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The Swartigill Burn, the Black Hole Burn in old Norse has a story to tell. Like all good stories the burn has a beginning, a middle and an end. Let's start at the middle, a wide flat floodplain contained between two high banks. On the north side the burn runs along the edge of the floodplain, below a medieval farmstead. It was not always so, and probably took a route on the opposite side, which also has along abandoned farmstead.

Where we started

Members of the Yarrows Trust had spotted some stonework eroding

out of the burn, and decided to investigate, as the burn in spate

had dislodged some stone. 

On cleaning back a small area, we unexpectedly recovered a large

assemblage of pottery from Early to Late Iron Age in date.  Some of

the rim shards were everted using the thumb impressions of the

potter, A human  touch across two millennia.

 ORCA (Orkney Research Centre for  Archaeology) and UHI

(University of the Highlands and Islands have contributed much

time and resources to the project.

We have received funding from local funds including:

Lybster and Tannach Informal Learning Fund,

Foundation Scotland through the local Camster and the

Tannach and District Funds.

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2014            Geophysical Survey

In 2014, a geophysical survey of part of the
floodplain revealed an extensive area of  possible
interconnecting dwellings

Whet stone.jpg

Year 2            2015 Excavation

A small scale study was undertaken over 5 days, to inform

future,more expansive work on the site.  This very  modest exercise produced more decorated pottery, a quern rubber,

a hammer stone,and a possible item  of personal adornment

made of copper alloy. 

Structural remains suggested by the Geophys were

confirmed as wall faces.

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Year 3               2016 Excavation

Further work to reveal the supposed sub-rectangular

building suggested by the Geophys.  During the course

of this, a large drain feature was exposed, skirting the

outside of the wall face.  It would seem to indicate

water management beyond that required for normal

domestic purposes.

Ironage pottery.jpg

Year 4              2017 Excavation

This years excavation revealed more significant and

well-preserved structural features. A 10th or 11thC

whetstone was recovered, suggesting Viking age a

ctivity post-dating the demise of the site.

swartigill2017aerial of site.jpg

Year 5             2018 Excavation

Further investigation of the site, now considerably

enlarged, comprising 3 major structures, labelled A,

 a  passage feature, B ,  a large sub-rectangular building

and C, partially revealed to the south of Structure B.

Another structure, through which the burn now cuts

will be separately study.

2018-09-05 15.50.30.jpg

Year 6              2019 Excavation

It now appears that structure C may be the earliest

structure on the site. Structure B appears to have

been modified throughout its life. Traces of a further

structure, D,  are beginning to appear  in the SW corner

of the trench.  2 very fine hone stones, 

of prehistoric date were recovered

Swartigill dig

Year 7             2021 Excavation

It now appears that structure C may be the earliest

structure on the site. Structure B appears to have

been modified throughout its life. Traces of a further

structure, D,  are beginning to appear  in the SW corner

of the trench.  2 very fine hone stones, 

of prehistoric date were recovered

Swartigill dig
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