Monday, February 23, 2015

Discovery - Interesting Cist Near Loch Ness

At Drumnadrochit, an interesting rectangular, stone-lined cist was discovered several weeks ago.
I found this at the North of Scotland Archaeology Society (NOSAS) blog [here].

There's actually two cists next to each other.  The rectangular one has a flexed body with no grave goods, the oval one next to it only has grave goods with no body.  Since they appear to be contemporary, it's theoretically possible the grave goods were purposefully separated from the body or inserted after the body was buried.
Construction workers lifted the slab and found an ancient grave (Mary Peteranna, copied from NOSAS)

The bracer survived burial so given it's bright appearance it must either ceramic or stone.  Most bracers in the Isles are greenstone, slate or a reddish stone.

Wrist-guard.  What material? (Mary Peteranna, copied from NOSAS)
Below is a beaker with what looks like a pin-wheel technique.  The beaker supposedly contains residue from its original contents from 4500 years ago.  Although there have been a number of studies on beaker contents around Europe (mostly inconclusive), I don't remember of any that had actual residue.  It'll be interesting to see what it was.

Beaker sherd with pin-wheel technique (Mary Peteranna, copied from NOSAS)
This Beaker-billie is pretty far north.  Take a look at Loch Ness on a map.  It may give you a sense for how far these people traveled within the span of a few generations.  Northern Scotland is not that populous now, what was it like 4500 years ago?

2 comments:

  1. greenstone for birth, redstone for rebirth=tlauitl(N)=ochre,=tlauizcal=dawn(Venus). cist=chitoni(N)=spark,=chitoun(OFr)=
    kitten, birthing and rebirthing animal=ocelotl(N/14/Tonalamatl)=LionLady of Ulm, 7 stripes on one arm, the other 7=deer/
    Mazatl(N/7/Tona)missing=Ocelome(N/pl.)=celOim(Etruscan creation prayer,Liber Linteus)=Elohim(H/plural deity).

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  2. Drumnadrochit=drum/tuma/tumi(N)=undo, na(N)=4(good-by number), chitoni(N)=spark(rebirth/fire drill).

    ReplyDelete