Cist behind the Binns: the excavation of an Iron Age cist burial at the House of the Binns, West Lothian*
Human bone, Penannular brooch, Cist burial, human remains, textile
House of the Binns; West Lothian; Scotland; UK
Iron Age
Abstract
During a routine archaeological monitoring visit to the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) property at the House of the Binns in August 2013, human bone was discovered eroding from a small bedrock quarry face. Following investigation by the NTS Archaeology Team this was identified as the remains of two male skeletons from the first centuries BC/AD. Both were buried within a single stone cist, with the remains of one individual (30–50 years old) clearly disturbed during the placement of the second (a young adult). The second individual was placed in a crouched position on his left side and was wearing a penannular brooch on his left shoulder. A significant element of the site is the survival of some extremely rare Iron Age textile upon the brooch.
