Excavations on the Cist Cemetery at Poltalloch, Argyll: 1960–62

Abstract

Summary In the course of gravel working at Poltalloch, Argyll,four Early Bronze Age graves were discovered. Grave 1 was largely destroyed but Graves 2–4 produced a beaker, two food vessels and a plano-convex knife, all of which were associated with inhumation burials. The excavations were carried out as part of a larger project, not described here, which revealed an extensive occupation area, with first millennium be and later levels.

Bruach An Druimein, Poltalloch, Argyll

“…Illus 31 Possible pivot stones (missing); larger (SF 219) recovered from Ditch Section 2, smaller (SF 223) from Ditch Section 1 lid (SF 99) was found in the final backfill from the ditch system and a mattock fragment (SF 210) was found next to one of the cists discovered during this series of excavations (Cregeen & Harrington 1981).…”

“…Plano-convex knives, for example, are known from the cist cemeteries to the north and south of the settlement excavation. A fine planoconvex knife was recovered with a food vessel from Cregeen's excavations of the cist cemetery (Cregeen & Harrington 1981) and another 'knife' from Craw's excavations just to the north. Plano-convex knives are also recorded in association with food vessels at Rudle (Greenwell 1866).…”

“…Although these bear some similarity to cup-marks, they are deeper, and are here interpreted here as pivot stones, though if they were cup-marks, they could have come from a destroyed Bronze Age cist. Currently there are nine recorded Bronze Age cists (Craw 1929;Campbell & Sandeman 1961;Cregeen & Harrington 1981) on the Bruach an Druimein terrace, several of which are decorated with cup-marks and have rebated grooves down their sides. There is no doubt that other cist sites would have been on this terrace and probably removed in the past.…”

“…At the north-west end of this terrace is a single cist (Campbell & Sandeman 1962;RCAHMS 1988) . In the middle of the terrace a group of Bronze Age cists, which were discovered during Cregeen's series of excavations, have been published separately (Cregeen & Harrington 1981).…”

“…Important areas were left as islands; unimportant areas were quarried away; and other areas were covered by quarry spoil. A nearby Bronze Age cist cemetery was discovered, and excavated and published separately (Cregeen & Harrington 1981).…”