31666: LOCH DUBH, SHILTENISH, LEWIS – CIST (Bronze Age – 2350 BC to 701 BC)

Summary:

CIST (Bronze Age – 2350 BC to 701 BC)
Bronze Age short cist under cairn

Location:

NB 2956 1944

Full description:

NB21NE 2 2956 1944.

A short cist was found in the parish of Lochs in 1925. It had not been covered by a cairn.
In 1927 two Beaker sherds and unburnt human skeletal remains were found in the cist.
J G Callander 1928; M E C Mitchell 1934.

About 1925 a short cist was discovered by Mr Hector Montgomery (H Montgomery, 56 Balallan, Lochs, Lewis) whilst removing a small ‘cairn of stones’ for road metalling at NB 2956 1944.
It measured about 4ft NE-SW by about 3ft transversely and was formed of ‘drystone walling’ with two large slabs covering it. On finding small pieces of bone, the cist was covered over, and, to the knowledge of Mr Montgomery, it was never re-opened, so it is not certain that this is the same cist mentioned by Callander, but no others are known in Lochs parish.
The finder indicated the position on a small eminence but nothing could be seen of the cist of ‘cairn’ save a slight depression.
Visited by OS (N K B) 26 June 1969.

References:

1927-8. ‘A beaker from a short cist in a long cairn at Kilmarie, Skye’, Proc Soc Antiq Scot. Part No 62. 25
1933-4. ‘A new analysis of the Early Bronze Age beaker pottery of Scotland’, Proc Soc Antiq Scot. Part No 68. 187

Acknowledgement:

Information provided by Western Isles Council Sites & Monuments Record, January 2006.