Inner Hebrides Archaeological Project S Mithen, A Pirie

Fieldwalking S Smith

The Inner Hebrides Archaeological Project is undertaking research on Tiree, Coll and NW Mull primarily to locate and hopefully excavate sites of the Mesolithic and Early Neolithic period. Two weeks have been spent on Tiree surveying areas of dune, ditches, river banks and other exposed areas for chipped stone scatters, along with cataloguing artefact collections in the Tiree Museum, An Iodhlann. The following is a list of new artefact scatters located by the project in Tiree:
Balephuil:
NL 94980 40815 In base of large dune blow-out; 176 pieces of worked flint and quartz from surface of storm beach at c 6m OD. Both platform and bipolar technology present: 112 flakes, 2 blades, 32 chips/chunks, 21 cores and 9 retouched artefacts.
NL 94246 41119 Scatter of pottery, bone, pebbles and shell in dune blow-out part way up Beinn Ceann a’Mhara at 31.4m OD.
NL 94328 40950 Eroded section face of dune at 9.3m OD, with exposed midden horizon which has eroded onto footpath adjacent to dune. Bone, shell and pottery present, indicating a Bronze Age date. 65 pieces of chipped stone: 36 flakes, 2 blades, 13 chips/chunks, 8 cores and 6 retouched artefacts.
NL 95155 40708 Three struck flints within scatter of beach pebbles exposed in dune blow-out.
NL 94665 41589 Extensive scatter of fire-cracked stone, worked stone, flint, pottery, shell and ironworking slag within massive dune blow-out, oriented ESE–WNW at 12m OD.
NL 94165 41267 Series of interleaved midden deposits, blown sand and dark soil, containing prehistoric pottery; adjacent to natural spring in hillside.
Kilkenneth:
NL 93763 44340 Scatter of pebbles, worked flint, shells and bone. Nine pieces of chipped stone were collected: none are diagnostic as to period.
Hynish:
NL 97743 38831 Ten pieces of worked flint from area of sand within dunefield: a core/scraper, a core, an irregular bladelet and seven flakes.
NL 97732 38763 Scatter of pottery and shell within sand to immediate S of above site. One flint flake was recovered.
NL 97547 38697 Three flint flakes and a quartz chip from base of rock outcrop.
Salum:
NM 06666 48839 Exposed section of midden and ?wall in face of dune cliff, from which pottery and worked flint is eroding.
Balevullin:
NL 92871 45908 Three flint flakes and iron slag from wheel rut.
Sponsors: HS, British Academy, Argyll Estates.

Discovery and Excavation in Scotland 2005, p. 22