33061: TRAIGH NA BERIE – SETTLEMENT MOUND (Undated), MIDDEN (Undated)

Summary:

SETTLEMENT MOUND (Undated)
MIDDEN (Undated)
Settlement mound

Location:

NB 1066 3546

Full description:

no.25
This is a conical mound set within a flat machair plain near site 23 (SMR no. 1579), lying in a similar relationship to the surrounding topography. It measures 10m north-east/south-west by 7m at its base, and survives to c. 1.3m in height. It has been damaged by rabbit burrows. It appears to represent a formerly more extensive midden deposit. On rabibt burrow has disturbed compact shell-rich midden material and small stones, while another has prodiced a sherd of undiagnostic, heavily gritted pottery.
No noticeable increase in the number or extent of rabbit burrows was identified between the 1989 and 1992 surveys, but the presence on both occasions of loose sand containing shell and pot sherds suggests that gradual attrition is damaging the mound.
Armit 1992, 51

References:

Ian Armit. 1992. CFA, University of Edinburgh Archaeological Field Survey of the Bhaltos (Valtos) Peninsula, Lewis.
1994. ‘Archaeological field survey of the Bhaltos (Valtos) peninsula, Lewis’, Proc Soc Antiq Scot. Part No 124. No.25, 83 illus 15

Acknowledgement:

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