Via Mound

Nearest town:
Stromness (6km S)
OS reference:
HY260159
OS sheet:
6
Latitude:
59° 1' 26.24 N
Longitude:
3° 17' 20.75 W
Added to TMA by

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Via Mound

wideford
wideford May 3, 2005

Now that I have been back to the site and gotten my bearings this would appear to be the cist seen in 1991 at the SW quadrant of the remains of an enclosure about the Stones of Via, except that there is an apparent disparity in dimensions – the other covering an area approximately 1.5x0.7m whereas this one is 0.9x0.62m (and at least 0.44m deep originally). From triangulation it has the same 8-figure NGR as the Via Mound. Indeed upon consideration of surrounding features it is evident that this occupies the upper right of that site’s scant remains. The only other structure in the field is a well at HY26051599 shown on the 1882 O.S. map. This has been blocked up with stones that might have been from said “parcel of large stones”, and I surmise this could have then resulted in the issuing of water lower down the hill to form the pool.
Now to a fuller description of the cist. A side-slab 0.9m long and projecting 0.28m from the present ground level points directly uphill. Two further slabs at right angles to this lean over, so that it is difficult to see if these sub-divided the cist or provide one end of it. The one furthest uphill is 0.42m across and its underside projects 0.44m, the other has 0.62x0.34m projecting. Three stones lie by the bottom end of the cist. They are 0.32-0.48m across and project 0.3-0.6m.

Via Mound

wideford
wideford Apr 28, 2004

There is meant to be a cist in the SE quadrant of the Stones of Via ditch. What I found was well to the right of the stones however, so I presumed it to be my error for the aerial ‘socket’ until I saw on CANMAP that it isn’t even “in the ballpark” for this. There is a waterlogged patch of ground going uphill and the feature is at the top of this. On CANMORE a mound HY21NE 4 formerly stood at HY260159 and in relation to my find it is worth noting that in 1928 a mound of stones (now gone) at the south edge of a pool of water was presumed to be its remains.
RCAHMS archaeology survey section believe this cist may only relatively recently have come to the surface.

Miscellaneous

Via Mound
Cist
wideford
wideford May 1, 2005

The Via Mound is the location of the cist in the SE quadrant of the ditch around the Stones of Via. Fractionally to the right and a little further uphill is the location (HY26051599) of a well shown on an 1882 map. This has now been filled by large stones, possibly from the “parcel of stones” (unless this is to be read parcel of land with stones) as few remain down at the mound.

Sites within 20km of Via Mound

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