Monument record 2050 - ALLT CHRISAL, BARRA

NL69NW 7.13 6418 9774

T15. Small, much damaged and robbed rectangular building, approximately 4.5 x 2m internally, walls 0.8m wide, with a secondary shelter to the W.
Excavation (in 1992) showed that the N part of the structure is built into, and is protected by, the the hillside to a depth of 0.4m, and consists of several courses of stonework. A large embedded naturally-placed boulder forms part of the NW side, and also seperates the structure from its 'annexe', a shelter or storage space set into the hillside on that side.
The site has suffered from rabbit infestation, and their burrows have undermined and displaced much of the stonework in the S and SE parts of the structure, as well as destroying most of the stratigraphic integrity of both the soil layers and much of the stonework. Window glass and sherds of late 18th to early 19th century pottery, similar to those found in other layers of the farmstead, were found in the upper soil layers. Under the upper layers, a few prehistoric sherds, similar to Neolithic sherds from T26/26A, and flintwork were recovered from deposits that appeared less disturbed and more compact, but very similar to those above in other characteristics.
Although much of the stonework was extensively displaced, enough remained in situ to suggest that there may have been an early circular stone foundation that was re-structured at a later date, possibly in the early modern period. The 'annexe' to the W was excavated, but no dateable material was found.

Period I: Neolithic.
Despite difficulties in seperating the prehistoric structure from the later, early modern modifications, some of the initial building may be discerned. The surviving element of the early building appears to be the stone foundations representing a small hut or shelter. The walling survives best around the N half, where it is embedded into the slope of the hillside and stands several courses high. It appears to have been constructed originally as a single thickness stone wall foundation with an internal diameter of approximately 1.2m.
Further stonework to the S of the hut may be evidence for a storm porch in front of the entrance. This would be comparable to T18, a building of similar size to the N that may also be of the same date. However difficulties in securely dating these two small structures (T15 and T18) means that any conclusions must remain speculative.
Below the loose disturbed soils of the upper layer, excavation revealed a possible prehistoric deposit of dark brown slightly mineralised soil (3) of a more compact nature. The interface between the two layers was not sharp and there was also considerable disturbance from small burrowing animals. There was no indication of a hearth or floor at this level.

Period III: Modern.
Turf (1) and topsoil (2) deposits were initially removed in quadrants, but the usefulness of retaining section baulks was marginal considering the disturbed loose nature of the infill which encouraged any section to quickly collapse. The topsoil consisted of soil accumulation, hillwash silt and windblown sand, all mixed and redeposited by intense rabbit activity. This deposit varied in depth across the site from 0.05m to 0.3m, and either supported oe enveloped much displaced stonework.
Dating evidence for this period resides in fragments of late 18th to early 19th century pottery and glass recovered from the upper highly disturbed layer. This layer (2) had the characteristics of hillwash combined with wind blown sand, but the presence of glass and pottery suggests that there was once a distinct deposit of the 18th century which has become mixed beyond recognition by burrowing animals.

In conclusion, T15 appears to have been constructed as a small circular stone building, possibly with an offset porch in front of the entrance similar to that of T18, at a date sometime in the Neolithic. The absence of modern material in the base layer may be considered as additional evidence for the suggested early construction. However, the appearance of most of the revealed stonework as an insubstantial single stone thickness foundation is suggestive of a much more recent date. Most of the modern shelters recorded in the survey are usually of insubstantial single thickness drystone constructions. In contrast, most similar pre-modern building foundations are usually built with walls of more than one stone width, bonded and filled with earth as is the hut T18.
A small annexe to the W of the shelter is undatable since there are no structural connections between it and the rest of the site across the protruding bedrock boulder that intervenes, and no datable material was found associated with the annexe during the excavations.
The function of this building or buildings is not known although the smallness of floor area and lack of any hearth detract from any suggestion that it was for domestic habitation. Although there are many functional possibilities, such as a bachelor sleeping hut or as a room of ritual significance, use as a storage hut in both periods is favoured by the author.
K Branigan and P Foster 1995; NMRS, MSS. 595/3 and 595/8.

The monument known as Alt Chrisal, multi-period settlement 750m ESE of Gortein, Barra, comprises the remains of a multi-period settlement site that also includes some evidence for prehistoric ritual activity. Survey & excavations between 1989 and 1994, by Sheffield University, found evidence for settlement dating from the Neolithic (about 3600 years BC) to the 18th and 19th centuries. The stone-built elements of the excavated structures are still largely visible on site today, where not destroyed by the road and sheep pen. The area to be scheduled is irregular, with maximum dimensions of 300m NNW-SSE by 270m NNE-SSW, to include the main focus of surviving above-ground structures at Alt Chrisal and an area in which evidence related to their construction and use may survive. The fenceline along the roadside and around the sheep pen (which forms the S boundary of the site) is excluded from the scheduling, to allow for maintenance.
HS scheduling document, 8.11.2005

K. Brannigan & P. Foster, 1995, Barra: archaeological research on Ben Tangaval from the end of the Ice Age to the Crofting Commissio, pp. 49, 51, 52-3 figs 4.1 and 4.2, pp. 52, 120-2, 131 (Bibliographic reference). SWE33223.