Iron Age building, Port an t-Saoir
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Summary
FEALL BAY (TRAIGH A TUATH), COLL
NM 144544. Large sandhills settlement exposed by erosion.
Several structures outlined by large stones. Numerous shells and bones. Finds include quartzite hammerstones and flakes accidentally struck off from hammerstones in use; very many pieces of iron slag; flint cores and flakes (none showing any secondary trimming) and flint beach pebbles; large fragments of garnetiferous mica-schist almost certainly from a rotary quern; and many sherds. E. W. MacKie of the Hunterian Museum, Glasgow, reports on the sherds as follows: ‘A selection of hard-fired, grey and buff sherds of standard Iron Age type. Only one has diagnostic features, a rim sherd of hard, light grey clay mixed with white sand and one large piece of shell (?). Its flat, thickened ‘ hammerhead ‘ rim with punctuated design on the fiat surface is similar to some of the Iron Age A carinated pots from the second pre-broch village at Jarlshof, Shetland and to a few scattered examples from the Hebrides. The Coll sherd has a neck below the flat rim which is descending at an outward angle and beginning to curve out further, just as if it was approaching the carinated shoulder found on the Iron Age A vessels mentioned. This rim sherd clearly dates from a considerable time before the broch period, perhaps to the 5th or 4th centuries B.C. Parallels in J. R. C. Hamilton, Excavations at Jarlshof, Shetland (1956) H.M.S.O. Chap. 111. Larger hammerstones, schist fragments and most of iron slag left, rest deposited in Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow.
SHELLS AT FEALL BAY SITE
Patella Vulgata, L. (Common Limpet) and Littoria Littorea (L.) (Periwinkle) predominate. The following other species were found sparingly, some only in a fragmentary state : Paetina pellucida (L.) (Blue-rayed Limpet); Neritoides littoralis (L.) (Dwarf Winkle); Buccinum undatum, (L.) (Common Whelk); Nucella Lapillus (L.) (Dog Winkle or Purple:); Cyprina Islandica (L.); Venus Casina (L); Spisula Solida (L) (Thick Trough-Shell); Ensis Siliqua (L.) (Razor Shell); Cardium Edule (L) (Common Cockle) and Glycymeris Glycyimeris (L.) (Dog Cockle or Comb Shell).
Discovery and Excavation in Scotland 1968, p. 7–8
SANDHILL SITES J Davies
Correction to Discovery and Excavation, 1968, p.7.
NM 144544. Feall Bay (Bagh A Tuath) should read Port Aoir, NM 148550. The bay is not named on the 1″ OS map, but it is called (wrongly) Port an t-Soair on an old 6″ OS map. This may be the site referred to very briefly in Erskine Beveridge’s Coll and Tiree (1903) as a small sandbreak with a kitchen midden and some pottery ” immediately to the east of Ben Foill (sic) above Port an t-Soair ” (sic). If so it is considerably larger now. Some 60 more sherds were picked up. two of them decorated with a punctuated design and incised lines respectively. Besides more iron-slag, quartzite hammer-stones, flint flakes and beach pebbles, a flint scraper was found and a quartzite disc, c. 10cm in diameter, trimmed round the circumference, flat on one face and convex on the other.
Discovery and Excavation in Scotland 1971, p. 5
NM 144544. Large sandhills settlement exposed by erosion.
Several structures outlined by large stones. Numerous shells and bones. Finds include quartzite hammerstones and flakes accidentally struck off from hammerstones in use; very many pieces of iron slag; flint cores and flakes (none showing any secondary trimming) and flint beach pebbles; large fragments of garnetiferous mica-schist almost certainly from a rotary quern; and many sherds. E. W. MacKie of the Hunterian Museum, Glasgow, reports on the sherds as follows: ‘A selection of hard-fired, grey and buff sherds of standard Iron Age type. Only one has diagnostic features, a rim sherd of hard, light grey clay mixed with white sand and one large piece of shell (?). Its flat, thickened ‘ hammerhead ‘ rim with punctuated design on the fiat surface is similar to some of the Iron Age A carinated pots from the second pre-broch village at Jarlshof, Shetland and to a few scattered examples from the Hebrides. The Coll sherd has a neck below the flat rim which is descending at an outward angle and beginning to curve out further, just as if it was approaching the carinated shoulder found on the Iron Age A vessels mentioned. This rim sherd clearly dates from a considerable time before the broch period, perhaps to the 5th or 4th centuries B.C. Parallels in J. R. C. Hamilton, Excavations at Jarlshof, Shetland (1956) H.M.S.O. Chap. 111. Larger hammerstones, schist fragments and most of iron slag left, rest deposited in Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow.
SHELLS AT FEALL BAY SITE
Patella Vulgata, L. (Common Limpet) and Littoria Littorea (L.) (Periwinkle) predominate. The following other species were found sparingly, some only in a fragmentary state : Paetina pellucida (L.) (Blue-rayed Limpet); Neritoides littoralis (L.) (Dwarf Winkle); Buccinum undatum, (L.) (Common Whelk); Nucella Lapillus (L.) (Dog Winkle or Purple:); Cyprina Islandica (L.); Venus Casina (L); Spisula Solida (L) (Thick Trough-Shell); Ensis Siliqua (L.) (Razor Shell); Cardium Edule (L) (Common Cockle) and Glycymeris Glycyimeris (L.) (Dog Cockle or Comb Shell).
Discovery and Excavation in Scotland 1968, p. 7–8
SANDHILL SITES J Davies
Correction to Discovery and Excavation, 1968, p.7.
NM 144544. Feall Bay (Bagh A Tuath) should read Port Aoir, NM 148550. The bay is not named on the 1″ OS map, but it is called (wrongly) Port an t-Soair on an old 6″ OS map. This may be the site referred to very briefly in Erskine Beveridge’s Coll and Tiree (1903) as a small sandbreak with a kitchen midden and some pottery ” immediately to the east of Ben Foill (sic) above Port an t-Soair ” (sic). If so it is considerably larger now. Some 60 more sherds were picked up. two of them decorated with a punctuated design and incised lines respectively. Besides more iron-slag, quartzite hammer-stones, flint flakes and beach pebbles, a flint scraper was found and a quartzite disc, c. 10cm in diameter, trimmed round the circumference, flat on one face and convex on the other.
Discovery and Excavation in Scotland 1971, p. 5
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Hammerstones, pottery, worked flint, iron slag, shells
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