SAIR 13:Excavation of a Bronze Age Kerbed Cairn at Olcote, Breasclete, Near Calanais, Isle of Lewis

by Tim Neighbour

with contributions by S Carter, M Church, M Johnson, K MacSweeney, P Milburn & G Warren

ISBN 0-903903-81-4

Published in March 2005 by The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, in association with The Council for British Archaeology and Historic Scotland, in Adobe Acrobat format. Available free of charge (see Terms & Conditions of Use).

Report Summary

An archaeological excavation was carried out by the Centre for Field Archaeology (CFA) from October to December 1995 of a Bronze Age kerbed cairn at Olcote, Breasclete, Isle of Lewis (NGR: NB 2180 3475). The cairn was discovered by CFA during an evaluation of a dense scatter of worked and unworked quartz made by local archaeologists, Margaret and Ron Curtis. The remains lay in the path of the improvement of the single track road through Breasclete. A range of archaeological features and deposits was identified and recorded within the excavation trench. These fell into three groups on stratigraphic grounds: pre-cairn features, including pits, spade or cultivation marks and a buried ground surface; the cairn itself, including inner and outer kerbs, burnt peat deposits, a central cist and other features; and modern deposits which cut the cairn, including post-holes and field drains. Excavation and post-excavation were wholly funded by Historic Scotland.

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	Title Page
	Table of content
	List of Illustrations
	List of Tables
1	Summary
2	Introduction	T Neighbour
	2.1 General
	2.2 Circumstances of discovery
3	The excavation	T Neighbour
	3.1 Methodology
	3.1.1 Excavation
	3.1.2 Research goals
	3.2 Test pits
	3.3 Excavation summary
	3.4 Phase 1: Features beneath the cairn
	3.5 Phase 2: Cultivation marks and preparation of the ground
	3.6 Phase 3: The kerbed cairn
	3.6.1 Structural morphology
	3.6.2 The body of the cairn
	3.6.3 Pits cut into the body of the cairn
	3.6.4 Possible satellite burial
	3.7 Phase 4: Post-cairn features
	3.8 Unphased: Irregular depressions
4	Radiocarbon dates	T Neighbour
5	Cremation report	K McSweeney
	5.1 Introduction and methodology
	5.2 Description of the remains
	5.2.1 Skull
	5.2.2 Mandible
	5.2.3 Dentition
	5.2.4 Ribs
	5.2.5 Innominate
	5.2.6 Humerous
	5.2.7 Radius/ulna
	5.2.8 Femur
	5.2.9 Tibia
	5.2.10 General longbone
	5.2.11 Hands
	5.2.12 Hands/feet
	5.3 Condition of the remains
	5.4 Completeness of the remains
	5.5 Number of individuals and age at death
	5.6 Sex and pathology
	5.7 Cremation technology and burial practice
	5.8 Summary
6	The pottery	M Johnson
	6.1 Introduction
	6.2 Methodology
	6.2.1 Fabric types
	6.3 Re-deposited Neolithic and Beaker sherds
	6.4 Grids and test pits
	6.5 Bronze Age pottery
	6.5.1 The urn
	6.5.2 Undecorated pottery
	6.6 Discussion
7	Chipped stone	G Warren
	7.1 Introduction
	7.2 Methodology
	7.3 Raw materials
	7.4 Composition of the assemblage
	7.5 The quartz
	7.5.1 Cores and split pebbles
	7.5.2 Removals
	7.5.3 Discussion
	7.6 The flint
	7.7 Other materials
	7.8 Retouched materials
	7.9 Location of finds
	7.9.1 Smalls
	7.9.2 Larger artefacts
	7.9.3 Discussion
	7.10 The assemblage in context
	7.11 Conclusions
8	Sedimentary analysis of soil samples	M Church
	8.1 Introduction
	8.2 Research basis
	8.3 Methodology
	8.3.1 On-site sampling
	8.3.2 Laboratory methodology
	8.4 Results and discussion
	8.4.1 Site preservation systems
	8.4.2 Site formation processes
	8.4.3 Carbonized plant macrofossil taphonomy
	8.5 Conclusions
9	Carbonized plant macrofossils	M Church
	9.1 Introduction
	9.2 Research basis
	9.3 Methodology
	9.3.1 On-site sampling
	9.3.2 Bulk sample processing
	9.4 Results
	9.4.1 General
	9.4.2 Macrofossil preservation
	9.4.3 Summary of the results
10	Analysis of Thin Sections from Ash Deposits Within the Cairn	S Carter
	10.1 Introduction
	10.2 Methodology
	10.3 Results
	10.4 Discussion
	10.4.1 Composition and source of the ash layers
	10.4.2 Composition and source of the humidified organic bands
	10.4.3 Formation of layers 1-5
	10.5 Archaeological interpretations
11	Palynological analyses	P Milburn
	11.1 Introduction
	11.2 Methodology
	11.2.1 Pollen preparation and counts
	11.3 Results
	11.4 Discussion
12	General discussion	T Neighbour
	12.1 Possible Neolithic activity (Phase 1)
	12.2 Bronze Age activity (Phases 2 and 3)
	12.2.1 The cairn
	12.2.2 Preparing the ground
	12.2.3 Construction of the cairn
	12.2.4 Who was buried at Olcote?
13	Conclusion	T Neighbour
14	Acknowledgements
15	References
16	Archive Catalogue of Pottery
	16.1 Cremation urn
	16.2 Decorated sherds
	16.3 Bronze Age pottery
	16.4 Grids
	16.5 Test pits