an Iron Age mortar

Found by divers Michael Sharpe, Charles Guest and Simon Arnold from North of Scotland Archaeology Society (NOSAS) in September 2023 in Loch Bhassapol on the south side of Eilean Àirde na Brathan, 15m offshore in 1m of water.

From Dr Fraser Hunter’s report:

Large ovoid cobble (stone not identified) with a pecked oval hollow (60 x 70 mm) centrally on the flattest face. The base is pecked but part of the sides are worn smooth, suggesting use as a mortar.

Also an Iron Age quern fragment at 2025.50.1

see entry at tireeandcollarchaeology.org

With the permission of His Grace the Duke of Argyll

Fragment of an Iron Age bun quern

Found by divers Michael Sharpe, Charles Guest and Simon Arnold from North of Scotland Archaeology Society (NOSAS) in September 2023 in Loch Bhassapol on the south side of Eilean Àirde na Brathan, 15m offshore in 1m of water.

From Dr Fraser Hunter’s report:

The quern fragment represents around a quarter of the upper stone of a bun quern. It has been heavily used: the lower surface is worn to the point where it is so smooth that it would need re-dressed to be functional, and there are two handle sockets on the upper surface, the outer (less worn) one replacing the heavily worn inner one.

Bun querns are an Iron Age type, appearing (rarely) around the 4th century BC and persisting through the earlier first millennium AD.

Also an Iron Age mortar at 2025.50.2

see entry at tireeandcollarchaeology.org

With the permission of His Grace the Duke of Argyll