Condition

1
Structure, possible house
Early Medieval, Medieval
Shetland

Description

A rectangular structure, measuring about 15m by 6m, lies on the coast edge and is actively eroding. One side wall and parts of the end walls are exposed and actively collapsing. In the coastal section, the west side wall can be seen to stand up to six courses or 0.95m high. It is built on a sandy soil and is covered with a layer of windblown sand. The stones within the wall measure 0.6m by 0.3m, on average. The east side wall, which is slightly bowed, and most of the north and south ends are covered with turf and are not under immediate threat. The remains may be those of a Viking/Norse period house. 29/05/14 As described. South wall and southwest corner gone. Southeast corner up to 5 courses survive. Interior archaeological deposits comprise c. 30cm of reddish brown homogenous clayey sand. This overlies natural sand and till, and is overlaid by c. 0.5m of blown sand. No artefacts noticed, however 3 angular quartz chunks recovered from base of section. One appears very like a core. These may not be associated with the structure. ShoreUPDATE 23/02/2018 As described, though further damaged by erosion. The coast edge here continues to erode and a large piece of turf has recently slumped onto the section from above. The walling at the southeast corner seen in 2014 to stand to 5 courses has been damaged and undermined. Large stones on the beach immediately in front of the section may be the remains of eroded walls. 21/09/2019 As described, coast edge remains unstable, eroding and very vulnerable. Further remains noted in hinterland include low spread banks forming outline of long rectilinear building and further low stony linear banks which may indicate further associated buried features. Two lightly-built stone structures in coast edge / on beach adjacent to eroding building on south east side have been tentatively recorded as a possible pair of nausts (SCHARP ID 13756) but are now too badly damaged by stream and coastal erosion to be confidently identified. Coast edge here is very unstable and eroding, with extensive animal burrowing of sandy hinterland exacerbating coastal erosion.

Location

436408.00
1131068.00
27700
60.0627022
-1.3478401

Submitted photographs

Image Date Caption User
21/09/2019 Eroding stone wall sa seen September 2019 23/02/2018 21/09/2019 Eroding stone wall sa seen September 2019 training1
21/09/2019 Eroding stone wall sa seen September 2019
21/09/2019 linear arrangement of stones visible through turf 23/02/2018 21/09/2019 linear arrangement of stones visible through turf training1
21/09/2019 linear arrangement of stones visible through turf
21/09/2019 The low banks defining the outline of a long rectangular building beneath the turf behind the coast edge 23/02/2018 21/09/2019 The low banks defining the outline of a long rectangular building beneath the turf behind the coast edge training1
21/09/2019 The low banks defining the outline of a long rectangular building beneath the turf behind the coast edge
Feb 2018: Detail of eroding south wall and interior 23/02/2018 Feb 2018: Detail of eroding south wall and interior joannahambly
Feb 2018: Detail of eroding south wall and interior
Feb 2018: Closer view of eroding south wall 23/02/2018 Feb 2018: Closer view of eroding south wall joannahambly
Feb 2018: Closer view of eroding south wall
Feb 2018: General view looking west 23/02/2018 Feb 2018: General view looking west joannahambly
Feb 2018: General view looking west
Feb 2018: Slumped coast edge showing the extent of erosion here 23/02/2018 Feb 2018: Slumped coast edge showing the extent of erosion here joannahambly
Feb 2018: Slumped coast edge showing the extent of erosion here
Showing 'floor' deposits inside structure overlain with blown sand 29/05/2014 Showing 'floor' deposits inside structure overlain with blown sand training1
Showing 'floor' deposits inside structure overlain with blown sand
Closer view of eroding south wall 29/05/2014 Closer view of eroding south wall training1
Closer view of eroding south wall
General view looking west 29/05/2014 General view looking west training1
General view looking west

Submitted updates

Update id Date User
3096 23/02/2018 joannahambly
Tidal state Low
Site located? Yes
Proximity to coast edge Coast edge
Coastally eroding? active sea erosion; active wind erosion (in dunes only); has eroded in the past
Threats animal burrows
Visibility in section Clearly visible in section
Description A rectangular structure, measuring about 15m by 6m, lies on the coast edge and is actively eroding. One side wall and parts of the end walls are exposed and actively collapsing. In the coastal section, the west side wall can be seen to stand up to six courses or 0.95m high. It is built on a sandy soil and is covered with a layer of windblown sand. The stones within the wall measure 0.6m by 0.3m, on average. The east side wall, which is slightly bowed, and most of the north and south ends are covered with turf and are not under immediate threat. The remains may be those of a Viking/Norse period house. 29/05/14 As described. South wall and southwest corner gone. Southeast corner up to 5 courses survive. Interior archaeological deposits comprise c. 30cm of reddish brown homogenous clayey sand. This overlies natural sand and till, and is overlaid by c. 0.5m of blown sand. No artefacts noticed, however 3 angular quartz chunks recovered from base of section. One appears very like a core. These may not be associated with the structure. ShoreUPDATE 23/02/2018 As described, though further damaged by erosion. The coast edge here continues to erode and a large piece of turf has recently slumped onto the section from above. The walling at the southeast corner seen in 2014 to stand to 5 courses has been damaged and undermined. Large stones on the beach immediately in front of the section may be the remains of eroded walls.
Maintain priority status
1656 29/05/2014 training1
Tidal state Mid
Site located? Yes
Proximity to coast edge Coast edge
Coastally eroding? active sea erosion
Threats animal burrows
Visibility above ground Limited visibility (partial remains)
Visibility in section Limited visibility in section
Access accessible on foot (no footpath)
Local knowledge don't know
Description A rectangular structure, measuring about 15m by 6m, lies on the coast edge and is actively eroding. One side wall and parts of the end walls are exposed and actively collapsing. In the coastal section, the west side wall can be seen to stand up to six courses or 0.95m high. It is built on a sandy soil and is covered with a layer of windblown sand. The stones within the wall measure 0.6m by 0.3m, on average. The east side wall, which is slightly bowed, and most of the north and south ends are covered with turf and are not under immediate threat. The remains may be those of a Viking/Norse period house. 29/05/14 As described. South wall and southwest corner gone. Southeast corner up to 5 courses survive. Interior archaeological deposits comprise c. 30cm of reddish brown homogenous clayey sand. This overlies Natural sand and till, and is overlaid by c. 0.5m of blown sand. No artefacts noticed, however 3 angular quartz chunks recovered from base of section. One appears very like a core. These may not be associated with the structure.
Structure eroding. This would be an ideal community evaluation/excavation. Good access, Burra history society locally and museum seems to have classroom style space.

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