Excavations at Dun Ardtreck, Skye, in 1964 and 1965

MacKie, E. W., Campbell, E., Henderson, J., Newman, A., Noddle, B., Photos-Jones, E. , Robertson, A. and Webster, P. (2002) Excavations at Dun Ardtreck, Skye, in 1964 and 1965. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 130, pp. 301-411. (doi: 10.9750/PSAS.130.301.411)

Abstract

Dun Ardtreck stands on the west coast of Skye, on a rock knoll with a sheer cliff. It is a small D-shaped drystone strong-hold surrounded by an outer wall and could be one of a small group which had the high broch hollow wall but were not circular towers, termed semi brochs by the writer. The circumstantial evidence for the wall having originally been high is strong, although it is badly ruined now; however, the possibility that the wall was never more than of modest height cannot be completely ruled out. Construction was probably in the first or second centuries AD (Phase 1) and was followed by two distinct phases of occupation. Phase 2 was inside the higher-walled structure where there may have been a wooden roundhouse with a raised floor, although direct evidence is lacking; a central fireplace was not found. A fierce fire put an end to this occupation, the wall was pulled down and an iron door-handle left lying in the passage. A small Roman jar, possibly intact, had already arrived on the site. The ruins were re-occupied in Phase 3 after a ramp had been built against the entrance passage to make access easier. Roman material was inside this ramp and in the secondary deposits and, though it and the native pottery suggested that occupation did not continue beyond the third or fourth centuries, a sherd of E ware on top of this layer implies that it went on at least until AD 500, a conclusion supported by a piece of pumice from about AD 400. Some of the Roman material is unusual for an Atlantic site and there may be special reasons for its presence.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Photos-Jones, Dr Effie
• Authors: MacKie, E. W., Campbell, E., Henderson, J., Newman, A., Noddle, B., Photos-Jones, E., Robertson, A., and Webster, P.
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities
• Journal Name: Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
• Publisher: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
• ISSN: 0081-1564
• ISSN (Online): 2056-743X