Monument record MHG11005 - Cist w Food vessel, Ascoilemore

NC81SW 21 8167 1102.
Bronze Age Cist found AD 1939 (NAT) OS 6" map, (1969)

A short cist containing an unornamented foot vessel was found in a little morainic mound about 10ft in height situated on N edge of the meadowland adjoining river and some 94 yards N of road which traverses the Strath of Ascoilemore. It lies about 1100 yards E of junction of the Black Water and the Brora River. The mound presents appearance of a defensive earthwork with a flat top measuring 83ft diameter. It is protected on northern side by a rampart 22ft wide at bottom, with a ditch on either side. The inner ditch is 28ft wide at top and measures 5ft deep, while outer ditch is 12ft wide. The rampart and ditches are crescent-shaped. The hillock has been cut into for road surfacing material and consists of a mixture of coarse sand and gravel with occasional large broken boulders. The interior dimensions of cist must have been about 3ft long, 18ins wide and 18ins deep.
J M Davidson 1940

There is no trace of cist; its position was pointed out by Mrs Tyser (Gordonbush, Strathbrora, Sutherland) and surveyed at 1:10,560. She retains the food vessel. The crescentic ditch and outer bank around N arc of the mound are obviously artificial, but their purpose is uncertain. The position of mound overlooked from N, precludes it being defensive. It may be a result of quarrying associated with nearby early modern settlement. The impression of an 'outer ditch' (Davidson 1940) is formed by the hollow between the aforementioned "outer bank" and an early modern field wall.
Visited by OS (E G C) 30 April 1964.

No change since 30 April 1964. Visited by OS (JB) 30 12 1975.