Structural remains
They soon discovered the ‘compost’ consisted of cubic meters of bracken, ferns, and other organic material. Every area cleared of stones produced the same expanse of hundreds of timbers. While some structural survival was anticipated, this far exceeded expectations.
'Most of the timbers have exceptionally well-preserved marks left by the tools used to point or shape them.'
Initially, only identify the tops of what had once been vertical supports could be ientified. Closer inspection revealed smooth tops, not sawn, consistent with erosion caused by water movement after collapse. The uprights are like giant pencils, their sharpened ends driven into the loch bed to form a circular outline, while hundreds more are driven into the organic mound to varying depths suggesting different phases of building and repair. Most of the timbers have exceptionally well-preserved marks left by the tools used to point or shape them.
As the mass of timbers was painstakingly recorded, patterns began to emerge, and constructional details such as woodworking joints. Patience was rewarded in further excavation when the removal of a mass of branches revealed a recognisable structure.
The process resembled clearing debris from a flooded building where the roof had caved in and partly washed away. A large expanse of parallel timbers was discovered - some with bark intact - with others lying across them, and a section of interwoven hazel rods. This was the floor of the roundhouse.
Published: 2005-01-25
