Stone Artefacts
Excavation revealed stone artefacts ranging from delicately decorated spindle whorls to massive rotary quern stones. Explore a selection of the objects here.
The stone objects from the broch were used in a range of different spheres of everyday life, providing tangible links to crafts, food production and more.
Spindle whorls are perforated disc-shaped weights used in the spinning of fibres into yarn.
The presence of spindle whorls at the broch shows that the production of yarn was likely happening at the broch, and the discovery of a number of unfinished spindle whorls suggests that the whorls themselves were also being produced at the site.
Objects like this, known as lamps, are often found at Iron Age sites across Scotland, but every example from the broch is unique in terms of form, size and decoration. Analysis of the burnt residues within two of the lamps has indicated the presence of dairy products, suggesting that butter-like substance was burnt in them as fuel.
Recreating the Past
3D replicas will be used for learning and outreach, providing a tactile experience