Monument record MHG495 - Burial Cairn, Acharn

Summary

Site of late neolithic-bronze age burial cairn which contained two cists.

Location

Grid reference Centred NM 6970 5070 (16m by 16m) (Buffered by site type)
Map sheet NM65SE
Old County ARGYLL
Civil Parish MORVERN
Geographical Area LOCHABER

Map

Type and Period (1)

Full Description

The cairn is as described in 1974. (RCAHMS, 1980, 48-50) The capstone of the southern cist measures 1.40m by 1m. A footpath, constructed in 2004, from Acharn bridge to Arienas Point, passes round the North side of the cairn.
Field Verification Project (West Lochaber) - J Robertson, 03/2004

Cairn, Acharn: This cairn is situated on a small terrace above the flood-plain at the E end of Loch Arienas. It has been very considerably reduced by stone-robbing and now measures about 10.5m in diameter and 0.5m in greatest height. Two cists have been exposed, one to the S of the centre of the cairn and the other in the NE quadrant. The first, measuring 1.4m by 0.8m internally and 0.8m in depth, was found to contain a small amount of cremated bone (PSAS 1977); the capstone has been displaced and lies a short distance to the S. The second cist measures 0.9m by 0.7m internally and 0.6m in depth. The SE end-slab stands to a height of 1.04m and thus rises above the uniformly level tops of the other three slabs; this is an unusual feature and suggests either that the capstone merely butted against this end-slab or that the cist was covered by two inclined slabs meeting at the apex and using the SE end-slab as a gable. An unworked flint flake and small fragments of charcoal were discovered inside the cist. It may have been from one of these two cists than an 'urn with ashes' was recovered during the removal of stones from one of the cairns at Acharn in the early 19th century (Gregory 1857).
D Gregory 1857; I Thornber 1974; Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1974; RCAHMS 1980, visited 1974.

Sources/Archives (5)

  • --- Text/Publication/Article: Gregory, D. 1857. 'Notes regarding various remains of antiquity, both of the earlier and middle ages, observed during a recent visit to the Hebrides', Archaeol Scot Vol. 4 1857, p.362-5. Archaeol Scot. 362-5. 363.
  • --- Text/Report: RCAHMS. 1980. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Argyll: an inventory of the monuments volume 3: Mull, Tiree, Coll and Northern Argyll (excluding the early medieval and later monuments of Iona). . 49-50, No. 7 (2); plan fig. 15; illust..
  • --- Text/Publication/Article: PSAS. 1977. 'Donations to and purchases for the Museum and Library', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 106 1974-5, p.229-33. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 229-33. 18-19.
  • --- Text/Publication/Article: Thornber, I. 1974. 'Acharn, cairn, flint/scraper, cairn, cairns', Discovery and Excavation in Scotland 1974, p.19-20. Discovery and Excavation in Scotland. 19-20. 19 (cairn).
  • --- Image/Photograph(s): Burial Cairn & cists, Acharn, view from above. Colour Slide; Digital Image. .

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (0)

Record last edited

Jan 28 2008 12:00AM

Comments and Feedback

Do you have any questions or more information about this record? Please feel free to comment below with your name and email address. All comments are submitted to the Heritage Portal maintainers for moderation, and we aim to respond/publish as soon as possible. Comments, questions and answers that may be helpful to other users will be retained and displayed along with the name you supply. The email address you supply will never be displayed or shared.