Monument record 805 - ALLASDALE, BARRA

NF60SE 16 6585 0308.

(NF 6585 0308) Shell midden in broken sand dunes. Some glazed pottery, prohably mediaeval.
(Information from C F Tebbutt, 1959)

This shell midden is in a recently exposed sand dune. It measured c. 40.0m by c. 8.0m, is oriented NE-SW, and contains shells and a few animal bones, but no pottery.
Surveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (W D J) 16 May 1965.

At NF 659 031 [and two other sites] "Erosion patches in blown sand yielded, besides the usual bones, shells and occasional fish vertebrae, iron slag, sherds, hammer stones and flint flakes". Finds deposited in Glasgow Museum and Art Gallery.
J Davies 1971.

C53 (NF659031) OS records pottery and shells etc. found in dunes at this approx. NGR in 1959. A few small sherds of reddish-brown gritty ware found here in 1992; nothing seen in 1998.
Branigan and Foster 2000, 36.

NF 6587 0310
Established erosion hollo. Midden deposit forms the base of the hollow, and is under about 5m of sand in places. Near river it is rich in peat ash, fired clay flecks and some charcoat/burnt peat. Shell, bone, hammerstones, iron etc., densely packed
Knott, 2001, 17

J Davies, 1971, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 22-3 (Bibliographic reference). SWE33326.

Keith Branigan & Patrick Foster, 2000, From Barra to Berneray: Archaeological Survey and Excavation in the Southern Isles ... (Bibliographic reference). SWE41033.

Carol Knott, 2001, Barra & Vatersay Survey, Western Isles (Unpublished document). SWE41119.