Iron Age broch was burned down

[Blackleaf]

An Iron Age home in the Highlands appears to have been hastily abandoned after a fire broke out either accidently or in an attack.

Archaeologists investigating the remains of the broch in Assynt, Sutherland, say they have found evidence to support the theory that the building caught fire and collapsed about 2,000 years ago...

Iron Age house in Assynt 'was burned down'

By Andrew Thomson, BBC Scotland
29 August 2017

(AOC Archaeology)

An Iron Age home in the Highlands appears to have been hastily abandoned after a fire broke out either accidently or in an attack.

Archaeologists investigating the remains of the broch in Assynt, Sutherland, say they have found evidence to support the theory that the building caught fire and collapsed about 2,000 years ago.

Major excavation work is taking place at Clachtoll broch in Assynt. It is thought the stone roundhouse was abandoned between 150BC and 50AD.

The project has reached layers showing evidence of a fire (AOC Archaeology)

The project, which is funded by Historic Environment Scotland and the Heritage Lottery Fund, is being led by AOC Archaeology.

The company's head of surveys, Graeme Cavers, said objects they have found so far suggest the broch was abandoned by its residents in a hurry.

He said the items were being found following the removal of rubble.

Archaeologists are finding objects such as a stone lamp and other pottery (AOC Archaeology)

"We are coming down on the archaeological layers, including the burning of the building," said Mr Cavers.

"We are pretty confident now that the broch has gone up in flames and that there was a major fire just shortly before it was abandoned.

"The fire could have been caused by an attack or caused by accidental burning of the building.

The broch is an Iron Age roundhouse (AOC Archaeology)

"We are finding lots of objects related to daily life."

These items include stone lamps and other pottery.

Mr Cavers added: "One of the objects that is interesting is a knocking stone which is for the preparation of grain before it is ground into flour.

"We have found that stone in a state that it is filled with burnt grain. So that looks like it was in use on the day that the building caught fire."

Excavations at the site are continuing.

(Bob Cook)

All images are copyrighted.

Iron Age house in Assynt 'was burned down' - BBC News

 

[Danbones]

Abandonment suggests attack because burn outs are usually rebuilt on the spot or the folks rebuild next door.

 

[Blackleaf]

Abandonment suggests attack because burn outs are usually rebuilt on the spot or the folks rebuild next door.

Well that's looking at life from a 21st Century perspective.

 

[Danbones]

I dunno...ever here of a "tell"?
usually they get built up pretty high after a time

interesting note
the letter rho ( as in celtic crhoss) is the root syllable of broch and round...and even brother

 

[Curious Cdn]

The fact that they were living in defensible structures like Brochs suggests "tough times". That time period corresponds with the Roman invasions in the south, The Romans got nowhere near there, as far as we know. If they did, they didn't live to tell the tale. The Romans weren't coastal raiders, either. The presence of the Romans to the south may have made it more dangerous for those in the north, though as their invasion might have caused a ripple effect through the tribes just like the ones that the European invaders started through the indigenous peoples here in North America.

 

[Danbones]

The rhomans did a lot of naval battle and might have come up to lay waste to a raider's pirate port

 

[Curious Cdn]

The rhomans did naval battle and might have come up to lay waste to a raider's pirate port

That is not out of the question but the Romans were pretty good about writing down their exploits. Anyway,it could have been a cooking fire out of control but that would be a real long shot considering the skill set that Iron Age people had to have to live. We are really stupid in comparison and Homer Simpsons would not have survived long.

 

[Danbones]

it may have been hit with a hijacked 747

I mean fire arrow

 

[Curious Cdn]

it may have been hit with a hijacked 747

I mean fire arrow

You mean a VII-IV-VII?

 

[Danbones]

Rome and the pirates
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cilician_pirates

while only a geneality it puts the idea in the right place

(interesting note about all the slaves being traded at the link)
looks like they will have to tear down everything built by the romans...haha)

"Slave trade[edit]
The main trade of the pirates was slavery. Roman merchants bought the most slaves. Roman land owners held large plantations worked by slaves. Sicily was notorious for its slave plantations owned by Romans.
Delos became the center of the Mediterranean slave market; other markets included those of RHOdes and Alexandria. In its heyday, 100,000 slaves passed through its markets in a single day. With the plantations came a harsher system of slavery and greater demand. Western Asia was the main supply, and was reduced by piracy and Roman tax farmers."

Yeah, Ceaser went after the Pirates at that time.
( Hear him with the slaves...JUST AROUND MIDNIGHT!)

 

[Curious Cdn]

Rome and the pirates
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cilician_pirates

while only a geneality it puts the idea in the right place

(interesting note about all the slaves being traded at the link)
looks like they will have to tear down everything built by the romans...haha)

They enslaved my people for four hundred years.

Then, a millennium and a half later, my people returned the favour an enslaved someone else for four hundred years. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

 

[Danbones]

We are still slaves.
Check for the chains..you might not see them unless you look carefully, but they are still there.

Tearing down statues is one link.

Another thing I see is that the power system behind western slavery is pretty much intact from that time down till now too and they are still behind the curtain.

 

[Curious Cdn]

We are still slaves.
Check for the chains..you might not see them unless you look carefully, but they are still there.

Tearing down statues is one link.

Oh, I could still live outside of the system. Not very well, mind you.

 

[Danbones]

You could live along side it but we can't be separate from it, it effects the whole landscape too much.

There is something about rhomans and pirates and ruins that seems to have lasted since the days of this broch though. Because I see this illustrated in the "workin celtic crhoss" so clearly is why I got so interested in it.

 

[Curious Cdn]

I'm often a cross Celt. Don't get me started.

 

[Danbones]

Yeah but its pronounced "Calt" and it looks like the line of descent goes back to "CAin" (CAnaan), then gobeki tepe, and from there back to the actual Atlantis( all the cities on the now flooded continental shelf...world wide)

 

[Blackleaf]

The fact that they were living in defensible structures like Brochs suggests "tough times". That time period corresponds with the Roman invasions in the south, The Romans got nowhere near there, as far as we know. If they did, they didn't live to tell the tale. The Romans weren't coastal raiders, either. The presence of the Romans to the south may have made it more dangerous for those in the north, though as their invasion might have caused a ripple effect through the tribes just like the ones that the European invaders started through the indigenous peoples here in North America.

It's debatable that brochs - which are only found in Scotland - were for defensive purposes. Nobody knows for sure. Some archaeologists say they were, some say that weren't, and some say some brochs were and some weren't.

Dun Carloway broch on the Isle of Lewis

 

[Curious Cdn]

The Isle of Lewis ... where everyone is a cousin.

Isn't that where Trump's mother came from?

It's debatable that brochs - which are only found in Scotland - were for defensive purposes. Nobody knows for sure. Some archaeologists say they were, some say that weren't, and some say some brochs were and some weren't.

Dun Carloway broch on the Isle of Lewis

That's a lot of trouble and work to go to for a simple dwelling. That's a castle keep.

 

[Blackleaf]

The Isle of Lewis ... where everyone is a cousin.

Isn't that where Trump's mother came from?

She was born in Tong on the Isle of Lewis on 10th May 1912.

That's a lot of trouble and work to go to for a simple dwelling. That's a castle keep.

Some people believe Dun Carloway broch may have been used for the production of pottery.

Or that it could have been used as the home of a tribal leader.

The broch, which was built in the 1st Century, was occasionally used in later times as a stronghold. The Morrisons of Ness put Dun Carloway into use in 1601. The story goes that they had stolen cattle from the MacAuleys of Uig. The MacAuleys wanted their cattle back and found the Morrisons in the broch. One of them, Donald Cam MacAuley, climbed the outer wall using two daggers and managed to smoke out the inhabitants by throwing heather into the broch and then setting fire to it. The MacAuleys then destroyed the broch.

The last occupants of the broch were a "respectable-looking" family in the 1870s.

Steps inside Dun Carloway broch

 

[Danbones]

Yeah, those were wild times