Description

The monument comprises the remains of a chambered burial cairn, a burial monument dating from the Neolithic period (c 3500-3000BC) visible as a stony mound.

The cairn lies at about 45m OD in an undulating field, occupying a low knoll overlooking the flood plain of the River Add. It is roughly circular on plan, measuring about 32m across and stands to about 2m in height. The cairn has an irregular outline having been robbed, ploughed and had field clearance stones dumped on it. The majority of the cairn is turf covered, except on the S side where a bank of bare stones remains. Two upright slabs, one 1.7m long x 0.3m thick and up to 0.45m high and the other 0.7m long x 0.3m thick and up to 0.7m high, lie almost at right angles to each other 0.2m apart and about 10m from the S edge of the cairn. A slab 2.4m long and 0.2m thick embedded in the cairn material lies nearby. An upright earthfast slab 0.5m long x 0.1m thick projects 0.2m from the cairn material at a point 12m N of the upright slabs.

The area to be scheduled comprises the remains as described and an area around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive. It is a truncated circle on plan, 55m in diameter minus an area on the SW where the boundary of the scheduled area is formed by the N side of the access road to Dunamuck farm. The area is shown in red on the accompanying map extract.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance because of its potential to contribute to an understanding of prehistoric funerary and ritual practices. Despite some disturbance it retains considerable potential to provide important information about prehistoric ritual and funerary architecture and practices.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

The monument is recorded by RCAHMS as NR89SW 22.

References:

Campbell M and Sandeman M 1964, 'Mid Argyll: an archaeological survey' PROC SOC ANTIQ SCOT 95, 10.

Henshall A S 1972a, THE CHAMBERED TOMBS OF SCOTLAND, 2, Edinburgh, 362, No. ARG 44.

RCAHMS 1988a, ARGYLL: AN INVENTORY OF THE MONUMENTS VOLUME 6: MID-ARGYLL AND COWAL, PREHISTORIC AND EARLY HISTORIC MONUMENTS, Edinburgh: HMSO, 59, No. 46(1).

Source: Historic Environment Scotland