One upright and two fallen slabs. View from the north west.
A single stone row measuring 10.8m long, including two large recumbent slabs and a single upright orthostat standing 2.55m high situated on a pronounced south east facing terrace with extensive views of the Sound of Mull. The row is orientated NNE to SSW and stands in an area with broadly contemporary cairns, a stone-lined pit and another stone row. Excavation revealed that the row had been erected in an area that had previously been ploughed and subsequently burnt. The southern stone had been deliberately toppled into a prepared pit. This may indicate ritual closure.
Location
| Scotland Mull Argyll & Isles NM 54190 49135 Lat 56.569618 Long -6.00306 |
Map showing the location of Ardnacross, South stone row.
Plan of the stone rows at Ardnacross. Original surveyed at 1:200 by Sandy Gerrard.
Characteristics
| Type: Single | Length: 10.8m |
| No. of stones: 3 | Size of stones: Only large |
| Tallest stone: 2.55m | Shortest stone: – |
| Orientation: 32° | Altitude: 75m |
| Upper end: – | Lower end: – |
| Straight (Yes or No) : Yes | Sea View: Yes |
| Context: Cairns and stone alignment | |
| Notes: Excavation revealed that the row was erected in an area that had previously been ploughed and subsequently burnt. It was unclear whether the burning had been caused by swaling or pyres. The row slabs were placed in sockets and held upright by stone packing. Only the southern stone was excavated but this had clearly been deliberately toppled into a prepared pit. This may indicate ritual closure similar to that identifiued in Bronze Age houses in SW England. It is assumed that the northern recumbent stone suffered the same fate and the central stone was retained for a new purpose. | |
Other Information
| Public Access: Yes |
| Land Status: – |
| Scheduled Ancient Monument: Yes |
Identification
Category: Plausible. No doubts have been expressed regarding the prehistoric interpretion of this row.
Typology
This stone row is of Type S2. Information on this form of stone row and other rows of this type is available here.
Photographs
South Ardnacross row in the foreground with cairns and second row in the background. The near slab was deliberately felled into a specially prepared pit. View from the south east.
Looking NNE along the row.
Kerbed cairn and upright stone forming part of the row.
Cairns in the foreground and the row beyond. View from north west.
Kerbed cairn next to the stone row. View from the north.
Row and cairns. View from north west.
Access Information
Parking available at NM 54770 48758 and access from the highway at NM 54592 49183. Follow track to NM 54523 49119 then head up the hill to the row.
Online Resources
Megalithic Portal Modern Antiquarian Canmore Excavation Report Ardnacross Farm
Mull History and Archaeological Society Vernianera Stones of Wonder
Other References
Burl, A., 1993, From Carnac to Callanish – The prehistoric rows and avenues of Britain, Ireland and Brittany, Yale University Press, New York and London, pg. 223.
Cregeen, E R., 1958c, ‘Ardnacross,Mull’, Discovery Excav. Scot,7-8.
Martlew, R. & Ruggles, C., 1990, ‘Ardnacross (Kilninian & Kilmore parish), stone rows, cairns’, Discovery Excav Scot, 32.
Martlew R. & Ruggles, C., 1991, ‘Ardnacross, Mull (Kilninian & Kilmore parish): stone rows, cairns’, Discovery Excav Scot, 52.
Martlew, R.D. & Ruggles, C. L. N., 1996, ‘Ritual and Landscape on the West Coast of Scotland: an Investigation of the Stone Rows of Northern Mull’, Proc. Prehist. Soc., vol. 62,125-129.
Ritchie, G. & Harman, M., 1996, Argyll and the Western Isles, Exploring Scotland’s Heritage series, ed. by Anna Ritchie, Edinburgh, pg. 33.
Ritchie, G., 1997d, Monuments associated with burial and ritual in Argyll’, in Ritchie, G, The archaeology of Argyll. Edinburgh, pgs. 71-72.
RCAHMS, 1980a, The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Argyll: an inventory of the monuments volume 3: Mull, Tiree, Coll and Northern Argyll (excluding the early medieval and later monuments of Iona), 50.
Ruggles, C.L.N., 1999, Astronomy in prehistoric Britain and Ireland, Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 197.
Timeline
VISITED:- 4th June 2016
FIRST PUBLISHED:- 2nd February 2016
LAST UPDATED:- 15th March 2019
The Stone Rows of Great Britain 