Description

The monument consists of the remains of a prehistoric house within an enclosure, with a nearby burnt mound and evidence of former agricultural cultivation.

The monument is located in a sheltered shallow basin in low hills, open to the E and NE. Towards the W side of the area to be scheduled is an oval house foundation, measuring about 12m by 10m overall, with the footings of a small outbuilding on the NE side. Many small cairns of field cleared stones dot the area, and there is an enclosure of sub-rectangular plan some 55m by 50m to the SE of the house, but this may be of later date, associated with the very ruined croft nearby. To the N of the house is a burnt mound, a prehistoric cooking place.

The area to be scheduled is an irregular oval, measuring a maximum of 140m NNW-SSE by 100m transversely, to include the house, annexe, enclosure, burnt mound, ruined croft buildings and an area within which traces of past cultivation are present and within which further evidence for past agricultural settlement is likely to survive. This area is marked in red on the accompanying map extract.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as a fine field monument, showing the typical form and features of prehistoric settlements in Shetland. It is well-preserved and appears to be substantially undisturbed, despite later agricultural activity in the area. The close association of burnt mound and visible settlement remains is an unusual one, but particularly evident in Papa Stour, where the presence of other examples nearby holds out the possibility of comparison between neighbouring monuments. The monument therefore has great potential to provide important information about prehistoric settlement and agricultural and domestic economy.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as HU 16 SE 16.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland