Excavation at the Ness of Burgi, Shetland. 381

EXCAVATION AT THE NESS OF BURGI, SHETLAND. 381 III. EXCAVATION AT THE NESS OF BURGI, SHETLAND. BY Miss CECIL L. MOWBRAY, F.S.A.ScoT. The Nes f Burg o ssmala s i i l headland situate e southerth t d a en n of the main island of Shetland, across the voe to the west of Jarlshof and Sumburgh formes Headi t I sandstonef o .d bede th , s tilten a t da Pig . Burgi1 . : Natural arch. angl formind ean inaccessibln ga e eassoutd eth an tclifn ho f siden o ; e \vesth t dipi t s less steeply e seadowth . o nt Thi s promontory forms a peninsulpar f o t f somo an acreete n extenti s , fringe y cliffd b d an s only accessible from the mainland by a natural arch of rock (fig. 1). A path has recently been made along the top of the arch, by removing some sharply protruding point f rocd o levellins kan p witu g h gravel. Previously the narrow track could only be recognised by the wear of actuae centurie th rocke d th l n an ,traversin o s t presentei f o g d sucn ha element of hazard that obviously no large animal could ever have been driven acros . it sAbov e this natural barrier a narro t a , we th par f o t 382 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , APRI , 193613 L . peninsula, the remains of a low rampart extend from cliff to cliff. Beyond thi a grass-coveres d plateau stretche w a distanc fe r a fo s f o e hundred yards unti fortificatioe th l reacheds ni . Immediatel "Burgi,e fronn yth i f o t rampart"a , with corresponding ditch on either side, is carried across the narrow junction of the headland. The rampart is formed of earth and stones, and appears to have been revette e inneth n r o dsid e wit hroughla y built wall abou fee3 t t high, banked wit ha compacte d mas f clao s y intermingled with stones. Skat Pig . Burgi2 . : Approach. A passage leads throug ramparte hth , flanke s commencemenit t a d y b t two boulders and lined with stones on each side for a distance of about 8 feet (fig. 2). On the scarp of the inner ditch the natural rock rises steeply to a height of about 12 feet, and on the summit of this is built e fort r th "Burgi.o , " This consist a rectangula f o s r building wita h roughly levelled platform in front, 4 feet wide, running approximately north-east and south-west. It is in a ruinous condition at the south- west end and its original length cannot be ascertained. At present it is about 74 feet in length and from 21 feet to 18 feet in breadth. A passage, which still retains the three outer lintel stones in position, and which measures 4 feet in height and 3^ feet in width for the first EXCAVATION AT THE NESS OF BURGI, SHETLAND. 383 5 feett decreasebu , e remainin th widtn i s feer 4 fo o th t feet 6 g1 , leads throug e buildinghth , nea s centreit r , int osora naturaf o t l courtyard, about 20 yards square, formed by the cliffs which surround a level stretch of turf. Outside the entrance three slabs of stone resembled drain covers. They were, however, more probably paving-stones r eveo , n lintels fallen from above. Some 5 feet from the entrance there had been a door, evidenced by a doorstep, formed by a narrow upright slab, bar-holeso tw y b e sided ,stil on passinn situ,an i ,l n o g througe hth Fig . Burgi3 . : Doorway. thickness of the walls into a chamber on either side. There were no traces of either bar-holes or doorstops at the exit. Some of the lintels which had evidently covered the passage were lying within it, tilted up against the side. The earth in the passage was very damp, and there was much decayed vegetable and animal matter mixed up with it, as well as many bones, including those of rabbits, sheep, oxen, seal, and fish, wels a limpets a l somd san e whale's remains. Ther alss oefragmena wa t of a sandstone vessel, half an inch in thickness and about 11 inches in diameter. There are two main chambers; the east chamber opening off the centra] passage, and the west chamber entered directly from the back e buildingoth f e narroTh . w tunnel-like e easentrth t o t ychamber , 384 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, APRIL 13, 1936. 6 feet long fee2 , t wide 2,\d an ,fee heightn i t covered an , fouy db r lintels, opens off the passage immediately behind the front doorway. The room is 18 feet long, but only 7 feet wide. The end is curved, and the walls, now standin heigha o gt f abouo t feet 6 tslightle ar , y corbelled towards the top (fig. 4). It seems probable that they would' have sloped gradually inwards until they were close enough to be spanned by lintels, a number of which were found lying within the room. In this chamber were found many fragments of bone, chiefl f sheepo w y fe a , Pig . Burgi4 . : East chamber. small piece f burnso t bone numbea , f fragmento r f potteryo s somd an , e burnt peat. The west chamber is larger, about 18 feet by 10 feet, and is rather curiously shaped e wallth , s adjoinine e frone passagth th th gf o td ean building being straight, whil e othea curvee o joith e n tw Th i nr . entrance, from the back of the building, is placed 6 feet from the inner end of the entrance passage, 2 feet wide, just over 2 feet high, and 4 feet coveres i long t I threy . db e lintels abovd an , e thes walle eth eithen so r side rise for another 18 inches as if to support a further set of lintels, thus affording spaca window r s occasionallfo ei s a , y foun n brochsi d . Two hearths were foun thin i d s room, indicatin periodo gtw f occupaso - tion. They were both rectangular slab f abouo s e samth t e size, much EXCAVATIO E NES F BURGITH O ST NA , SHETLAND5 38 . marke splid heay coveredd an b t an t d with peat ash. Theye werth t ea curve de chambera leve th sidt a inchef 6 l o ee on s, abov e otherth e , but immediately over it. Possibly there was some outlet for smoke in the roof at this spot. At the occupation levels in this room the soil was dar peatd kfillean d yan d wit hmasa f boneso f mano s y kindsd an , with limpets. There were also a larger number of fragments of pottery than had been found in the east chamber. At the entrance, at the lower occupation level, were a number of cobble-stones set on end. Beyond this chamber, farther to the west, are remains of another smaller chamber, but so much of it has been destroyed by the storms of centuries thadetail w s constructioit fe t f o s n now survive therd an , e is no indication of a doorway. e materiaTh l use r buildindfo s unhewgi n block f sandstoneo s , some of the s mlarg a fee4 s eta square. The havy yma e been brought from a rocky promontory only a few hundred yards away. The walls are roughly buil vard an tthicknesn y i feet0 s1 fro.o t m4 The erectee yar d directly on the natural rock. There is no trace of a stairway, and from the amount of stone on the site it does not seem probable that there was a second storeys remarkabli t I . e that, thoug e buildino hth s s gwa strongly protected in front by the ditches and rampart, and the main entrance was furnished with bar-holes, the inner ditch, which extended on the western side right to the edge of the cliff, terminated at the eastern end about 10 feet from the edge on the other side. As it stands, there is nothing to prevent easy access to the undefended doorways at the back. If there was, as presumably there must have been, a flanking wall at this side, it was not bonded into the building. The only trace of suc a hwala singl s i l e stone, sunk vertically inte grounoth d an d juttint righa t buildinge tgth ou angle f o d .s en fro Possible mth e yth wall f suci , h existedf lighteo s rwa , construction s sincha ed beean , n washed away. The " Burgi," which gives its name to the headland, is of a type which appear e peculiab o t s o Shetlandt r . Fro e occurrencmth n outa f -o e building, or forework of cognate construction, at the broch of Clickamin, it may be considered to belong to the period of the brochs. A similar constructio s beeha n ne Royath note y lb d Commissio n Ancieno n t Monument e Locn islana th f Huxter n ho n di o s , Whalsay e typTh e. will be described by the Commission, whose inventory dealing with Orkne Shetland yan d will shortl publishede yb . [POTTERY. 5 2 VOL. LXX. 386 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , APRI , 193613 L .

Load more