Uamh an Ard Achadh (High Pasture Cave) & Environs Project, Strath, Isle of Skye 2005 (NGR NG 5943 1971) The Preliminary Assessment and Analysis of Late Prehistoric Cultural Deposits from a Limestone Cave and Associated Surface Features Data Structure Report - HPC002 West Coast Archaeological Services Archaeological & Ancient Landscape Survey Broadford Environmental Group West Coast Archaeological Services Archaeological and Ancient Landscape Survey Broadford Environmental Group May 2006 Grant aided by: Historic Scotland The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Highland Council Dualchas (Skye & Lochalsh Museums Service) Western Isles, Skye & Lochalsh LEADER+ Highland 2007 Fund Uamh an Ard Achadh (High Pasture Cave) Strath, Isle of Skye 2005 (NGR NG 5943 1971) The Preliminary Assessment and Analysis of Late Prehistoric Cultural Deposits from a Limestone Cave and Associated Surface Features Data Structure Report - HPC002 Authors: S Birch M Wildgoose G Kozikowski Contributors: Fraser Hunter National Museums of Scotland Dawn MacLaren National Museums of Scotland Carrie Drew University of Durham Ruby Ceron-Carrasco University of Edinburgh Laura Sinfield University of Edinburgh Sandra Pratt University of Edinburgh Ann MacSween Ceramics Mike Cressey CFA Archaeology Ltd Marion O’Neill Illustrations Frederic Van de Walle AOC Archaeology Conservation Department West Coast Archaeological Services Sealladh Alainn 4 Upper Breakish Isle of Skye IV42 8PY Tel: 01471 822124 Email: [email protected] 1 Contents Page 2 List of Figures 5 List of Plates 6 List of Tables 7 1. Summary 8 2. Introduction 2.1 General 12 2.2 Background 12 2.3 Objectives 13 2.4 Layout of this Report 16 2.5 Discovery and Excavation in Scotland 16 2.6 Wider Publication 16 2.7 Archiving and Finds Disposal 18 2.8 Acknowledgements 18 3. Methods 19 3.1 General 19 3.2 Assessment of Desk-Based Sources 19 3.3 Field Survey 19 3.4 Excavation and Sample Processing 21 3.5 Archaeological Data Analysis 22 4. Excavation Results 23 4.1 Introduction 23 4.2 Methods 23 4.3 Results 25 4.3.1 Trench 2 25 4.3.2 Trench 3 33 4.3.3 Trench 2 Extension 33 4.3.4 Trench 4 39 4.3.5 Trench 5 39 4.3.6 Trench 6 41 4.4 Discussion 44 2 5. Small Finds Assessment 46 5.1 General 46 5.2 High Pasture Cave: Assessment Report on Small Finds 46 5.3 Pottery Analysis 55 5.4 Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metalworking 57 5.5 Fire-Cracked Stone 57 6. Environmental Analysis 58 6.1 General 58 6.2 Analysis of Ecofacts 58 7. Palaeoenvironmental Assessment of the Ecofacts 58 7.1 Preliminary Charcoal Assessment 58 7.2 Analysis of the Fish Remains 62 7.3 Analysis of the Marine Mollusc Remains 63 7.4 Preliminary Analysis of the Animal Bone 64 7.5 Preliminary Analysis of Charred Plant Remains 101 7.6 Preliminary Analysis of Pollen Samples (Pilot Study) 102 7.7 Preliminary Analysis of Speleothem Isotopes 108 8. Preliminary Analysis of Human Remains 109 9. Discussion 115 10. Recommendations for Further Work 120 10.1 Introduction 120 10.2 Cave Morphology Survey 120 10.3 Field Survey 120 10.4 Excavation 120 10.5 Programme of Post-Excavation Analysis 121 10.6 Publication and Dissemination of Information 122 11. References 124 3 Appendix 1: Context Lists 132 Appendix 2: List of Features 143 Appendix 3: Digital Images Register 149 Appendix 4: Field Drawing Register 173 Appendix 5: Finds Register 177 Appendix 6: Samples Register 193 Appendix 7: Catalogue and Spreadsheet Catalogue of Pottery 204 Appendix 8: Sampled Charcoal Assemblage in Species Order 212 Appendix 9a: Catalogue of Analysed Fish Remains 216 Appendix 9b: Fish Species per Trench by NISP 217 Appendix 9c: Catalogue of Analysed Marine Molluscan Remains 218 Appendix 10: Small Finds Conservation Report 219 Appendix 11: Pollen Counts and Plant Species Table 228 Appendix 12: Names and Addresses of Contributors 229 4 List of Figures 1 - Location maps for High Pasture Cave 11 2 - General plan of site (core area) 14 3 - Ground Penetrating Radar Results – December 2004 20 4 - Core structures, trench and section plan 24 5 - Simplified drawing of north-facing section (Section 1) of Trench 2 29 6 - South-facing section (Section 2) of Trench 2 30 7 - Human burial in Trench 2 (plan and section) 38 8 - Plan of Trench 5 showing features F502, F503 and F209 41 9 - Drawn plan and sections in Bone Passage showing location of Trenches 1 and 6 43 10 - Illustrations of selected artefacts of stone, antler and bone 53 11 - Diagram reflecting the MNI of Zone 3 pigs by element, illustrating the MNI calculated for different sides 73 12 - Diagram illustrating the overall MNI of Zone 3 Pigs by element 73 13 - Season of Death diagram, as determined by ageing of mandibles for Zone 3 pigs, following design of Rowley-Conwy (2001:135) 75 14 - Diagram illustrating the remains of a perinatal pig from Zone 3 76 15 - Comparison of the average tooth measurements of the High Pasture Cave Zone 3 pigs to two other samples 77 16 - Elements of the Zone 2 cow present 79 17 - Elements of the Zone 5 cow present 82 18 - Graph illustrating the relationship between identifiable and burnt bone fragments in Trench 1 86 19 - Animal bone: The distribution of species within contexts in High Pasture Cave 87 20 - Diagram illustrating the points of disarticulation on the Zone 3 pigs as identified from working 91 21 - Diagram of the points of dismemberment of the Zone 2 cow, determined from the working 95 22 - Diagram illustrating the points of disarticulation on the Zone 5 cow 98 23 - Plan of features within Trenches 2 and 3 contemporary with the closure of the stairwell 116 ** - A3 foldout sheet of Trench 2 sections at end of report 230 5 List of Plates 1 - View looking northeast over Trench 2 9 2 - Visitors to the High Pasture Cave Open Days in October 2005 17 3 - Activities at the High Pasture Cave Open Days in 2005 17 4 - Activities at Pasture Cave Open Days in 2005 17 5 - Location of Trench 2 within the U-shaped enclosure 27 6 - Excavations in Trench 2 (C203) showing organic-rich deposits 27 7 - Looking west over Trench 2 showing outline of pit-feature revealed by geophysical survey in 2004 28 8 - Slumped hearth setting of granite slabs (F207) in Trench 2 28 9 - North-facing section of Trench 2 showing deep archaeological deposits 29 10 - Pit feature F204 in Trench 2 30 11 - East-facing section of Trench 2 with stone steps to right 31 12 - Stone steps (F224) in Trench 2 31 13 - Hearth feature F210 in Trench 2 31 14 - Trench 2: features cut into the natural karstic clay (F220 and F221) and revetment wall F209 32 15 - Trench 3 from the east after removal of turf and initial cleaning 34 16 - Roundhouse entrance exposed in Trench 3 and post-hole F302 34 17 - Excavation of superimposed hearth settings in the Trench 2 extension 37 18 - Trench 2 from the west, with the Trench 5 extension marked by poles 40 19 - Trench 5 from the south west showing features F501, F502 and F209 40 20 - Martin Wildgoose excavating in Trench 6, Bone Passage 42 21 - Stone-built entrance to Bone Passage, at the end of excavations in 2005 45 22 - A selection of small finds recovered during the 2005 excavations 48 23 - Quern stone fragments recovered from the High Pasture Cave site 49 24 - Small finds manufactured from red deer antler 52 25 - Vitrified stone crucible from Trench 2 – context C208 54 26 - Refitting sherds of prehistoric pottery from Trench 6, Bone Passage 56 27 - Decorated pottery sherd from Trench 6, Bone Passage 56 28 - Zone 3 pig femur illustrating typical preservation and completeness 71 29 - Zone 3 Pig mandible with misaligned tooth 78 30 - The reconstructed Cow spine from Zone 2 (scale=30cm) 80 31 - Zone 5 cow Humerus proximal end illustrating its complete fusion 82 32 - Zone 3 Femur showing a typical cut mark from High Pasture Cave 88 33 - The Zone 5 cow pelvis, showing a close-up of a deep chop mark 88 34 - Typical Zone 3 pig femurs - no evidence of smashing for marrow 89 35 - Bone fragments which refit to make Zone 2 cow Left Femur, emphasising how fragmented the long bones are in this deposit 93 36 - Refit of Radius and Ulna from Zone 2 Cow, showing the typical fragmentation of its elements 93 37 - Left Humerus of Zone 2 cow exhibiting smashing for marrow extraction 94 38 - The left side of the cow’s crania was segmented from the right half 95 39 - Humerus proximal end showing evidence of being smashed to access marrow 97 40 - Images showing the adult female burial after exposure from overlying deposits (scale = 0.25m) 109 41 - Analysis of the adult female skeletal material and reconstruction of the 6 cranial elements 112 42 - Bone deposits relating to the infant and foetus, mixed with the remains of a foetal pig (scale = 0.25m) 113 43 - Possible Iron Age graffiti on a saddle-type quern stone, recovered from Trench 3 119 List of Tables 1 - Summary of small finds assemblage 46 2 - Objects requiring conservation 51 3 - Charcoal analysis: List of species, number of identifications and weight from the sampled assemblage 60 4 - Contexts in which worked charcoal is present 60 5 - Charcoal Analysis: Total species identified at High Pasture Cave and their general requirements 61 6 - Table displaying the Pig MNI, calculated for each element – Zone 3 72 7 - Table detailing the ages of the Zone 3 pig mandibles 74 8 - Table quantifying the animal bone fragments in the Trench 1 excavation 85 9 - The difference between Context 001 and Trench 1 animal bone deposits 86 10 - Summary and explanations of the cutmark types identified on the bones, using Binford (1981) terminology 90 11 - The number of pieces Zone 2 long-bone elements fragmented 93 12 - Cutmarks present on the Zone 2 cow elements, using Binford (1981) terminology and their interpretation 94 13 - Division of major bones of the Zone 5 cow 96 14 - Table detailing the cutmarks identified on the Zone 5 cow, using Binford (1981) terminology 97 7 SUMMARY 1.1 Background 1.1.1 This report presents the results of field survey, excavation and preliminary analysis undertaken at Uamh an Ard Achadh (High Pasture Cave), in the Parish of Strath, Isle of Skye (NGR NG 5943 1971), carried out between March 2005 and March 2006 by West Coast Archaeological Services and Archaeological & Ancient Landscape Survey.