Monument record 6866 - Bornais 2 & 3

Bornais 2:. 50m dia, c. 2m depth of deposit, ploughed in 1993, 1994. Trial trenched June-July 1994-1997. Surveys 1995-1996. One site with Bornais 3: c. 50m dia, c. 1.5m depth of deposit, ploughed 1995. Partially excavated June-July 1995 & 1997, surveys 1995-6
Parker Pearson and Sharples

DES 1996: NF 729 302 Geophysical survey of mounds 2 and 3 has identified over 18 rectangular buildings which form a substantial settlement covering an area of c 0.8ha. The buildings are concentrated into four settlement foci with the two mounds simply the most prominent component of the settlement. The 1996 excavation of mound 2 revealed a complex sequence of rectangular structures interspersed with the deposition of thick midden layers, some of which contain enormous quantities of marine shell. The principal area of excavation focused on an earlier building at the E end of the original 1994 trench. This was revealed to be another rectangular building of Norse date and indicates the complexity and depth of occupation on the site.
Sharples, N and Hamilton, M 1996, 108

DES 1997: NF 729 302 The mound 2 excavations focused on a large structure discovered in 1994. This was a well-preserved subterranean building over 10m long and 4m wide. Over 1m of infilling in the western half of the building. These deposits wre rich in artefactual and environmental material and one of the latest layers included a composite bone comb dating to the 13th or 14th century AD.
Two trenches were excavated on mound 3. The principal trench involved the complete excavation of a rectangular building, 7.2 x 4m, with a single entrance in the northern half facing E. Three distinct floor levels were identified in the interior, and immediately in front of the entrance was a sub-rectangular hearth defined by a stone kerb. A separate ash dump possibly indicating a hearth was found in the southern half of the buidling. A copper-alloy buckle dating to the 13th or 14th century AD was found above the final occupation layer.
The second trench was located to explore an anomaly identified by the geophysical survey. This turned out as expected to be a building, measuring 3.4 x 4.2m, with entrances through the E and W sides. There are indications that the structure explored was the northen half of a more substantial building. It was infilled with blown sand which meant that it was well-preserved, but it did not produce any material which could be used to date the abandonment.
This year's excavation has again recovered large quantities of ceramics, animal bone and small finds. Some of the datable small finds have been mentioned above but other ifnds of note include three small iron spearheads, a coin of Harold Hardrada or his successors, and several steatite objects including vessel fragments. Intensive environmental sampling continued with half-metre sampling of all the house floors excavated.
Sponsors: HS, University of Wales, Cardiff
Sharples, N 1997, 84-5

DES 1999: NF 729 302 Three substantial mounds dominate the machair plain of the township of Bornish (DES 1997, 84-5). Five seasons of excavation and field survey have revealed a chronological sequence dating from the Middle Iron Age to the Norse period, and geophysical survey has revealed the plan of an extensive Norse settlement.
The 1999 excavations, which lasted for eight weeks, were designed to complete the excavation of the Late Iron Age house previously exposed on mound 1 and to examine the western limit of settlement on this mound; to define the extent and plan of the large Norse house previously exposed on mound 2; to examine a new area on mound 2A where a structure was being badly damaged by ploughing; and to complete the excavation of the well-preserved ancilliary structure on mound 3.
The excavation of the Norse house on mound 2 revealed a building estimated to be 18m long and 5.8m side with walls up to 1.3m high. This was not fully excavated - the E end of the building lay beyond the western edge of the trench. The house was substantially modified some time after the initial occupation. A separate building was constructed in the E end of the house and the W end of the original building was reoccupied. Three small sample squares were dug into the secondary occupation layer in the western half of the building. This layer proved to be extremely productive, containing large quantities of artefactual material including complete bone pins, broken combs, an elaborately decorated antler tine, a coin, many iron objects, including two bucket handles, and complete pots broken in situ. The quality of the objects in these deposits is striking and suggests some form of ritual behaviour. Above this secondary occupation the house was infilled with metres of relatively uninteresting sand layers containing a relatively low level of material remains. Occasional stone lines and arcs indicated some form of deliberate human activity but not significant occupation.
The excavation of mound 2A exposed a poorly preserved Norse structure 3.6m wide and 6m long. It had entrances to the E and S though the latter may be into a subsidiary chamber. The floor only survived in the northern half of the structure where it was associated with a considerable amount of waste material. This included large quantities of animal and fish bones, evidence for bone comb manufacturing and a bag of iron boat nails. A large whalebone vertebra was set on the floor against the northern wall and may have served as a seat and/or chopping board. Underlying this house was an extensive ash layer containing large quantities of slag from iron smithing operations.
On mound 3 the second trench excavated in 1997 was reopened and extended S. This exposed a small kiln attached to the building, excavated in 1997, by a long passage. This kiln had been built through an earlier kiln which had a short passage and circular bowl. The two phases of kiln coincide with two phases of floor inside the building. Analysis of the upper floor, which was excavated in 1997, has revealed the presence of very large quantities of carbonised oats and barley. This structure appears to have been cut into a mound of windblown sand and represents a relatively short phase of activity near the end o fthe occupation of the settlement.
This year we successfully completed the excavation of the structures previously exposed on mounds 1 and 3 and excavated a threatened structure on mound 2A. However, the large Norse building on mound 2 proved to be much larger than expected and a complete understanding of this very important structure will require further excavation. The excavation recovered very large quantities of animal bones and a wide range of artefactual material. Extensive flotation has recovered a very large assemblage of carbonised plant remains and fish bones. The analysis of this database will provide an invaluable source of information on the economy in the period from the 8th through to the 14th century AD.
Sponsors: HS, University of Cardiff
Sharples, N 1999, 90-1

DES 2000: The 2000 fieldwork involved the excavation of areas on mounds 2 and 2A.
The mound 2 excavations focused on a large bow-shaped hall, oriented E-W and dating to the late 11th century AD. The 1999 trench was reopened and extended to the E and W to define the full extent of the structure, which can now be defined as 19.3m long and up to 5.8m wide. A considerable portion of the floor was excavated and this revealed a large central hearth area surviving as a mound of peat ash. Thin occupation layers surrounded this hearth and at the W end of the house these deposits were preceded by 15 pits. The final floor layer contained a large number of artefacts and this year the exceptional quality of this material was emphasised by the discovery of an elaborately decorated bone cylinder depicting an animal in characteristic Ringerike style.
Extending the trench to the E revealed a later rectangular building oriented N-S. This building was 12 x 5.4m with walls standng over 0-.7m high. A 2m wide slot was excavated through the floor of this structure and revealed a complex sequence of deposits preceded by a series of shallow charcoal-filled pits. After the abandonment of the house a structure was constructed in the S end. The W extension revealed that the deposit initially thought to be the primary floor of the bow-shaped hall belonged to an earlier timber structure.
Excavations on mound 2A were largely concerned with defining the complete sequence of deposits in this area. Trenches were dug to the N and E and these revealed a consistent sequence that began with sterile wind-blown sand. The initial deposit was a ploughsoil dating to the Viking/Norse period. This was overlaid with a thick accumulation of grey sand, which in the NW corner of the trench was associated with structures prodcucing large quantities of slag. These were in turn sealed by midden deposits, particularly rich in fish bone, which seemed to be associated with a sequence of domestic structures in the centre of the mound. The final deposits were associated with large quantities of antler waste from comb making.
The assemblage recovered from the site is now very substantial and artefactual material from mounds 2 and 2A has been particularly prolific. This season alone we recovered over 482 pieces of worked antler, 160 pieces of worked bone, 13 whalebone objects, 22 lead objects, 48 copper-alloy objects, and over 189 flints. Most of the worked antler represents debris from comb making but there are still over 100 objects made from antler and bone.
Sponsors: HS, University of Cardiff
Sharples, N 2000, 96-7

NF 729 302 The basic topography of the site has been outlined previously (see DES 2000, 96-7). Between May and July 2004 the excavations of mounds 2 and 2A were continued (DES 2003, 132-3). On mound 2, work focused on House 2 which dates to the 11th century AD, though there was limited excavation of earlier and later deposits….
Sharples 2004, 138-9
See full report therein

Parker Pearson, M and Sharples, N, Dun Vulan Environs Survey, South Uist (Unpublished document). SWE41170.

M, N and J Parker Pearson, Sha, 1995, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland (Bibliographic reference). SWE38862.

N and M Sharples and Hamilton, 1996, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland (Bibliographic reference). SWE36684.

N Sharples, 1997, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland (Bibliographic reference). SWE40612.

Council for Scottish Archaeology, 1999, Discovery and Excavation iin Scotland (Bibliographic reference). SWE41183.

Council for Scottish Archaeology, 2000, Discovery and Excavation in Scotland (Bibliographic reference). SWE41184.

Council for Scottish Archaeology, 2004, Discovery and Excavation in Scotland (Bibliographic reference). SWE41193.