Category:Scotland, Orkney, Westray: Pierowall

Notes taken at Graves found near the Sea-shore on a line running north and south. A group of 4 graves excavated and described by William Rendall in 1849. ^{(ANDERSON 1880 p.85-87)}.

Status-  Accepted  

Type-

Find date- before 1849

Dated to-

Museum- LOST

Publications-

• Anderson, Joeseph (1880) 'Notes on the Contents of two Viking Graves in Islay, Discovered by William Campbell, Esq., of Ballinaby; with Notices of the Burial Customs of the Norse Sea-Kings, as recorded in the Sagas and Illustrated by their Grave Mounds in Norway and in Scotland'.pp.51-89. (Available Online) The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland: Vol.14

  p.85

Grave 6 - 1849/a-1

Bodies- half a skull

Quote- "No. 1. The grave had been previously disturbed. Found so much of skeleton as to show that the body was lying north and south, rather inclining to the right side, with the face toward the sea. Only half of the skull was found, and, from its appearance, may have been cleft before being buried. Found a small iron hatchet lying before the body ; also several small pieces of iron were found round the grave, plainly showing that there had been armour * attached to the person buried. Half of a helmet was also found." William Rendall, 18th Oct 1849 ^{(ANDERSON 1880 p.85)}

 Grave goods Male  

• Axe -
• Shield boss -
• Fragments - iron

Grave 7 - 1849/a-2

Bodies- part of a human skeleton, a horse skeleton and part of a dog skeleton

Quote- "No. 2. Found a grave containing part of a human skeleton, with that of a horse. The horse was laid on its belly, with its head towards the sea, and directed northeast, with its hinder part towards the south-west. The horse's head was resting on the nose, and quite entire, of rather a small size. After removing it a piece of iron was found between its jaws, plainly showing that it had been a bit, with one of the rings for the bridle. Found immediately before the horse's head part of a human skeleton lying with the feet toward the north No head could be found. The thigh bones were crossed. Found much remains of iron rust, with a small piece of iron, either a spear-head or small sword. A buckle was found on the right side; also a piece of bone, which hud been attached to metal. Part of the skeleton of a dog was also found in the grave." William Rendall, 18th Oct 1849 ^{(ANDERSON 1880 p.86)}

 Grave goods Male  

• Horse bit - still in horses mouth
• sword or spear -
• Buckle -

Grave 8 - 1849/a-3

Bodies- part of a human skeleton and part of a horse skeleton

Quote- "No. 3. Found a grave containing part of a human skeleton, with a small dagger lying beside it. The position could not be ascertained. Part of the skeleton of a horse was also in the grave, with remains of bits of iron." William Rendall, 18th Oct 1849 ^{(ANDERSON 1880 p.86)}

 Grave goods Male  

• Horse bit - still in horses mouth
• spear - described as a dagger

Grave 9 - 1849/a-4

Bodies- human skeleton

Quote- "No. 4. Found a skeleton a considerable way towards the north, lying on its right side, with the knees drawn up toward the abdomen. No remains of armour were found." William Rendall, 18th Oct 1849 ^{(ANDERSON 1880 p.86)}

 Grave goods Unknown  

• None

Graves found round a mound of Sand and Small Stones, at a considerable distance from the Sea, in a line running north-west from the former Sites of Graves. A group of 5 graves excavated and described by William Rendall in 1849. ^{(ANDERSON 1880 p.85-87)}. Now in the Batemann Collection.

Status-  Accepted  

Find date- before 1849

Dated to-

Museum- Batemann Collection, Lomberdale House, Derbyshire? ^{(GRIEG 1940)}

Publications-

• Anderson, Joeseph (1874) 'Notes on the Relics of the Viking Period of the Northmen'.pp.536-94. (Available Online) The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland: Vol.10

  p.552
• Grieg, Sigurd (1940) Viking Antiquities in Scotland. Edited by Haakon Shetelig. (Available Online) Viking Antiquities in Great Britain and Ireland: Part 2

  p.94
• Graham-Campbell, James, and Batey, Colleen E. (1998) Vikings in Scotland, an archaeological survey. Edinburgh University Press.

  p.129-135
• Redmond, Angela Z. (2007) Viking Burial in the North of England. A Study of Contact, Interaction and Reaction between Scandinavian Migrants with Resident Groups, and the effect of Immigration on Aspects of Cultural Continuity.. British Archaeological Reports: BAR 429

  p.79 no.10-14

Grave 10 - 1849/b-1

Type- Stone-cist

Bodies- Skeleton

Quote- "No. 1. Found on the southmost site of the mound a large male skeleton, nearly entire, lying north and south, having large stones set round it in a square form. After carefully removing the sand the skeleton was lying rather on its left site, with the knees drawn up and the arms crossing over the breast. About two inches from the top of the head was found a cup-like piece of iron, evidently the part of a helmet.

On the left side was found a sword measuring about four feet in length. A large sharpening stone was found in the grave, with a comb and several glass beads. Bits of iron and wood, attached probably to the remains of a shield, were also found." William Rendall, 18th Oct 1849 ^{(ANDERSON 1880 p.86)}

 Grave goods Male  

• Sword -
• Shield boss -
• Comb -
• Beads - glass
• Whetstone -

Grave 11 - 1849/b-2

Type-

Bodies- Skeleton

Quote- "No. 2. Found on the north side of the mound a small skeleton lying north and south, having two hollow copper ornaments on the breast,5 with a circular piece and pin a little lower down, right over the region of the stomach. Supposed to be of a female. No remains of iron or rust was found near it." William Rendall, 18th Oct 1849 ^{(ANDERSON 1880 p.86)}

 Grave goods Female  

• Oval brooch (Pair) -
• Trefoil brooch -

Grave 12 - 1849/b-3

Type-

Bodies-

Quote- "No. 3. Found on the north side of the mound, between a row of small stones, a small skeleton, with two hollow ornaments and a small pin, as the former. No remains of iron were found. Two long combs, with ornamental carving on each side, were found, [one] above each shoulder. The teeth of the combs were fastened between two plates of bone riveted together with copper nails. Supposed to be a female." William Rendall, 18th Oct 1849 ^{(ANDERSON 1880 p.86-87)}

 Grave goods Female  

• Oval brooch (Pair) -
• comb -
• comb -

Grave 13 - 1849/b-4

Type-

Bodies- Skeleton

Quote- "No. 4. Found part of a skeleton on the north side of the mound, but had been previously disturbed." William Rendall, 18th Oct 1849 ^{(ANDERSON 1880 p.87)}

Comments- Grieg lists this grave as having the same items as grave 11

Grave goods

- None

Grave 14 - 1849/b-5

Type-

Bodies-

Quote- "No. 5. Found part of a small skeleton on the north-east side of the mound, with ornaments, pin, and combs as formerly described, and evidently a female." William Rendall, 18th Oct 1849 ^{(ANDERSON 1880 p.87)}

 Grave goods Female  

• Oval brooch (Pair) -
• Ringed pin -
• comb -
• comb -

Status-  Accepted  

Type-

Dated to-

Museum-

Comments-

Publications-

• Crofton Crocker, T. (1846) 'Antiquities discovered in Orkney, and Ireland, compared' pp.328-333. (Available Online) Journal of the British Archaeological Association: Vol.2

  ^{(CROFTON CROCKER 1846)}
• Grieg, Sigurd (1940) Viking Antiquities in Scotland. Edited by Haakon Shetelig. (Available Online) Viking Antiquities in Great Britain and Ireland: Part 2

  p.?
• Graham-Campbell, James, and Batey, Colleen E. (1998) Vikings in Scotland, an archaeological survey. Edinburgh University Press.

  p.131
• Graham-Campbell, James (2004) Danes . . . in this Country': discovering the Vikings in Scotland'. pp.201-39. (Available Online) The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland: Vol.134

  p.218
• Redmond, Angela Z. (2007) Viking Burial in the North of England. A Study of Contact, Interaction and Reaction between Scandinavian Migrants with Resident Groups, and the effect of Immigration on Aspects of Cultural Continuity.. British Archaeological Reports: BAR 429

  p.79 no.1-5

Grave 1 - 1939/1

Find date- 25th April 1839

Bodies- skeleton

Quote- "April 25, 1839.— Upon an elevated circular mound, a skeleton nearly entire; the head to the west, the feet to the east; the knees considerably bent upwards, and turned rather to the left, resembling the position of a person resting on a bed. In this posture its length was live feet six inches. The right hand rested upon the right thigh, and the left lay upon the abdomen ; the head was elevated a little, and the face turned towards the left. A large stone stood at the back of the head. A dagger lay at the right, with its point turned upwards towards the arm-pit. A bone comb, ornamented with a carved interlaced pattern in the centre, and the rivets of which are of iron lay opposite the right shoulder. "The top of a helmet" is stated to have been found about a span behind the back part of the skull, and directly above the right shoulder. A sword, three feet long, was on the left side ; the hilt under the cheek, and the point close to the thigh. It is added that " on removing the armour, the sword was broken in one place, and the same misfortune happened to the dagger," both presumed, from the passages in subsequent notes, to be of iron." ^{(CROFTON CROCKER 1846)}

 Grave goods Male  

Sword -

Spear -

Shield Boss -

Comb -

Grave 2 - 1939/2

Find date- 25th April 1839

Bodies- skeleton

Quote- "On the same day, that gentleman found a second skeleton a few yards to the north of this grave, lying the head to the south, the feet to the north; the skull on its face, and all the bones much decomposed. Two ornaments, described by Mr. Kendall as "resembling large muscle shells" were found lying a little below the head, and distant the one from the other about two inches. Something like a sword or dagger was observed lying at the right side, but it was no sooner handled than it mouldered into a rusty-coloured mass of dust. On the left, a sharp pointed metal instrument, scarcely a span in length, was observed protruding from below the face, having a ring of the same substance for the head." ^{(CROFTON CROCKER 1846 p.331-332)}

 Grave goods Female  

Oval brooch (Pair) -

Ringed-pin -

Weaving sword? -

Grave 3 - 1939/3

Find date- 1st May 1839

Bodies- skeleton

Quote- "On the 1st of May, Mr. Rendall found in nearly the same place, another skeleton on its back, but rather turned towards the left. The knees were considerably bent upwards. Both arms were lying along the sides, and the fore arms were crossed on the abdomen. A semicircular piece of iron lay on the side of the left arm, and a comb rested on the elbow joint of the same arm. " Two metal joints, resembling large muscle shells, were found, one lying on each collar-bone. A small circular perforated stone was found on the breast as if it had been suspended from the neck by a cord. "A circular ornament of about two inches in diameter, appearing to be the head of a large pin, was found lying in the angle, formed by the right elbow joint. A small cylindrical piece of bone, with something like an iron rod in it, was found lying under the chin, between the two ornaments resembling muscle shells. The bones were much decomposed, and appeared to have been those of a person in the middle of life." ^{(CROFTON CROCKER 1846 p.332)}

 Grave goods Female  

Oval brooch (Pair) -

Ringed-pin -

Needle case - with an iron needle

Spindle whorl -

Sickle -

Comb -

Grave 4 - 1939/4

Find date- 2nd May 1839

Bodies- skeleton

Quote- "The following day, Mr. Kendall discovered a skeleton about thirty yards east of the graves described, with its feet north, and its head south ; lying on its left shoulder, the face rather turned upwards. " The upper part of the skeleton was considerably bent forward. The right arm lay by the right side, half bent, while the fore arm and hand were lying on the pelvis. A large comb, apparently two spans in length, lay across the right elbow joint. On removal, however, it was found that instead of one comb, there were two; each being a span long. Left side — The left arm lay under the left side of the skeleton ; the fore arm was bent at right angles, and lay stretched out at the left side. " Found two ornaments resembling large muscle shells, one lying on each breast, and close by the ornament upon the left breast lay seven beads. [Quere, were not these the objects affixed to the seven points of the ornament — the number corresponds with them?] A little below the chin lay a circular metal ornament of about an inch and a half in diameter. This article has evidently been the head of an ornamental pin. " A sharp-pointed metal instrument,- hardly a span in length, having a circular ring of the same metal for a head, was found lying upon the abdomen. This was the skeleton of an aged person of the ordinary size. It was nearly entire. Two bones of the pelvis have been preserved. This grave was both covered and surrounded by large flat stones." ^{(CROFTON CROCKER 1846 p.332-333)}

 Grave goods Female  

Oval brooch (Pair) -

7 beads -

Ringed pin -

Comb -

Comb -

Grave 5 - 1939/5

Find date- 2nd May 1839

Bodies- skeleton

Quote- "On the 2nd of May, Mr. Kendall found in an adjacent grave a skeleton very much decomposed. " A sharp metal instrument of four or five inches in length, having a ring of the same metal for a head, and the remains of an iron instrument of about the same length, lay on the abdomen, or rather where the abdomen once had been." ^{(CROFTON CROCKER 1846 p.333)}

 Grave goods Unknown  

Ringed pin -

Spear? -