Excavations at Iona Abbey 2017 Data Structure Report Ewan Campbell & Cathy MacIver Excavations at Iona Abbey 2017 Data Structure Report National Grid Reference (NGR): NM 28670 24517 (centred) Scheduled Ancient Monument No. 12968 Canmore No. 21664 OASIS No. universi22-291744 Prepared by: Dr Ewan Campbell Cathy MacIver Illustrations by: C. MacIver, L. McEwen Date of Fieldwork: 13/05/2017-03/06/2017 Date of Report: 25/8/2017 Iona Abbey 2017 DSR Contents Page ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................................... 6 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................... 7 1.1 PROJECT BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................................. 7 1.2 SITE LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................................................... 7 1.3 ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ......................................................................................................... 9 2 METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................................................. 9 2.1 PERSONNEL: ........................................................................................................................................................... 9 2.2 EXCAVATION ........................................................................................................................................................... 9 2.3 SAMPLING ............................................................................................................................................................ 10 2.4 OBJECTIVES .......................................................................................................................................................... 10 3 EXCAVATION RESULTS .......................................................................................................................................11 3.1 SITE A (SITE CODE HY17A) ..................................................................................................................................... 11 Inner bank ................................................................................................................................................................. 18 Ditch .......................................................................................................................................................................... 21 Outer bank ................................................................................................................................................................ 22 Sampling ................................................................................................................................................................... 22 Discussion ................................................................................................................................................................. 24 3.2 SITE B (SITE CODE HY17B) ...................................................................................................................................... 26 Trench 2a .................................................................................................................................................................. 26 Trench2b ................................................................................................................................................................... 32 Trench 2d .................................................................................................................................................................. 36 Trench 2c ................................................................................................................................................................... 38 Synthesis and phasing ............................................................................................................................................... 39 Finds .......................................................................................................................................................................... 42 Discussion ................................................................................................................................................................. 43 3.3 SITE C (SITE CODE HY17C)...................................................................................................................................... 45 Trenches 3a and 3b ................................................................................................................................................... 45 Discussion ................................................................................................................................................................. 49 4 CONCLUSIONS ....................................................................................................................................................51 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..............................................................................................................................................53 REFERENCES ..............................................................................................................................................................54 APPENDIX 1: LIST OF CONTEXTS ................................................................................................................................57 SITE A ............................................................................................................................................................................. 57 SITE B ............................................................................................................................................................................. 61 SITE C.............................................................................................................................................................................. 66 APPENDIX 2: LIST OF SAMPLES ..................................................................................................................................67 SITE A ............................................................................................................................................................................. 67 3 Iona Abbey 2017 DSR SITE B ............................................................................................................................................................................. 69 SITE C.............................................................................................................................................................................. 70 APPENDIX 3: LIST OF FINDS........................................................................................................................................71 SITE A ............................................................................................................................................................................. 71 SITE B ............................................................................................................................................................................. 72 SITE C.............................................................................................................................................................................. 74 APPENDIX 4: LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS ........................................................................................................................75 SITE A ............................................................................................................................................................................. 75 SITE B ............................................................................................................................................................................. 81 SITE C.............................................................................................................................................................................. 88 APPENDIX 5: LIST OF DRAWINGS ...............................................................................................................................90 SITE A ............................................................................................................................................................................. 90 SITE B ............................................................................................................................................................................. 90 SITE C.............................................................................................................................................................................. 92 APPENDIX 6: RESULTS OF WET SEIVING .....................................................................................................................93 4 Iona Abbey 2017 DSR List of illustrations Illus 1 Location of site on Iona Illus 2: Illus 2: Location of excavation