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St Kilda, Hirta, Village Bay

No Class (Event)

Site Name St Kilda, Hirta, Village Bay

Classification No Class (Event)

Canmore ID 283960

Site Number NF19NW 64

NGR NF 1015 9935

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/283960

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Western Isles
  • Parish Harris
  • Former Region Western Isles Islands Area
  • Former District Western Isles
  • Former County Inverness-shire

Archaeology Notes

NF19NW 64 NF 1015 9935

NF 1015 9935 A small-scale excavation continued between April and September 2005 relating to the drainage across the street in front of House 6 on the main street, Hirta. The intention was to provide a duct for electricity cables leading into the house as well as improve the drainage around the house. The finds within the drain fill are from between 1860 and 1930.

The annual monitoring of cleits within the Cleit Preservation Programme continued. Also, a photographic record of drystane structures, including the head dyke, within the Village Bay area was resumed.

An annual survey of the coastline within Village Bay was undertaken to assess the impact of damage on archaeological

deposits, especially in light of the severe storms of January 2005. The survey indicated that considerable erosion had taken place since last year.

Archive to be deposited in NMRS.

Sponsors: HS, NTS.

S Dennis 2005

Activities

Excavation (16 April 2011 - 13 September 2011)

NF 1010 9930 A full season of fieldwork 16 April–13 September 2011 included condition surveys, coastal erosion monitoring, conservation work and two small-scale excavations.

Blackhouse F A small trial trench was excavated within Blackhouse F, as part of the annual St Kilda Work Party conservation works. This blackhouse has been used for many years as a dumping ground for excess building materials, which the Trust is now gradually removing. In order to do this without risk to any in situ archaeological deposits a small trial trench was excavated to examine the deposits.

A trench was opened at the S end of the interior of the blackhouse, measuring 3.3m E–W and 0.8m N–S. Six contexts were recorded. No finds worthy of further study were encountered and the excavation was curtailed as soon as in situ archaeological deposits were recognised. The evidence indicated that a small camp-style fire took place in the SW corner of Blackhouse F shortly after the building had been abandoned and the roof had collapsed. Occupational debris had been dumped in the ruin during the 19th century and sometime after this sandy gravel and stones were dumped in the blackhouse by NTS work parties.

Blackhouse B The southern wall of this blackhouse abuts the main village street and had become extremely unstable. It was agreed to dismantle the exterior face, record all archaeological deposits encountered and then reinstate the wall. A written and drawn (plan section and elevation) record was produced of 20 contexts and bulk samples taken from in situ layers. The trench showed stratigraphic relationships which indicated at least two phases of wall, one of which was recent enough to contain concrete and a rubber plimsole. Finds of 19th- and 20th-century date were recovered from the soils, but returned to the wall during rebuilding, as per Trust policy.

Other discoveries A length of turf dyke on the SE side of Claigeann Mor; a section of wall at Bioda Mor, Dun; a wall cutting across the headland over the tunnel; two upright stones on Conachair; two pivot stones, one between house 9 and blackhouse K, and a stone with two pivot like depressions in the wall of enclosure 53; pumice stone from the roof of cleit 67; clay tiles in the eroding soils near the store; a line of WW1 postholes; and 7 sherds of unglazed handmade pottery from the eroding coastal cliff. A day survey was also undertaken on Soay.

Archive: RCAHMS and www.kilda.org.uk (intended). Reports: Western Isles SMR

Funder: Historic Scotland and the National Trust for Scotland

The National Trust for Scotland, 2011

References

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