Account of the Excavation of Two Bronze-Age Cairns in the Parish of Foulden; and of the discovery of a Cist containing a Food-Vessel Urn, and Fragments of a Beaker, at Edington Mill, Chirnside, both in the County of Berwick

Abstract

Cairn 1 consisted of three concentric circles of stone. Three cists and two pits were contained within the inner circle. The north cist contained a Food Vessel, four flint implements, charcoal and partially cremated bone. The south cist contained a Food Vessel, a flint knife and some charcoal. A third smaller cist was robbed during the excavation. A pit to the west of the south cist contained a human femur and some charcoal. A second pit contained charcoal and hazelnuts. A greenstone axe-hammer was found within the body of the cairn. Cairn 2 was circular and comprised earth and stones. A central cist with a D-shaped stone structure around it contained a pottery sherd, charcoal and eight flint flakes. A nearby cist discovered in 1885 contained the bones of a young adult. A further pair of cists had been disturbed by ploughing and only charcoal and three pieces of flint were found. The report includes an account of the bones and previous discoveries in the vicinity. A cist at Edington Mill was originally surrounded by a cairn of which only traces remained. It contained a Food Vessel, part of a probable drinking vessel, charcoal, a few fragments of skull and some teeth.