Monument record MHG11410 - Caves, Allt Nan Uamh
Summary
No summary available.
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NC 2678 1704 (30m by 30m) (Buffered by site type) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NC21NE |
| Geographical Area | SUTHERLAND |
| Civil Parish | ASSYNT |
| Old County | SUTHERLAND |
Map
Type and Period (1)
Full Description
NC21NE 1 2679 1704 to 2680 1702.
(NC 2679 1704 and NC 2680 1702) Caves (NAT) (Two shown)
OS 6"map, Sutherland, 1st ed., (1878)
There are 4 caves in a limestone cliff, about 200 ft. above Allt nan Uamh - a tributary of the Loanan, near Inchnadamph.
In 1889, Dr J Horne and Dr B N Peach explored third cave from west and found bones of a rich Arctic fauna with traces of human habitation (Proc Roy Soc Edinburgh 1927)
Further excavations were made in 1926 by J E Cree, caves 1 and 2 from west being dug and a trial trench dug in 1889 cave.
Finds included animal bones, human skeletons - one a definite burial, an iron blade a bone pin and an awl, a reindeer horn implement, cut and scratched antler and charcoal. The nature of the fauna, state of fossilation of bones, and geological evidence suggests an Upper Palaeolithic date, certainly belonging to Magdalenian or earlier.
J G Callander, H E Cree and J Ritchie 1927; Proc Roy Soc Edinburgh 1917.
Refers to the late Upper Palaeolithic date suggested for the occupation of the caves. The animal remains apparently represent a late arctic fauna surviving in a refuge area into early post glacial times. It suggests that the human habitation was not earlier than Mesolithic or even Neolithic in date.
A D Lacaille 1954.
The material from Allt nan Uamh is at the Royal Scottish Museum, Chambers St., Edinburgh.
Information contained in letter from A S Henshall, (Asst. Keeper, NMAS) 28 December 1961.
The most easterly cave is very shallow and little more than a rock shelter, the other three are true caves and have narrow tunnels leading off them.
Visited by OS (G H P) 6 June 1962.
No change to previous field report.
Visited by OS (J M) 11 July 1980.
Samples were taken for radiocarbon dating from bone awl and double ring headed pin of walrus ivory, found in "cave earth" during the excavation of reindeer Cave by J Cree in 1926. the bone awl had too little collagen to be datable.
Walrus ivory pin NMS HM 377 1900+/-80bp (50+/-80ad) OxA-3527
NMRS MS/735/1
NW SUT Local Plan, May 1987: P23/2.36.
J Aitken : 11/06/01.
Sources/Archives (4)
- --- SHG1367 Text/Publication/Article: Callander, Cree and Ritchie, J G, J E and J. 1927. 'Preliminary report on caves containing paleolithic relics, near Inchnadamph, Sutherland', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 61 1926-7, p.169-72. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 169-72. 169-72.
- --- SHG1613 Text/Publication/Article: Lawson, T J. 1982. 'The 1926-7 excavations of the Creag nan Uamh bone caves, near Inchnadamph, Sutherland', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 111 1981, p.7-20. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 7-20. 7-20.
- --- SHG2399 Text/Publication/Volume: Lacaille, A D. 1954. The Stone Age in Scotland. 29fn, 82, 88, 90.
- --- SHG3183 Text/Publication/Article: Lawson and Bonsall, T and C. 1986. The palaeolithic in Scotland: a reconsideration of evidence from Reindeer Cave, Assynt. 85-9. 85-9.
Finds (8)
Protected Status/Designation
Related Monuments/Buildings (2)
Related Events/Activities (1)
Record last edited
Apr 26 2011 1:13PM
