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Cist(S) (Bronze Age), Cinerary Urn(S) (Bronze Age)

Site Name Fail

Classification Cist(S) (Bronze Age), Cinerary Urn(S) (Bronze Age)

Canmore ID 42737

Site Number NS42NW 8

NGR NS 421 290

NGR Description NS c. 421 290

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/42737

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

  • Council South Ayrshire
  • Parish Tarbolton
  • Former Region Strathclyde
  • Former District Kyle And Carrick
  • Former County Ayrshire

Archaeology Notes

NS42NW 8 c.421 290.

Three cists were recently found about 5ft under the surface when levelling the ground about a quarter of a mile N of Fail Monastery (NS 421 286).

Two cists lay NE-SW the third lay NW-SE; lines connecting their centres form an equilateral triangle with sides 8ft in length. One cist held two urns, which fell to pieces on exposure to the air, they contained burnt bones. The second cist contained an urn, while a considerable quantity of burnt bones was in the third cist.

NSA 1845 (D Ritchie)

Macdonald is doubtless referring to the same find when, quoting from newspaper notices of objects donated to Ayr Mechanics'Museum, under the date of 1840, he notes: "A fragment of an urn, with bones in it as discovered, was presented by Mr Andrew, Fail Mill (NS 421 287) on whose farm three entire urns were lately found, which unfortunately crumbled away on exposure to the air.

J Macdonald 1878

There is no local knowledge or surviving tradition of these finds. The area in question comprises gently undulating fields under cultivation.

Visited by OS (JRL) 18 November 1980

Activities

Note (1985)

Fail NS c. 421 290 NS42NW 8

Shortly before 1842 three cists were discovered 'about quarter of a mile northwards from Fail monastery (NS 4212 2863) ... when levelling a piece of ground'. Two 'urns' containing cremations were found in one, a single 'urn' in the second and a deposit of cremated bone in the third (none of the urns survives, but see NS42NW 14).

RCAHMS 1985.

(NSA, v, Ayrshire, 754-5; Macdonald 1878, 41).

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