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More post medieval digging and Mesolithic finds sorting at Tarradale yesterday. I wonder who got the better deal?

Here's a new blog post by James McComas about the ongoing community post- medieval excavations at Tarradale near Muir of Ord, where we have been trying to locate a number of barns shown on the 1788 estate map. nosasblog.wordpress.com/2025/01/22/tar…

Back at the Tarradale Barns dig yesterday at our possible kiln site. We found a piece of vitrified sandstone suggesting some ferocious temperatures. Our current working hypothesis is lime kiln, rather than a corn dryer

Another week at the barns dig at Tarradale. We now considering whether this is not a kiln at all, but rather a storage pit. Perhaps a monumental tattie pit? The burning would then be later reuse. Thoughts welcome!

Here is the Youtube video of our most recent talk - Archaeological Survey: thoughts on its past, present and future with George Geddes of HES. It made for a fascinating and thought provoking evening. Apologies for the hum on the soundtrack! youtu.be/zJYNbw4UO1Q?si…

A lovely NOSAS meal at the Culbokie Inn tonight. Thanks to Jean, Barbara and Anne for organising, and to Eric for the mystery object quiz.

Our feature at the Tarradale "Barns" continues to perplex us. It now looks like we have set of steps leading down into the feature, which have then been blocked up. We also have early indications of a cobbled surface dipping down towards the centre of the pit. Watch this space!

Check out Tarradale "barns", possible kiln / storage pit by @nosasblog in #3D, #VR or #AR skfb.ly/p9FUW via @sketchfab

Another Sunday at our stone lined pit at the Tarradale "barns". We have a discrete area of cobbling in the floor, which may have originally extended further, and a distinct fire setting. Fine sieving has revealed a small amount of burnt grain, and we found a handmade iron nail!

Here is the YouTube video of last week's fascinating NOSAS talk - The Archaeology of Designed Landscapes with Daniel Rhodes of NTS Archaeologist. Enjoy! youtu.be/vvQ-C8DBm_0?si…

Work continues on our stone lined pit/ kiln at "the barns" at Tarradale. Flotting bulk samples from the bottom of the pit revealed some charred grain, although relatively small amounts. The large nail we recovered last week is very fragmented, but is handmade and likely pre 1850

Another week digging our feature at the Tarradale "barns". We have now removed the remaining half of the floor deposits and retained all the material for flotting. Our leading theory is now back to corn drying kiln with 2 phases of use at different floor levels.

Here is the YouTube video of Peta Glew talking to NOSAS last week. It was a fascinating evening about the prehistoric settlement remains on the new Inverness prison site that was excavated by AOC Archaeology Group in 2022. youtu.be/Hbje5X4XX7M

"Crannogs contain some of the best-preserved evidence for life in the past in Scotland." Today the Society announced funding for an underwater excavation of a medieval Highland crannog by NOSASArchaeologyBlog and Nautical Archaeology Society, along with 11 other new projects: bit.ly/SocietyGrantsS…

'Archaeologists are to excavate what they believe to be a rare example of a medieval crannog settlement in the Highlands' BBC Scotland News. ⛏️ NOSASArchaeologyBlog | Nautical Archaeology Society Funded by Society of Antiquaries of Scotland bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

After two winters we have sorted over 350 bags of shell midden material from our 2023 Mesolithic dig at Tarradale; about 4 tonnes worth. We extracted bone, antler, fish bones, charcoal, worked lithics, pierced shells etc. The volunteers sorted for an estimated 1500 hours in total

What's happening at our kiln feature at Tarradale? We've removed part of stone block in the steps and carried out a limited sondage through the floor to make sense of the sequence of use. Plenty more grain coming up in our flotting. See the latest 3D model skfb.ly/puQTq

Nice evening light for showing up a bit of rig. Descending the Aonach Eagach in Glencoe yesterday

Here's a recording of a recent talk Eric Grant gave for us - Snuff taking and snuff making in Scotland: The material culture of a very Scottish habit. A fascinating journey into this now somewhat obscure habit and its distinct paraphernalia youtu.be/3Xam5hNNTDM?si…

A new blog post by Gordon Sleight about a quern stone quarry in Ardroe that was discovered during COVID by Historic Assynt. There is a link to our last post too, as some of the extracted querns might have been used for grinding snuff or spices! nosasblog.wordpress.com/2025/04/16/que…