Mystery Thrumster broch find has experts guessing
A MYSTERY find at the site of a Caithness broch has experts stumped.
It’s less than a week into the Yarrows Heritage Trust’s fact-finding mission at Thrumster and a strange feature has been unearthed.
This latest excavation – supervised by AOC Archaeology – started on Monday and runs until July 24.
It aims to reveal information about the stone dwelling as well as find out more about a 19th-century excavation when the roundhouse was emptied of rubble and a summer house built in the entrance.
Chairman of AOC Archaeology and director of the excavations John Barber explained the "landscape gardening" episode in the 19th-century period refashioned the broch, as well as removing a quarter of the dwelling wall which was replaced with a stone-built summer house.
"Although not the primary focus of the current research, exploration of this early exercise in landscape gardening has revealed a mysterious feature – a large iron strap solidly riveted into what is either bedrock or a very large stone slab," said Mr Barber.
"Suggestions as to the use or function of this interesting piece of ironmongery will be gratefully received."
The iron strap is around 8cm wide, a metre long and is curled at one end. It is riveted to the ground and runs through the centre of the broch to either side where the two quadrants have been dug up.
* Can anyone suggest what the find might be? Comment below.