The archive version of the text can be obtained from the project archive on the Archaeology Data Service (ADS) website, after agreeing to their terms and conditions: ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?sfs_ba_2007 > Downloads > Documents > Final Reports. From here you can download the file ‘MacSween,_Sand_Pottery.pdf’.
This report presents the pottery finds from Sand. Because of the small amounts, it is presented as a catalogue. The more substantial sherds are recorded in full and small fragments and crumbs are listed. All of the sherds were small or abraded and had no diagnostic attributes. As has been commented on in various papers (for example Lane 1990; Campbell 2002; MacSween 2002) fabric has yet to be proved a reliable indicator of date. As can be seen from the catalogue below most of the pottery comes from high spits and topsoil contexts. As such it does not relate to the Mesolithic use of the site. It is not surprising to find that small fragments of more recent material would percolate through the loose matrix of a shell midden such as Sand.
NB: P numbers relate the catalogue entries back to the individual bags. For crumbs weighing less than 2g, no weight is recorded.
3.7.1 Surface, Molehill
P27 Three fragments from different vessels. Fine sandy clay with c10% of rock fragments which has fired hard and is grey with a brown exterior. Th 8mm.
3.7.2 TP7, Spit 3
P26 Abraded sherd. The fabric is sandy clay with c10% of rock fragments up to 5mm long which has fired soft and is grey with a brown interior margin. Th 6mm; Wt 4g.
3.7.3 B4B SE, Spit 6, Context 7/8
P21 Small abraded sherd. The fabric is fine sandy clay with occasional rock fragments which has fired hard and is grey with buff margins. Th 6mm; Wt 2g.
3.7.4 Sand, coarse pottery from sorting
No weight = total weight less that 1g.
| Table: Section 3.7.4 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P39 | A1B NE | Spit 2, Context 1/2 | 1 sherd | fine sandy | 5g |
| P40 | A2B SE | Spit 3, Context 29 | 1 frag | sandy | 5mm |
| P41 | A2B SW | Spit 4, Context 28 | 3 crumbs | fine sandy | |
| P75 | A2B NW | Spit 5, Context 28 | 2 crumbs | fine sandy | |
| P119 | A2B SE | Spit 5, Context 29 | 1 crumb | fine sandy | |
| P120 | A2B SW | Spit 6, Context 27 | 2 crumbs | fine sandy, occ rock | 2g (possible rim frag) |
| P42 | A3B NE | Spit 4, Context 17 | 1 frag | sandy | |
| P43 | A3B NW | Spit 2, Context 29 | 1 frag | sandy, voids | |
| P118 | A3B NW | Spit 6, Context 17 | 2 crumbs | fine sandy, organics | |
| P44 | A6B | Spit 1, Context 1 | 1 frag | fine sandy | 6mm |
| P45 | B1A | Spit 2, Context 1/2 | 3 crumbs | fine sandy clay | |
| P46 | B1A | Spit 2, Context 1/2 | 2 crumbs | sandy | 3g |
| P115 | B1A | Spit 2, Context 1/2 | 1 crumb | sandy, occ rock | |
| P77 | B1A | Spit 2, Context 1/2 | 1 sherd | sandy | 5mm; 3g |
| P47 | B1A | Spit 3, Context 13 | 2 frags | fine sandy/sandy | |
| P48 | B1B NE | Spit 4, Context 24 | 2 crumbs | fine sandy | |
| P49 | B1B SE | Spit 1, Context 1/2 | 1 sherd | fine sandy | 6mm; 4g |
| P50 | B1B | Spit 2, Context 1/2 | 2 frags | sandy | 7mm; 3g |
| P51 | B1B NW | Spit 3, Context 1/2 | 1 frag | fine sandy, voids | |
| P52 | B2 | Spit 2, Context 1/2 | 1 crumb | fine sandy clay | |
| P53 | B2B | Spit 2, Context 1/2 | 1 body | sandy | 7mm; 2g |
| P54 | B2B | Spit 3, Context 1/2 | 2 sherds | sandy | 7mm; 3g |
| P55 | B2B | Spit 3, Context 1/2 | 1 frag | fine sandy | 7mm |
| P56 | B2B NW | Spit 4, Context 13/24 | 1 frag | sandy | |
| P78 | B3B | Spit 2, Context 1 | 2 frags | sandy | 6mm; 3g |
| P57 | B3B SW | Spit 3, Context 1 | 1 crumb | fine sandy | |
| P113 | B3B SE | Spit 3, Context 1 | 1 crumb | sandy | |
| P114 | B4B NW | Spit 2, Context 1 | 1 crumb | sandy | |
| P58 | B4B NE | Spit 7, Context 7/8 | 1 frag | fine sandy, occ rock, organics | |
| P59 | B4B SE | Spit 7, Context 7/8 | 1 frag | fine clay | 8mm |
| P60 | B4B SW | Spit 2, Context 1 | 1 frag | sandy | |
| P61 | B4B SW | Spit 5, Context 1/2 | 1 crumb | fine sandy | |
| P76 | B4B SE | Spit 3, Context 1 | 1 crumb | fine sandy | |
| P62 | B5B NW | 1 crumb | sandy | ||
| P63 | B5B NE | Spit 2, Context 1 | 1 frag | sandy, occasional large quartz | |
| P64 | B5B SE | Spit 4, Context 1/2 | 1 crumb | sandy clay | |
| P65 | B5B SE | Spit 6, Context 7/8 | 2 sherds | fine sandy, voids | 6g |
| Context 7/8 | 2 frags | fine sandy, voids | |||
| Context 7/8 | 2 crumbs | fine sandy, voids | |||
| P66 | B6B SW | Spit 4, Context 1 | 1 crumb | fine sandy, occ rock, voids | |
| P67 | B6B SE | Spit 5, Context 1 | 1 crumb | fine | |
| P68 | B6B SE | Spit 6, Context 7/8 | 1 frag | sandy, voids | |
| P69 | B20B | Spit 1, Context 1 | 1 frag | fine, sandy | 7mm |
| Context 1 | 1 crumb | fine, sandy | |||
| P70 | B24B | Spit 2, Context 12 | 1 crumb | fine sandy clay | |
| P117 | B24B | Spit 2, Context 12 | 2 crumbs | sandy, occ rock | 2g |
| P112 | B25 | Spit 2, Context 1 | 1 crumb | sandy | |
| P71 | B25A | Spit 2, Context 1 | 1 frag | fine sandy clay | 6mm |
| P72 | B25A | Spit 3, Context 1 | 1 crumb | fine sandy clay | |
| P73 | B25B SE | Spit 4, Context 1 | 1 frag | fine sandy | |
| P74 | B24B SW | Spit 3, Context 13 | 1 tiny crumb | sandy | |
| P116 | B25B | Spit 2, Context 1 | 1 crumb | sandy | |
Sand, coarse pottery from sorting (all very abraded)
NB: finds from squares Area B1–B24/25 were affected by a recording error on site that makes their location uncertain
3.7.5 Sand, glazed pottery
| Table: Section 3.7.5 | ||
|---|---|---|
| P91 | SFS 4, Sand 1, Spit 1 | 1 piece glazed pottery |
| P92 | SFS 4, Sand 1, TP11 Spit 2 | 1 piece glazed pottery |
| P93 | SFS 4, Sand 1, B17A, Turf; | 1 sherd |
Sand, glazed pottery