Monument record 1743 - NASK, BARRA

NL69NW 7.08 6471 9766.

T55: This was a small megalithic structure which had been incorporated into a roughly circular enclosure (T56) about 50m in diameter, formed by a ring of orthostats. A little over half of this circle survives, curving around the hillside on either side of T55.

When excavated in 1989, it became apparent that the megaliths were the remains of an oblong 'chamber' which was surrounded by a long, narrow cairn, best preserved on the W side. Of the chamber itself, seven stones survived upright and in situ and an eighth lay prone but apparently in place, marking the back of the chamber. Two further orthostats lay out of position on the remains of the cairn at the NW corner. The S end of the chamber, oroiginally open, had been blocked by a crudely-built cross-wall of smallish blocks of stone, and a second, similar wall had been inserted a little over 1m back into the chamber. It is suggested that the relict structure was modified for re-use, perhaps as a lambing pen, by the occupants of the small blackhouse (infra).

With the blocking walls removed, the chamber was seen to have measured 3.5m by 1.25m, oriented SSE-NNW, with the entrance at the S end. The walls of the chamber, as they survived, were composed of either orthostats or substantial stone blocks set one upon another. The tallest orthostats were up to 1m high, and it is likely that the chamber was never higher than this. The sides of the chamber appeared to have been parallel, and to have ended with two orthostats set across the N end to form the rear wall of the structure. One of these stones was missing, but the W stone lay in place and excavation revealed its original socket with packing stones still in situ. A large stone block set half way down the length of the chamber seemed to be well bedded and slighly overhung by the stones of the W chamber wall, in which case it may be the remains of an original partition of the chamber, but this is uncertain.

The cairn was composed of small boulders averaging 25-40cms in length and on the W side survived to a height of around 65cms, three and four stones deep. There was a clear and well-preserved kerb of larger blocks laid horizontally along the W side, and this was traced to the rear of the chamber, revealing an elongated heel-shaped cairn which would originally have been about 4m wide and at least 5m long. The uncertainty about length is created by the disturbed area in front of the chamber at the S end. There were about twenty boulders lying in front of the chamber entrance but too disturbed to be certain whether they had been part of a cairn, or a blocking which had covered the entrance to the chamber. There was a suggestion of a flat facade flanking the entrance to the chamber, in which case, if the boulders were part of a structure here, they must have been a final blocking rather than original cairn.

Within the chamber, beneath the turf and desiccated peat topsoil was 10-15cms of brownich black humidified peat with some grit and sand. This overlay a deeper, 20-30cms thick deposit of similar material but lacking any sand or grit. Both the orthostats of the chamber walls and the single block set across the chamber were set in this lower material, but there was no sign that they had been cut-down into the deposit. Thus, the chamber had been erected while this deposit was accumulating. No artefact or other remains were found. The age of the chamber and cairn are therefore open to speculation. It almost certainly preceded the orthostatic enclosure into which it was incorporated, for the orthostats of the E chamber wall were utilised as part of the enclosure ring, and the part of the cairn which lay within the enclosure was demolished and removed. The enclosure itself probably predates the blackhouse (T57, at NL 6473 9769). Measuring 5.5m by 5m, with walls 0.7m wide and up to four courses high, it lies across the line of the enclosure.

In the absence of any artefactual material, it must be recognised that T55 may not be a prehistoric megalithic mortuary structure, but it is difficult to suggest a convincing alternative. On balance, it is suggested that this was a small mortuary chamber of the late neolithic/ early bronze age, contemporary with the occupation at Allt Chrisal (NL 69 NW 7.06) 450m W.
K Branigan 1989f; K Branigan and P Foster 1995; NMRS MS/595/3.

Following close examination of the aerial photographs, and descriptions of this site, the location has been moved 25m north from NL 6471 9766, to the north side of the road
MML 11.5.07

K Branigan, 1989f, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 69 (Bibliographic reference). SWE10413.

K. Brannigan & P. Foster, 1995, Barra: archaeological research on Ben Tangaval from the end of the Ice Age to the Crofting Commissio, 38, 163-5 plan: p. 164, fig. 5.2 (Bibliographic reference). SWE33223.