss with trac channellef eo d pattern t incisedno , . From souterrain abovee Se . . 77. Light, red, soft paste, thin-walled globular pot, haphazard chevron pattern, faint trac applief eo d band, slashed. 78. Rim fragment of light, red, coarse paste, pattern made with point jabbed in and dragged downwards in the wet clay. See text, p. 94. 79. Fragment of small bowl, grey, sandy paste, thumbed along top of rim, signs of poorly incised pattern P.S.A.S.,. Cf . LXIX (1935), 516, fig. .32 80. Good paste, stamped applied band, chain effec applied an t d raised circle. . Curve81 d lin slashef eo d application, light, sandy paste. Fro 5/4y mBa . 82. Very fragmentfinm eri s with sharply incised triangular pattern infilledt do , . Good, finely prepared paste. 83. Punched pattern, light, fine paste. See also nos. 79 and 87. 84. Brushed surface, fine paste, showing stamped pattern made with prepared bon hollor eo w reed. From central area. . Finger-channelle8586 . d fragment with slashed applied band. Poorly executed pattern; compare l witil s h Clettraval sherd f samo s e technique. From Bay 3/4 and souterrain. P.P.S., xiv (1948), 62, pi. viii. 87. See nos. 79 and 83. Cf. Foshigarry, P.S.A.S., LXV (1930-1), 344, fig. 24.9. 88. Light fragmentd re , well-preparef o s d clay, regularly ribbed, perhape th y sb fingeronle Th y .exampl sloe eth w suggestinf o wheel e us .e gth 89. Thumb-nail decoration on light, rather porous paste. Cf. Beveridge, North Uist, 116. 90. Fragment finger-pressed round neck. From souterrain. 91. Distorted globular pot found under seat in outer working-place. 92. Colander base hole3 , s apparently made after firing. Fro 3/4y mBa . 93. Unique form (see text, p. 96) fine paste, sharp outline. From central area, Hearth I level.

SMALL FINDS (fig. .9) Objects of Metal. The acid soil of the site was unkind both to metal and bone but the following finds are reported:— 1. At the base of Pier 4 a fragment of metal was recovered. The identity of this fragmen onln conjecturede ca yt b . During 1951 Lindsay Scott asked me to draw this, reconstructed as a brooch, before sending it for examination 100 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , 1952-53.

. Ther(fig1) sigcatchplat, o a 9 n .f no es i brokee th n eo n expanded footd an , the spring end was ^missing, but we cannot discount the possibility of an attemp rustia y b tc craftsma fashioo nt broocna h afte styla r e remembered or described. The only comparable prototype would be a fantail brooch of Aesice th a cabltypee Th e. bindin Allasdale th n go e fragmen reminiscens i t t of ornament on the oval clasp of a silver collar which formed a part of that hoard.1 Analysis shows tha elemente th t whicf so composes i t hi e dar unusual.2 Mr Coghlan reports that the metal is essentially a leaded bronze, wit lead h an dhig n contenappreciabln hti a d an t e inclusio f zince no H . notes that while zinc-tin-copper alloys are known from continental Europe, they are relatively rare among finds hitherto examined. He suggests that the object may have been made under Roman influence in Gaul, or, if actuall yIslandse casth n ti , that meta continentaf o l l origi re-uses nwa r dfo manufacture th thif eo s find. Lookin rathee th t ga r artless mannee th f o r workmanship t i seem, s possible that valued scrap meta havy ma el been re-fashione islann a y db craftsman. . Beside4 , 23 , iron sa n ring fro byre iromo th netw knivehearthe th d s,an from the kilnhouse, little iron has survived. The broken shaft of a pin, a riveted strap-end from the outside working-place, and some unstratified and much corroded nails tale mak irof th e o p neu artefacts.

Metal-working. There was evidence of metal-working at the farmhouse. 7-10. Fragment f claso y mould figd , 7-109 an . s, 2 (PI ), werV . e found in the central area; most of them had been used, but one of these had been broken before use. Unfortunately e pieceth , s recovere smalo to o t e l dar identif e objec th yr whic fo t h these moulds wer ee smoot madeth t hbu , surface of the unused example suggests that the mould itself was made by pressure, possibly from a metal or wooden pattern. Iron slag and broken crucibles were also amon findse gth .

Beads. 5. Among last year's finds from ash in the reinforcing wall, was half of a yellow bea vitreouf do s paste, matching another fragmen whola d ean t bead foun formen di r seasons (fig , 5).9 . Parallel yellor sfo w glass bead foune sar d

from Traprain, from Lochspouts Crannog, singla e find froladharn mDu n i t 4

Skye, from Mear3 e Lake Village in Somerset, and from Castle Dore in 6

5 1 Sir Arthur Evans, ArcJueologia, Uf (1897), 187, fig. 9. z Appendix B. 3 P.8.A.S., XLIX (1914-15), 139. 4 Munro, Ancient Scottish Lake-Dwellings, . 178p , 5 P.S.A.S., XLIX (1911-15). 7 , , fig10 65 ,. ' Meare Lake Village (1948), I. AISLED FARMHOUSE AT THE ALLASDALE, ISLE OF BARRA. 101

Pig. 9. Nos. 1 and 5 (scale J); remainder (scale J). 102 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , 1952-53.

Cornwall, reportee ar d 1an d among early finds fro Crannoe mth t Lagorega , Co. Meath.2 I am indebted to Mrs Piggott for her report on these yellow beads (Appendix A). A curious little perforated stone bead, r pendanto , perhapy ma , s come under this heading.. Of native stone, this thin slip of micaceous rock was found outside the farmhouse. , Stone Implements. 6. Hammer-stones of every size were numerous. The simplest are oval beach pebbles, abrade t eaca d h end, whic e workmeth h n called limpet hammers. These implements are reported from comparable sites, and are illustrated by Mr Beveridge in his book on Coll and Tiree.3 Beach pebbles of varying sizes occurred at all levels and in some quantity at the farmhouse, an particulao dn r significanc attachee b n e ca them brokeo da t t bu , n whet- stone was formed from one of these, and rubbers of all sizes were found, as •wel mans la y water-rolled quartz stones largo eTw beac. h .pebble quartf so z fro rebuile mth t wall "were abrade thren do e sides could an , d have beee nth rubbers of trough querns such as were found on allied sites, of which however no exampl recoveres ewa d fro e Allasdalemth curiouA . s little spatulate fragmen f tremolito t e rocfarmhousee founs th kwa n di uppee th n i r, level. A shaped and well-used rubber of pumice-stone came from the reinforcing •wall. Fragments of this sea-borne material are commonly found on the west coast of the island. Flint Implements. As no natural flint occurs on the island, the presence of the worked flints is doubtles seaweed-borno t e sdu e beach pebbles distributioe Th . thesf no e pebbles is noted by Symington Grieve in his book on the floating power of seaweed.4 Mr Lacaille has kindly commented on the tools:— 12. A flake-scarred fragment of flint pebble. This has also been worked. Since the surfaces are unaltered, the working is of the same age as that of the edge trimming on no. 13. flinA . t flak13 e fro centrae mth lretoucheda are s aha , curved margin, the surface of the trimmed area as fresh as the day it was retouched. The working involved the heavy patination of an ancient flake scar, and the upper surface shows sign earlief so r knapping specimee Th . n bears evidence man'f o , swidel o wortw n ki y separated periods surface Th . e change th n eo old scars resembles the effect noted on Mesolithic artefacts from the Hiberno- Scottish province. 1 J.R.I. Cornwall, L, Appendix. 4 , fig, , 195169 8 . . p , 2 P.R.I.A., LHI, Section C. 1 (1950), 135, fig. 65, 1382. 3 Beveridge, Coll and Tiree, p. 176. • Recorded P.S.A.S., LXIV (1929-30), 109. AISLED FARMHOUS ALLASDALEE TH T EA , ISL BARRAF EO 3 10 . 14flin A f .fai o t r quality, actuall ya cor e trimming a poo s i ,r flake, mad o servt a econcav s ea e scrape y finb r e edge retouch along parf o t margine th . scraperA . 15 , formed fro mfragmena tabulaf o t r vein quartz bees ha , n crudely shaped by blows on the edge and may have been used as a strike-a- light. This came from the outer chamber of the souterrain. • Objects of Baked Clay. Fragments of two spindle whorls made from pierced sherds were found. (Not illustrated.) curiouA . 11 s objec s recoverewa t d fro e reinforcinmth g wall, which appears to be a distorted example of a baked clay loom-weight. That it had been used as a counter-weight for some purpose is obvious. The core is heavily gritted smoothee Th . d covering surfac parn i s ti e destroyedt bu , ther evidencs ei e that sticks were thrusdirectiono tw n ti througp sto e hth before baking. Attempt t borina s g further holes were made, apparently after baking. r claFo y mould Metal-workine sse g above.

SUMMARY. The farmhouse wit s steadinhit dryind gan g kiln suggest essentialln sa y pastoral community e iron-workingth d an , , deduced from slad clagan y moulds furthes i , r witnes self-supportina o st g unit, possiblgroupa f o e ,yon Lindsas a y Scott inferre recordinn di observatios ghi nearbf no y farmhouse sites. Analysis of the brooch fragment from Pier 4 proves that, whether an heirloo obtainemr o bartery db metanativt e sitee yello,e th no th th s ;li o e t w beads, with their wide distribution alsy importse ob ma , . Charcoa f haze o ld birc s identifiedan l hwa , trees whiche b woul w dno difficult to find on the island; extensive grazing may account for this to some extent, for the typical scrub of to-day, brakes of mountain willow, flourish mainly on the steep banks of the burns, beyond the reach of stock. A limited supply of seasoned timber would be available for rafters and purlins, the driftwood which collect e westh tn e islandso coas th f o t , where high cuffs alternate with stretche f sando s , e e flankemacharduneth th f y o sb d . Stranded remain south-facine th treef n s o i cas e p sar u t g re-usebayse Th . d saddle-quer linn i es ni with finds from Foshigarry, among other comparable sites, where however both saddle- and rotary-querns are reported. Besides shellfish debris, fragmentary remain f bonso e were found, whic r FrasehD r has identified as of sheep and a breed of small cattle, many from immature beasts doubtlesdies d an ,wa t s supplemente sea-birdsfisd y db han ' eggs. The pottery sequence witnesse lona o st g occupatio farmhousee th f no . Lindsay Scott gave the 1st century A.D. as the initial date for the Clettraval 104 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , 1952-53. farmhouse Mn i s opiniod an , settlemene nth Allasdale t amonth t no ta s gewa earliese Grallo-Britise th th f to h colonies thao s , datta seconee latth n ei d half t centur1s e suggesteoe th fb y y A.Duppee th ma . s dra bracke Barre th r afo t carefulle farmTh . y worke t Clettravadou l series provides analogiest bu , pottery comparisons have also been quoted from Cnoc a' Comhdhalach, Eilean Maleit, and Foshigarry, in North Uist, while from South Uist there is also a link with Barra which dates an unusual pottery decoration as co- existent with shouldered pins. Such pins have hitherto been dated by analogous finds from Traprai d centur2n r s e M ligha ny th f o A.Dtn I . Lethbridge's recent discoverie t Kilphedera s materiad an , l from Sitheana Piobhaire studpin,a e th sf y whico h were use stamps da producy sma emora e precis ultimate datth r efo e occupatio farmhousee th f nsignificano s i t I . t that this potter earlies e Barre th y th t typn ai tno seriess ei . Comparisons have also been quoted from Galso Lewise th n i , fro Skye mth e brochsn Du , Beagn ladharDu , d acrosan t troublee sth d waterMinche th f wels o a , s a l fro nearee mth r island Colf Tireed so alln lan I ,. though ther lina s eki with Orkney picture Allasdale th , th f eo e settlement which emerges from studf yo comparable th e materia econom d maie lan th nn i typicalls yi y Hebridean.

APPENDI. XA

REPORT ON THE THREE SMALL ANNULAR BEADS. ' . PIGGOTTM . C S BYMR , F.S.A.

The history of this type of bead appears to be as follows. It was introduced int firsr oo t. England madSW n ei , t (possiblprobabl1s e th yn yi 2nd) century B.C. Large quantities occur at Meare. Carried northwards by trade or settlers into Scotland type th , e appear havo st e been mad Culbie t leasea th n i tn Sands area (where oveexample0 25 r s were found sandhillse frositth e earlme n eon i th yn )i centuries A.D. It was probably from this source that they reached such sites as Dun lardhard (Skye),1 Dun Troddon Broch (Glenelg),2 Loch Spouts Crannog,3 Aitnock Fort, Dairy (Ayrshire), Trapraid an 4 n Law, where they occur chiefln yi earlier levels.6 A date for them in the 1st or 2nd century A.D. is likely in Scotland, though how long the type persisted is uncertain. A similar type occurs in the Dark Ages, though colou glazd ran e appea slightle b o rt y different. When more work has been done on the chemical analysis of these heads, it may be possible to distinguish the early from the late beads with greater certainty. In the opinion of the writer, the Allasdale beads are characteristic of the lst-2nd century A.D., Scotland n thei s a e thed yar yHa bee. n foun southern di n Englan earlien da r date woul more db e likely. ladhardn Du , P.S.A.S., XLIX (1914-5). 7 , fig, 10 .65 ,

21 Dun Troddon, A. O. Curie, Antiquity, I, 290. 3 Munro, Ancient Scottish Lake-Dwellings, p. 178. Aitnock Fort, Dairy, P.S.A.S., LIII (1918-9), 123.

4Traprain Law, P.S.A.S., XLIX (1914-5), 139. 5 AISLED FARMHOUSE AT THE ALLASDALE, ISLE OF BARRA. 105

APPENDIX B.

REPOR BROOCN O T H PROM ALLASDALE FARM, BARRA. BY ALFRED HERBERT LTD., COVENTRY.

Copper . . 67-05 per cent. Zinc . . . 1-60 per cent. Silicon . . 1-88 ,, ,, Antimony . . 0-12 ,, ,, Tin . . . 21-32 „ „ Silver . . 0-35 „ „ Lead . . . 7-74 „ „ Nickel . . 0-08 „ „

The sampl exhaustes ewa makinn di above gth e analysis t slighbu , t traces of iron, manganese and aluminium were observed. The metal is essentially a leaded-bronze which contains an abnormal number of minor ingredients, some being present no doubt by accident. Slag Samples. Four fragments were tested; one piece selected was darker in colour, and seemed heavier tha reste nth . Copper, tin and lead were absent from all these specimens, and it was therefore concluded that they could hav relationo en slagss a , , wit manufacture hth e th f eo metal used in the brooch.