Find Spot record MHG558 - Findspot, Polloch

Summary

Findspot of medieval wooden dish or bowl.

Location

Grid reference Centred NM 7830 6899 (4m by 4m) (Buffered by site type)
Map sheet NM76NE
Civil Parish ARISAIG AND MOIDART
Old County ARGYLL
Geographical Area LOCHABER

Map

Type and Period (1)

Full Description

This dish was found in July 1991 in mud at the edge of the River Polloch, and at a depth of about 0.3m; it has also been published as from Loch Doilet. It is unusual in form, being roughly rectangular around the inside of the rim while the flat bottom is more nearly circular on plan and two prominent opposing flat handles project from the rim. The overall measurements are 0.3m by 0.297m, while the handles and the base measure up to 32mm and about 12mm in thickness respectively.
The dish is of alder and apparently remains unfinished. The base is roughly-worked and displays various cutmarks while the sides have numerous indistinct vertical toolmarks of a narrow and flat or slightly curved tool. Charring may be identified both within the interior and (less obviously) externally.
The vessel is currently in conservation at the Royal Museum of Scotland (under NMS daybook number DB 1991/33). It has been radiocarbon-dated to 910 +/- 80 ad (OxA-3539), which determination may be calibrated to about 995 cal AD.
R E M Hedges, R A Housley, C Bronk-Ramsey and G J van Klinken 1993; C Earwood 1993; R J C Mowat 1996; information from Mr T Cowie.

Loch Shiel (Polloch). NM 783 689 A shallow wooden-handled trough was found in shallow water on the edge of the channel where the River Polloch flows into Loch Shiel. It has been 14C dated to 800-1165 cal.AD. The finder, Master Guy Roberts, donated the vessel to the National Museum of Scotland.
Daybook no.DB 1991/33
NMS 1992.

Sources/Archives (5)

  • --- Text/Publication/Article: NMS. 1992. 'Loch Shiel (Polloch) (Ardnamurchan parish): Norse/medieval wooden trough', Discovery and Excavation in Scotland 1992, p.42-3. Discovery and Excavation in Scotland. 42-3. 42-3.
  • --- Text/Publication/Article: Hedges, Housley, Bronk-Ramsey and Van Klinken, R E M, R A, C R and G J. 1993. ''Radiocarbon dates from the Oxford AMS system: Archaeometry datelist 16',', Archaeometry Vol. 35 1993, p.147-67. Archaeometry. 147-67. 156.
  • --- Text/Publication/Article: Earwood, C. 1993. 'The dating of wooden troughs and dishes', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 123 1993, p.355-62. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 355-62. 359-60, 361.
  • --- Text/Publication/Volume: Earwood, C. 1993. Domestic wooden artefacts in Britain and Ireland from Neolithic to Viking times. 285.
  • --- Text/Publication/Volume: Mowat, R J C. 1996. The logboats of Scotland, with notes on related artefact types. 103-4, 113, no. A61; tab. 1.

Finds (1)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (0)

Record last edited

Jan 28 2008 12:00AM

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