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Islay, Argyllshire.
NGR: | NR 39760 78360 |
WGS84: | 55.92767, -6.16771 |
Length: | Not recorded |
Vert. Range: | Not recorded |
Altitude: | Not recorded |
Geology: | Not recorded |
Tags: | Cave, SeaCave, Archaeo |
Registry: | main |
A cave, about 20 yards deep, lies in a reentrant in the cliff face, about 50ft above the sea. The cave, as described by MacKie (1974), is 13.5m deep, 9.5m maximum width, and 2.5m high at the entrance.
Alternate Names: Uamh Port a' Chotain
Notes: A heap of stony debris has accumulated in the opening. A trench was sunk into the level earth floor at the back of the cave and, at a depth of 1 1/2ft encountered thick midden deposits of shells with a few bones of sheep and deer. The midden continued below the bottom of the trench 3ft. Two pebbles, used as hammers, were found. A radiocarbon date of AD 1710+-110 (corrected to 1630) was obtained for a heap of shells near the top of the layer. A 17th or early 18th century date for the occupation seems likely.
The deposit of shells comprising limpets and winkles is at the back of the cave.
Shovel pits (0.25 x 0.25m) were dug during the course of the Islay Caves Project 2001 fieldwork season. A preliminary shovel pit in a shell midden was extended into a test pit. The shell midden contained many fish and animal bones but no cultural material was recovered.
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This entry was last updated: 2020-10-16 21:46:00
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