Viking Unst Project, Excavations at Hamar and The Upper House, Underhoull: Field Season 2008: Interim Report No. 3 (Data Structure Report)
Part of the North Atlantic Biocultural Organization (NABO) project
Author(s): J.M. Bond; Z. Outram; C.M. Freeth
Editor(s): J.M. Bond; Z. Outram; C.M Freeth
Year: 2008
Summary
The Viking Unst Project began in August 2005 with an integrated survey of key sites in the
island of Unst (Bond et al. 2006). Using a Penmap survey as well as simple annotated
plans, this initial investigation aimed to thoroughly record the sites in terms of surviving
earthworks and the surrounding area. The first excavation season was carried out in July
2006 and focused on the site of Hamar under the direction of Dr. Julie Bond, with work on
the site of Belmont being carried out under the direction of Stine Larsen of Roskilde
Skibsmuseet.
It has been suggested that Unst may have played an important role in the expansion of the
Viking/Norse populations, acting as a staging post between Norway, Britain and the lands
further west (Ritchie 1996, 71; Graham-Campbell & Batey 1998, 67). Published
excavations include those undertaken at Underhoull (Small 1966), Sandwick (Bigelow
1985), Framgord (RCAHMS 1946), and Norwick (Ballin Smith 2007). Small’s excavations
at Underhoull took place before the routine employment of sieving and sampling on
archaeological excavations and so little can be said about the economy of the site or about
its chronology. A major aim of the Viking Unst Project is to excavate new sites in Unst
employing up-to-date methodology to address these key issues. This research will advance
our understanding not only of Unst’s past, but of Shetland as a whole.
The sites investigated during the 2008 excavation season were Hamar (SMR site 3471, Nat
Grid Ref. HP 6463 0933), and a longhouse located adjacent to the broch at Underhoull
(SMR site HP50SE13, Nat grid Ref. HP5734 0435), located in the Westing and referred to
here as the Upper House, Underhoull.
Cite this Record
Viking Unst Project, Excavations at Hamar and The Upper House, Underhoull: Field Season 2008: Interim Report No. 3 (Data Structure Report). J.M. Bond, Z. Outram, C.M. Freeth, J.M. Bond, Z. Outram, C.M Freeth. Bradford Archaeological Sciences Research ,20.: Shetland Amenity Trust, University of Bradford. 2008 ( tDAR id: 3257) ; doi:10.6067/XCV8668BB6
Keywords
Material
Ceramic
•
Fauna
•
Glass
•
Ground Stone
•
Macrobotanical
•
Metal
•
Mineral
•
Pollen
•
Wood
Site Name
Hamar (SMR site 3471)
•
Upper House, Underhoull
Site Type
Domestic Structures
•
Long House
Investigation Types
Data Recovery / Excavation
Spatial Coverage
min long: 8; min lat: 58 ; max long: 12; max lat: 61 ;
Individual & Institutional Roles
Contact(s): J.M. Bond
Contributor(s): D.J. Bashford; C.E. Batey; C.M. Batt; L.D. Brown; M. Church; J.E. Cussans; S.J. Dockrill; G. Gaunt; J.G. McDonnell; J. McKenzie; A.R.R. Mustchin; J.R. Summers; G.T. Swindles; V.E. Turner
File Information
| Name | Size | Creation Date | Date Uploaded | Access | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| hamar_underhoull_shetlanddsrno3dec08.pdf | 2.65mb | Oct 16, 2010 10:43:14 AM | Public |