Find Spot record MHG5197 - BA Hoard, Point of Sleat

Summary

No summary available.

Location

Grid reference Centred NG 5923 0948 (4m by 4m) (Buffered by site type)
Map sheet NG50NE
Geographical Area SKYE AND LOCHALSH
Old County INVERNESS-SHIRE
Civil Parish SLEAT

Map

Type and Period (1)

Full Description

A Late Bronze Age hoard was found in 1849 by a workman cutting peats between the farms of Gillean and Ach-na-Cloich. The objects, which were found together with several oak boards about 2ft long and 1 1/2" thick, consisted of a leaf-shaped sword, two leaf-shaped spearheads, a curved socketed knife and a cup-head pin.
The hoard is Irish and dates from the 7th century BC. It is now in the NMAS.
Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1862; 1871; 1923; J M Coles 1962.

The Misses MacDonald of Achnacloich (who are about 80 years of age) state that they clearly remember their grandfather telling them hoard was found above and to W of Achnacloich, near W bank of burn (below Druim Diomhaim), upon the first fairly level place above the highest old field bank at NG 5923 0949.
Visited by OS (A S P) 21 June 1961.

(Sword of Ewart Park type - Caledonian step 2). Found 6km from Armadale Castle, 1km from the coast, on the N side of the Point of Sleat, between the farms of Gillean and Achnacloich, in 1849. The finder was a workman cutting peat.
Complete sword, length 56.65cm, terminal width 4.65cm, shoulder width 5.1cm, mediam blade width 4.3cm; badly cast; flaws over surface. Patina gone but some black patches near butt; rivets, 1 (+1 bl): (2 bl), none in situ. NMAS DQ 393 (Lord MacDonald of Armadale Castle collection).
C B Burgess and I Colquhoun 1988.

Although the hoard is published as from the Point of Sleat, it was found above the township of Achnacloich, on the Sleat peninsula but not at the Point of Sleat.

The style of the pin and knife is Irish. The knife may have been made from the same mould as a similar one found in a hoard at Cullerne in Moray. None of the objects have been used. The objects may have been made in Ireland, or by an Irish smith working in Scotland. (SCRAN dataset)

SCRAN dataset, with picture at www.scran.ac,uk . SCRAN id 000-100-034-430-C <1>

Sources/Archives (9)

  • --- Text/Publication/Article: Henderson, W. 1938. 'Scottish late Bronze Age axes and Swords', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 72 1937-8, p.150-77. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 150-77. 173.
  • --- Text/Publication/Article: Coles, J M. 1962. ''Scottish Late Bronze Age metalwork: typology, distributions and chronology'', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 93 1959-60, p.16-134. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 16-134. 111-12.
  • --- Text/Publication/Article: Burgess and Colquhoun, C B and I. 1988. 'The swords of Britain', Prahistoriche Bronzefunde Vol. 4 1988. Prahistoriche Bronzefunde. 100, no. 586.
  • --- Text/Publication/Volume: Evans, J. 1881. Ancient bronze implements, weapons and ornaments of Great Britain and Ireland. 289.
  • --- Text/Publication/Article: Bedford, C H. 1889. 'Notice of a bronze sword found on the estate of Waternish, Skye', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 23 1888-9, p.258-61. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 258-61. 260.
  • --- Text/Publication/Article: PSAS. 1871. 'Donations to and purchases for the Museum and Library with exhibits', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 8 186-70, p.10-15,33-4,50-2,67-8,113-17,143-5,173-7,231-9,256-65,302-12,339-42,. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 10-15,33-4,50-2,67-8,113-. 310-11.
  • --- Text/Publication/Article: PSAS. 1923. 'Donations to and purchases for the Museum and Library', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 57 1922-3, p.10-17, 46-7, 108-111, 170-2, 294-8. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 10-17, 46-7, 108-111, 170. 144, 150.
  • --- Text/Publication/Article: PSAS. 1862. 'Donations to the museum and library', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 3 1857-60, p.23-5,36-7,68-9,80-1,106-110,122-3,159-60,183-4,201-3,211-2,235-9,245-53. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 23-5,36-7,68-9,80-1,106-1. 101-3.
  • <1> Collection/Project Archive: Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands (ARCH). 2012. Digital site gazetteer and archive for ARCH Community Timeline Project: Broadford. Yes. Digital. Site 35.

Finds (6)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

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Record last edited

Jan 28 2008 12:00AM

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