Bronze Age burials discovered near Scotland's Kilcreggan

A team of archaeologists working at a site near Kilcreggan have discovered burial sites, bones and artefacts dating back around 4,000 years.

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The North Clyde Archaeological Society have been conducting a major project at Portkil, on the southern tip of the Rosneath peninsula, for more than a year.

So far, six burials all dating to the Bronze Age between circa 3,000 and 4,500 years ago have been located. Four are cremations with surviving bone which will eventually be professionally analysed and tell more of the people and their lifestyles.

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One deposit was in a pot which had been truncated when the area was ploughed before a WWI army camp was installed on the site. The bones suggest a female and baby and tiny teeth roots in another burial also suggest an infant or baby.

Two stone coffins have been found, one is a tiny neatly made pit - which could only have been for a baby, however nothing was found in it. Scotland has notoriously acidic soils which dissolve bodies within a few centuries. Another more conventional Bronze Age cist was similarly devoid of anything, the assumption being that a crouched body was inserted in the coffin but has long since disappeared.

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In another rather crudely made grave lined with stones, a complete pot and cremated bone was discovered. The small food vessel has been decorated all over by using a bone comb. It is believed that this grave contained a body and the cremated remains of another. The grave was covered in a layer of white quartz pebbles as a decoration.

In a rather insignificant pit filled with stones came a fine object in the form of a tiny green pottery bead glazed with copper, known as faience, this ‘segmented’ bead could be 4,000 years old.

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Tam Ward, project leader, said: “We are elated by the recent discoveries.It’s been a resounding success. This is a major discovery for Argyll as it stands, with much more to come.”

Mr Ward added: “One thing is for sure, these discoveries add an important new dimension to the ancient story of Argyll. The work continues and more is expected to be discovered. We will have to raise funds to pay for specialist work on finds, then a new story about the ancient past on the Rosneath peninsula can be told.”

Author: Ross Hanvidge | Source: Helensburgh Advertiser [August 14, 2019]