Site Diary: Trench 3

Possible kerbing

Work continues on the dismantling and planning of the two quadrants in the cairn. So far it appears that the upper levels of the cairn comprise gritstone boulders between 20-50cms. in diameter, some of which may reflect the clearance of stone from the surrounding area. Some of these stones still appear to overlie larger boulders leant against the sides of the cairn, perhaps to form a kerb.

A substantial structure of larger stones is now becoming apparent all around the cairn:

We are still working with several models for the development of the cairn; that it represents clearance in its entirety or that it started life as a more formal funerary structure, only seeing later use as a suitable location for the dumping of clearance stone. The latter possibility may be supported by the recovery of a series of late Neolithic/early Bronze Age artefacts within the soils to the immediate north of the cairn.

However, it is equally possible that these reflect other forms of activity in the area some time before the cairn was established. These artefacts now include six thumbnail scrapers and two or three fragments of pottery that looks rather different to the later Bronze Age/early Iron Age wares that dominate the inventories of other trenches.