Dail Mòr

Dail Mòr
Shown within Scotland
Alternate name Dalmore
Location Isle of Lewis
Region Scotland
Coordinates
Type Beach
History
Founded Bronze Age
Site notes
Excavation dates 1982
Archaeologists Gerald Ponting, Margaret Ponting
Public access Yes

Dail Mòr is a hamlet situated in the Northside of Carloway, a major village on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. The hamlet has a beach and a cemetery. A small well kept car park is available for visitors as are picnic & public BBQ facilities. The beach is a known surf destination mentioned in numerous guidebooks. Note there is a strong Rip current at the north end of the beach.

Archaeology

Excavations were conducted at Dail Mòr in the autumn of 1982 by Gerald and Margaret Ponting when part of the sea wall collapsed near the beach. This was further excavated by Sharples and Curtis. Prehistoric stone structures were found and documented, suggested to be a dwelling, along with various artefacts left in place by Beaker culture with some earlier finds from the neolithic. These included tools made of bone or antler and pottery. A large number of flints and arrowheads found during excavations and on the beach nearby suggest the area may have been used for a workshop of their manufacture.[1] One noted artefact recovered was the Dalmore bone; a square-sectioned 34mm with perforation. Zig-zag markings just over 5mm apart on the bone were analysed by P.J. Scott and Margaret Ponting.[2][3][1][4]

References

  1. ^ a b Ian Armit; Historic Scotland (1996). The archaeology of Skye and the Western Isles. Edinburgh University Press. pp. 92–. ISBN 9780748606405. http://books.google.com/books?id=w6u8efdU9BMC&pg=PA92. Retrieved 2 May 2011. 
  2. ^ Archaeoastronomy, p. 563. Science History Publications.. 1989. http://books.google.com/books?id=tNQfAQAAIAAJ. Retrieved 2 May 2011. 
  3. ^ Giulio Magli (28 May 2009). Mysteries and discoveries of archaeoastronomy: from Giza to Easter Island, p. 40. Springer. pp. 40–. ISBN 9780387765648. http://books.google.com/books?id=jzFk65Z8UIUC&pg=PA40. Retrieved 2 May 2011. 
  4. ^ Clive Ruggles (13 February 2003). Records in Stone: Papers in Memory of Alexander Thom. Cambridge University Press. pp. 8–. ISBN 9780521531306. http://books.google.com/books?id=oZ3JGYd1kJoC&pg=PR8. Retrieved 20 July 2011. 

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