172 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MARC , 1922H13 . I. THE BROCH OF MOUSA: A SURVEY BY H.M. OFFICE OF WORKS. B . YWILSOJ N PATERSON, M.B.E., A.R.I.B.A., F.S.A.ScoT., ARCHI- TECT IN CHARGE. e BrocTh f Mousho aShetlandn i (fig , undew 1) . e carno th rs i ,e e oth f Ancient Monuments Departmen f H.Mo t . Offic f Workso e d whilan , e certain work f repaio s r were being carrie191n i e opportunit t 9th ou d y was take mako nt completea e surve f thiyo s important monument. Sir Henry Dryden visited the broch in 1852, at which date the interio filles wa rd with accumulated debri heigha o st f abou o t feet9 t . This was excavated by Mr J. Bruce of Sumburgh in 1861; thereafter r HenrSi y Dryden revisite d completean d s planshi d . These were published, along wit hcarefua l description Archwologian i , Scotica, vol. v . Copies of these plans were taken to the site when the Office of Works survey was made, and the purport of this paper is to correct certain errors in Dryden's plans and to add additional information, obtained by mora e exhaustive excavation than that undertake Brucer M y nb . When work was commenced, it was found that the interior had again filled up to a height of about 4 feet with soil formed largely of droppings from the flocks of seabirds which now inhabit the broch. This was carefulle originath e silf o th l yl d cleareentrancan t ou d e discovered (fig. 2). A difference was noted at this point from Dryden's description, whics followsa s i h :e entranc "Th e fro e outsidcoure mth th s i to t e on the west by south (fig. 3). It is 5 feet 3 inches high by 2 feet 11 inche spassag the wideroo The of fe. slopes upwards towards the court. Ther s beeha en some mutilation abou e entranceth t therd an , e is a good deal of new work (before 1851) about the inside and outside. Midway alon e passagth g e wer e usuath e l projecting jambs, within which (eastwardw e passagno r th hole) ba s e wider ar o swa e N . visible." The " roof" of what Dryden considered the passage (fig. 4) is un- doubtedl a chamberoo the yof f r ovepassagethe r a featur, e common to other brochs, e.g. in Dun Telve, Glenelg. The floor of this chamber formed the lintel stones of the passage. The ends of some of these can still be traced, and show that the height of the passage had been 5 feet 4 inches doorwaye Th . existins a , 1852n gi , coul t therefordno e have been the original, thus accounting for Dryden not finding the bar hole, which is on the north sidet of the passage and approximately 4 feet 9 inches long. Whethe e originath r l doorwa d beeha yn heightene n earli d y 174 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MARC , 192H13 2 PLAN- AT ABOUND LEVEL -'-'FEET. Groun2 Fig. d Pla f Brocno d Outbuildingshan . INTEdlOC. Of CiECULAR_ COUG.T • a » c o O d Fig. 3. Plan and Sections of Courtyard and Entrance. Cn 6 17 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , MARC , 192213 H . SECTIO A-N• D (J 'ff 0 5 10 10 20 30 TEET SECTION • C-D & 10 SO IP________20 _50 FEET Fig. 4. Sections showing Galleries. THE BROCH OF MOUSA. 177 times, as well as in the past century, it is now difficult to say, although probably it was altered to some extent when the secondary works in the courtyard were carried out, and the floor level raised. The three large cells marked " A," " B," and " C " on plan (figs. 2 and 6) were carefully surveyed and notes compared with former plans, and here again some slight differences were noted. Dryden's original sketches are roughly to scale with figured dimen- sions whed an , n these were checked they were foune practicallb o t d y correct. The parts where 110 sizes occur, however, are in some cases t quitno e accurate havd an , e apparently been sketche. din The cells are entered by passages about 1 foot 9 inches above the hearth level, and Mr Bruce apparently did not excavate below the sill of the passage. It was found, however, that the floors of these cells were abou fee2 t inchefoo6 1 t d t respectivelsan y belo e passagewth d an , tha e wallth t s nea e grounth r d level finished with angle cornersd an s , as shown in the sections. The corners die out about 2 feet up, at which point the walls become domical. The aumbries also were not shown in their correct position. The projecting ledg n celi e l "B s interestingi " havy ma e d supan , - ported timber beams to form a floor or shelf. In addition to the three cells ther e threear e curious recesse varyinf o s g sizes entering froe mth courtyard partiall. w Thesno e year blocke e lateth ry d b addition bo st e described hereafter. Th e north-eas th entranc n e staio th s i ro et sidea (figt a .d 4)an , heigh fee5 f to t abov e heartth e h levelstaie Th re right. riseth o t s, but does not run in one continuous flight as indicated by Dryden, being broken at the second gallery level by a'landing about 3 feet 8 inches s curioui long t I o nott . s e thae windoth t w openin e east,th t ' a g immediately opposite this landing, is much wider than the other two, and thacrose th t s tiemissinge sar , which suggest doorwaya s . On the first gallery level a number of slabs at the " landing " opposite the stairs are missing (figs. 4 and 8), and there are no signs that they existed stainearethe r to thar n indicate planopeninthe The . on d g on the north-east side, like that on the second gallery level, has no cross ties, and is apparently another doorway. Two curious stones project acros e gallere nortth th s t ha y side, partially blockine th g passage. On the third, fourth, and fifth galleries there are no special features. There is, however, a considerable narrowing of the walls and galleries on e south-westh t segment, especiall uppee th t yra levels addition I . o nt the three ranges of window openings there is a range of recesses con- structe similan o d re windo lineth o t s w openings e recesseth t n bu ,i s VOL. LVI. 12 178 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 13, 1922. this case, with the exception of the second and third from the bottom, average th n througo o g e e t dabou ar walloe no hinched th 6 1 tan , s deep. This curious fact is not noted by Dryden. Whe e courtyarnth s cleareddwa e remainth , s (fig wer) 3 . e founo t d be much the same as those shown on the previous plans, which Dryden describe followss sa : " Roun e court flooe th dth f o r, attache walle th ,o dt or rather formin a benc s i r ledgg o , h it par f e o tabou foo1 t t high nea entrance rth risind ean g fee3 furtheo te t higth t ha r side. This e serveth s a d ste reaco t p entrance th h e e north staire th th n .o so t In the court and attached to the wall of the tower are rude irregular walls and benchef o e f stonesus o e ,th t whicapparentno s hi ; but they answer to the slabs which are more commonly found. They vary from 1 foot to 3 feet 9 inches in e doubtlesheightar d an , s additions circulaA . r space in the court is sunk 1 foot below the portion next the e towerth "wal f o .l This possibly was to make the chamber portiod an s n next e walth l more eth dryn I . Fig. 5. Original Entrance with later Doorway above. c(mrt {g & ^^ probably to hold water fee4 , inche3 tfee2 inche6 y t b sd abou an s fee2 t t deep; partly built and partly cut in the rock. It was at least partly covered, and part of a partition wall is over it." The wal lt bondereferreno s i d o e t towerdint e walth d oth f o an l, is irregular in height and breadth. It is impossible to say to what height it stood originally and what purpose it served. It certainly serves as a step to the entrance to the stairs, but this can hardly have been its original purpose. It also, as already stated, partially blocks the three recesses, and it appears to have completely blocked these s whefulit lt na height similaA . r inner wal s alsi l o foun n othei d r examples. Radiating from this wall Dryden shows three low stone partitions. E BROCTH F MOUSAO H . 179 CC055 • SECTION • • LONGITUDINAL • SECTION CELL-A CC033 SECTION LONGITUDINA L• SECTIO N CE.LL"- D CQ055 • SECTION IQNGITUDINA L• SECTIO N CtLL-C 10 0 10 20 30 FEET Fig. 6. Details of Cells. 180 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MARCH 13, 1922.