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Notice of Excavations in a Broch and Adjacent Tumuli Near Levenwick Thn I , E Paeis Dunkossnessf Ho , Zetland

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Notice of Excavations in a Broch and Adjacent Tumuli Near Levenwick Thn I , E Paeis Dunkossnessf Ho , Zetland IV. NOTICE OF EXCAVATIONS IN A BROCH AND ADJACENT TUMULI NEAR LEVENWICK THN I , E PAEIS DUNKOSSNESSF HO , ZETLAND. BY GILBERT GOUDIE, ESQ., F.S.A. SCOT. The surface of the Zetland Islands is dotted as closely as perhaps any are similaf ao r extenUnitee th n ti d Kingdom, with remain prehistorif so c times. Chiee brochs th f thes o d ftumule an ar e, f variouo i s kinds which have repeatedly been brought unde notice th r thif eo s Society. Though the brochs are very numerous, and have been the subject of much discussion, only two of them, so far as I am aware, have been systematically explored—that in the Loch of Clickirain, near Lerwick, bettee th d r an known Castl f Mousao e e M6seth , y jarbore Sagasth f o g. Within a few miles distance of the latter, on a desolate rocky sea-cliff, near Levenwick e paristh f n Dunrossnesso i h, s situatei , d another broch. Sir Eobert Sibbald, in his survey of the islands, published in 1711, mentions two broch thisin s placewordHis . s are,—" Sout southand h - west from Leven Week (a large mile distant), lie the ruins of two forts, built by the Picts, upon a rock, close by the sea." largA e area adjacen s coverei t debrisa y b brokedf o n stone f greaso t size, strew remaine th n e e actio seat irregularlth th f bu ,so f y o nb f i s ya only one distinct building can now be traced. It does not appear to have been noticed in any published account I have seen since the time of visites r Henr wa Si n Sibbald185 i dt y i yb 5s t Drydenha bu , o wh , favoured me with a copy of his sketch of the ruin as it then appeared— a mere mound—and a ground plan shewing the tower and adjacent tumuli. (Both now submitted.) His measurements, though taken under disadvantages, agree closel (se n annexee ye th ow wit y hm d woodcut). NOTICE OF EXCAVATIONS IN A BROCH NEAR LEVENWICK. 213 appearancee Th ' formerly presente thiy db s broc masthaa s f f ho wa tso building material, 10 or 12 feet in height at the highest point, the course of the main circular wall being, however, distinctly discernible, especially on norte th h side, wher portioea outside th f no e exposeds fac walle wa Th ,. as shewn at this point, is of very solid masonry, composed of large stones, of nearly uniform size, seemingly unhewn t builbu , t with great regularity, and without any trace of lime or cement. Around are remains, seeming, at first sight, to be massive circumvallations, not very clearly denned, and trace thosof s e rude buildings, partly beneat surfachthe e level, whichare commonly attached to these northern biochs. My attentio beed nha n directe thio dt s ruin many years previouslyt bu , onls ywa t durini gshora t residenc neighbourhoode th n ei summee th n ,i r of 1869, that I had an opportunity of attempting its exploration. Fortunately undertakine th , g presente seriouo dn s difficulty objecty M . , in the first place, was merely to lay open the interior of the circle, by removing the mass of fallen stones which filled it. After a few days' labour, a large portion of the debris had been removed, and about three- fourths of the interior laid bare to the foundation, bringing to light e curiouth s internal arrangement e structurth f stata o s f n almosi eo t perfect preservation, except in so far as damaged, at the moment of demolition, by the sudden fall of material, and since then by the superin- cumbent pressure. The accompanying ground plan shows the position of these internal arrangements, consistin secona f go d wal "r o l scarcement, " abou feex si t t averagen a breadthn same i n th o ef entires d o ,heighta r an , fa , o linins , g the interior of the main wall, and from it, five walls, at irregular distances apart, projecting toward lengte e centrareae sth th Th f f .he o o these walls varies from 2|4|o t -- feet, leavin a gclea r central space, from 11o 0t 2 fee n diameteri t , between their opposit e northeth facesn -O . east sid thif eo s space, thre eedgen slabo t , sse formeo tw e bacd th d an k sides of what appeared to have been a fire-place (d in plan), with remains of ashes, or of soft dust-like sand. A portion of a quern was found among the debris, and fragments of bones, but no other remains. t wilI observede b l , that while these interna e samth lf e o wall e ar s general character as in similar buildings elsewhere, they are here more regular, more systemati n n bettedesigni i c d ran , preservation than 214 I'liOCKKDING SOCIETYE TH F SO , APRIL 10, 1871. perhaps in any other broch that has been explored. The approach to uniformity, particularly in breadth, and also in apparent height, of the scarcement or inner wall, is also noteworthy. In most other brochs it is either narrower irregulaof or , r breadth intervalsAt . , betwee pronthe - jecting walls, it is pierced by openings (three in number), showing the com- mencement of well built passages (a, b, c, in plan). It was impossible Ground Plan of Broch of Levetiwick, Mainland, Shetland. e timeth traco t t ,a e these passage distancy an o t se inward t therbu , e seems little doubt that they lea o smalt d l chambers r storo , e holesd an , possibly also may communicate with other and larger chambers within the main walls wit or ,uppe hthe r galleries, which havdisappearedenow . The main wall of the tower, as already indicated, describes a circle, NOTICE OF EXCAVATIONS IN A BROCH NEAR LEVENWICK. 215 though not a perfect one. It is, as usual, a double wall, varying in combined s beenbreadthha feet6 d .1 intersectean ,,o t fro 2 a m1 y db staircase e loweth , r portion f whicho s , will probabl broughe yb ligho t t by further excavation. Some years ago, a few steps of it were discernible south-wese walle th th n f o ,o p tto side e ot thesnth bu , e havnearlw eno y disappeared. internae Th l diamete buildine th f o r g measure fees0 3 29t o (accordJt - r HenrSi in o gt y Dryden, 28J) eccentricite th , e walth lf e yo bein th n go outside, which bulges out to its greatest breadth (16 feet) on. the north- east, where it probably encloses a chamber or chambers of considerable dimensions. The highest point of the wall standing measures about 15 feet fro e foundatiomth n within. maie Th n entranc et ascertained fro ye -outsidee t mth no s t i ther bu , s ei an openin e interiore southth th o gt n , o side (1), e nea levee th th f r o l surface of the inner circular wall and projections already described. This cannot, however e originath e b , l entrance 8 fro r o m 6 without s i t i s a , feet abov e floorlevee th eth f .o l It may be a question whether or not these internal structures, above described, are of equal date with the main building. They are certainly of less solid masonry, but, on. any supposition that we can form as to their use, would imply no necessity for such massiveness as characterises the main walls. Adjacent to the broch are three or more long mounds, known by the common name of " The Giants' Graves." I had early wished to have these mounds opened, as much for the sake of the light they might possibl ye peopl throth o constructe n wh wo e e adjoininth d g tower (assumin . possibla g e connection from their juxtaposition)e th r fo s a , interest of the mounds themselves. I revisited the spot in the summer of 1870, and endeavoured to make the beginning of an excavation, com- mencing with the mound nearest to the broch towards the south-west, which was both higher and longer than its neighbour further south; we starte n openina e dnort th n ho g side, abou fee0 2 t t fro e eastermth n extremity, and finding nothing, began a similar digging on the opposite or south diggine sideTh . g shewe moune dcovereth e b o dt d with, earth to a depth of 6 OT 8 inches, underneath being, first, a bed of small stones, apparently not burnt, about a foot in depth, and second, a layer of clay, - 216TliOCEEDING. SOCIETYE TH F SO , APKI , 1871L10 . carefully prepared, about 6 inches thick. These successive layers were o soonen ra ston passef o e d walld en tha e , nth crossin e tumulusth g , appeared e eart botTh n ho . h sides being carefully removed well-buila , t wall, face botn o d h sides s exposedwa , t I measure. d about 6J feen i t lengt abouy hb t equal heigh centree th n highess ti ,it t point 1d 8 ,an inche s thicknessn i o s r . Further digging made it evident that further erections proceeded from this poin e tCairn th towarde cas f th n o e Caithnessi s e n easti th ss a , , explore r AndersonM y b dd describe an e Proceeding, th n i d f thio s s Society, vol.
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