A highly concentrated shell midden on the top of a small outcrop of bedrock forming an islet at the west end of Traigh na Berie. The midden consists of a layer of mixed compacted whole shells and shell fragments in a brown sandy soil matrix 0.3 - 0.5m thick, and includes bone, charcoal and some possibly worked quartz. The site sits on a thin layer of darker brown sandy soil up to 0.15m thick, over the outcrop rock which contains a thick vein of quartz. The midden is preserved only in isolated small pockets on the bedrock. Radiocarbon dating of hazelnut shell samples taken in 2010 returned a mesolithic date.
15th November 2014 survey - A lot of the midden has been removed by Dr Mike Church during rescue excavation. Small layer of shell midden still visible in the topsoil.
Site visit July 2021, as described.
Location
110032.01
936293.84
27700
58.2196361
-6.9401655
Submitted photographs
Image
Date
Caption
User
08/07/2021
Looking towards Traigh na Berie
joannahambly
08/07/2021
General view showing location looking west
joannahambly
08/07/2021
Detail of surviving fragment of shell midden adjacent to quartz seam
accessible - difficult terrain; accessible on foot (no footpath)
Local knowledge
is well known; is well visited; has local associations/history
Description
A highly concentrated shell midden on the top of a small outcrop of bedrock forming an islet at the west end of Traigh na Berie. The midden consists of a layer of mixed compacted whole shells and shell fragments in a brown sandy soil matrix 0.3 - 0.5m thick, and includes bone, charcoal and some possibly worked quartz. The site sits on a thin layer of darker brown sandy soil up to 0.15m thick, over the outcrop rock which contains a thick vein of quartz. The midden is preserved only in isolated small pockets on the bedrock
15th November 2014 survey - A lot of the midden has been removed by Dr Mike Church during rescue excavation. Small layer of shell midden still visible in the topsoil.
Monitoring after storms, however it is doubtful as to whether the remaining midden section will survive any more than a few bad storms this winter.