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MHG59950 - Mesolithic occupation site - Berriedale Braes, Caithness

Summary

A Mesolithic occupation site at Berriedale Braes, Caithness.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

A Mesolithic occupation site at Berriedale Braes, Caithness.

During a watching brief being carried out by AOC Archaeology Group in 2018, on the demolition of a byre structure (see MHG20179) and the removal of topsoil from the surrounding area, a visual inspection of recent unmonitored ground disturbance, arising from geotechnical ground investigations, identified scatters of lithic debitage on the surface of the disturbed areas. A series of hand dug test pits were excavated in the area and discovered that while some lithic material had been displaced, there was significant lithics material surviving in an undisturbed underlying soil. Initial identification of these lithics indicated that Mesolithic material was present, along with possible Neolithic finds. It was recommended that further archaeological excavation be carried out to allow greater understanding of the site and further recovery of artefacts before the ground works commenced for improvements to the road. <1>

Five trenches were subsequently excavated by AOC Archaeology Group in Sept-Oct 2018 on the planned location of the new road alignment in order to determine the locations of lithics artefact concentrations and areas of archaeological potential. There were two sites of primary interest situated on flat terraces on clifftops overlooking the point where the confluence of the Berriedale Water and Langwell Water empty into the North Sea. Both areas revealed an in-situ occupation layer containing high quantities of struck lithics, a variety of stone types comprising manufacturing debris, cores and microliths characteristic of the Scottish Mesolithic period. One area also contained subsurface features, pits and possible linear cuts, that had survived within the natural subsoil. <2>

Open-area excavation was later undertaken by AOC Archaeology in Oct-Nov 2018 across an upper and lower terrace, where large quantities of struck lithics (debitage, cores, blade fragments and some microliths, scrapers and microburins) were recovered from both the overlying ploughsoils and from the remnants of an in-situ old ground surface. The excavation areas were defined primarily by the fenceline that demarcated the edge of modern ploughing, which had probably removed most traces of buried archaeology, while the outermost edge of the fields edging on to the cliffs contained in-situ contexts and features.

The open area excavation targeted the lower terrace (Trench 2), where buried archaeological features were found to be present along with surface deposits containing substantial Mesolithic lithics processing debitage and tools. Excavation revealed two large hearth pits containing substantial lithics artefacts, several post-holes, smaller hearths and probable floor deposits related to Mesolithic use. Groups of small, shallow pit features was also present within the thin remains of a Mesolithic soil layer.

Disturbance by modern Geotechnical Investigation, including machined borehole and test trench excavation, had caused damage to the site. Hand-dug furrows, possibly medieval or later, had truncated the Mesolithic deposits in places. Areas around the hand-dug excavation Trench 2 and the Phase 1 excavation Trench 1 were stripped of topsoil by machine in order to check the enclosing areas for further buried remains. This uncovered several further clusters of features around Trench 2 only. Within the modern ploughed field boundary, the second large hearth feature was uncovered adjacent to the edge of a previous evaluation trench excavated in 2017 (see EHG5318). The feature probably consisted of several hearths or fire-pits and a possible post setting. Some of the features showed convincing characteristics of small stake- and postholes. Two large pits contained the highest amount of lithics, features that may have contained charcoal and other carbonised material and heat-affected stone. They were believed to represent hearths or fire-pits around which lithics work may have taken place. A compact gravel/stone layer appeared to enclose the area of archaeological features. It was intended that post-excavation analysis and full publication would be undertaken for this very important site, a rarity in northeast Scotland

Initial assessment of the features and Mesolithic material, which included small blade debitage, microliths and scrapers, suggested that the site formed a seasonal camp that could have been revisited during many seasons, potentially over a considerable period of time. <3>

Sources/Archives (3)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred ND 1211 2274 (79m by 60m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	ND12SW
Civil Parish	LATHERON
Geographical Area	CAITHNESS

Finds (0)

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Related Investigations/Events (3)

External Links (1)