Re-excavation of an Iron Age wheelhouse and earlier structure at Eilean Maleit, North Uist

Abstract

NoExcavations were carried out on the tidal islet settlement of Eilean Maleit, previously excavated by Erskine Beveridge in the early part of this century, to test the hypothesis that the site represented a wheelhouse built into an earlier Atlantic roundhouse or broch. It is clear from the re-excavation that the wheelhouse was indeed set into an earlier massive-walled dry stone structure, probably an Atlantic roundhouse but almost certainly not a classic broch tower. The denuded condition of this early structure when the wheelhouse was built suggests that a significant period of time may have elapsed between the occupation of the two structures. Publication of this work is sponsored by Historic Scotland