The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

Sysa

Artificial Mound

Miscellaneous

I originally added this site because I thought it was a similarly-sounding name broch nearby. But now I discover it is something different - and what is it? In 1911 the RCAHMS thought it was natural. But it had a reputation for being hollow and artificial, as you see from the story. In 1965 the OS said confidently that it was 'undoubtedly natural', but come the NMRS visit of 1995, there are mentioned 'slight depressions in the surface [which] may indicate chambers'. So perhaps opinion is swinging the other way. I can see it could well get axed as a tma site, but I think it's kind of defensible since it is a mound large in the imagination of the local people: a large 30ft high lump on the landscape, with attendant fairy folklore (the type often attached to brochs and cairns). Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
22nd June 2007ce

Comments (0)

You must be logged in to add a comment