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Mainland, Aikerness, Broch of Gurness

Orkney Islands, Scotland · Atlas SC2860

Mainland, Aikerness, Broch of Gurness is a level-terrain fort in Evie And Rendall, Orkney Islands, Scotland.

Other names on the record: Knowe of Gurness, Aiker Ness, Point of Helia, and Sands of Evie.

It is recorded as extant, with a partial multivallate rampart form, surface evidence of stone wall, and an enclosed area of 0.19 hectares.

Banks or ramparts are the remains most likely to be visible.

The topographic record places it on a cliff, plateau edge, or scarp and at 5 m.

The aspect is recorded as level.

Recorded land use includes coastal grassland.

Dating evidence is recorded for 400 BC–AD 50, AD 50–400, and AD 400–800 (Artefactual). Reliability is recorded as C - Low.

A scheduled monument number is recorded (90157).

Location

Atlas number
SC2860 (2860)
Country
Scotland
Current county or unitary authority
Orkney Islands
Historic county
Orkney
Parish, community, or townland
Evie And Rendall
National Grid reference
HY 3817 2685
Latitude
59.12408
Longitude
-3.08166
Altitude
5 m

Form and condition

Type
level-terrain fort
Condition
Extant
Morphology
partial multivallate
Complete rampart circuit
No
Number of ramparts
3
Ramparts by quadrant
NE 0, SE 3, SW 3, NW 0
Number of ditches
3
Possible original entrances
1
Breaks through the ramparts
1
Enclosed area
0.19 ha
Enclosure areas
0.14 ha, 0.19 ha
Footprint
0.36 ha
Enclosing works, as visible
stone wall
Enclosing works, excavated
stone wall
Also recorded
multi-period enclosure system and ditches
Entrance forms
Passage-way/Corridor (East)

Landscape

Topographic position
cliff, plateau edge, or scarp
Aspect
level
Land use
coastal grassland
Water source
well or cistern

Dating

Dating
400 BC–AD 50, AD 50–400, AD 400–800, and undated
Dating evidence
Artefactual
Dating reliability
C - Low

Interior and investigation

Finds
pottery, metal, metalworking, human bones, animal bones, and lithics
Investigations
1st Identified Map Depiction (1879); Excavation (1929); Excavation (1930); Other (1931); Excavation (1931); Excavation (1932); Excavation (1933); Excavation (1934); Excavation (1935); Excavation (1936); Excavation (1937); Excavation (1938); Excavation (19

Identifiers

Scheduled monument number
90157
HER
Orkney Islands 2201
National record
record HY 32 NE 5; monument 2201
Wikidata
Q31052843

Sources

References

  1. Hedges, J W (1987) Bu, Gurness and the brochs of Orkney, part 2: the brochs of Orkney. Brit Archaeol Rep, British Series 164. BAR: Oxford
  2. MacKie, E W (2002) The roundhouses, brochs and wheelhouses of Atlantic Scotland c. 700BC - AD500: architecture and material culture Part 1 - The Orkney and Shetland Isles. Brit Archaeol Rep, British Ser 342. BAR: Oxford
  3. Ovenden, S (2007) 'Broch of Gurness, Orkney (Evie and Rendall parish), geophysical survey'. Disc Exc Scot, New Ser, 8 (2007), 140
  4. RCAHMS (1946) The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Twelfth report with an inventory of the ancient monuments of Orkney and Shetland, 3v. HMSO: Edinburgh
  5. Ritchie, A (1995) Prehistoric Orkney. Batsford and Historic Scotland: London (101-8)