Every now and then Time Team produces a 'classic' and most people that were involved with Mull considered it just that. So what makes a 'classic'? Well the location helps for a start - in this case Time Team arrived on Mull from the mainland in everything from light aircraft to ferries to tackle the site. Then there's the scenery - the Western Isles are stunning. Add the weather, which can be terrible in that part of the world, but which for once was gloriously clear. Finally throw in an absence of midges and things sound promising!
Then there was the archaeology - it was not quite Time Team 'back garden' material but the site had been discovered by two local ladies who were fascinated by a mound on a hill side that had never been explored. It was thought to be the site of an Early Christian chapel, would that prove to be the case? The result was a really entertaining, educational episode that contributed some original archaeological research. So the project really did tick all the 'boxes'.
So what did the site give me? Well I spent most of the three days carefully unravelling the secrets of a leacht, an open air altar with a central cross. I must confess that before going to Mull I'd never heard of a leacht, still less excavated one, so it was an absorbing and rewarding process to expose the base of the structure. After starting with what looked a pile of grass covered stones we located where the stone cross had stood at its centre and recorded the spread of quartzite pebbles that had been placed on the altar by early pilgrims to the site.
The islands off the west coast of Scotland contain a wonderful array of sites from between the fifth and tenth centuries, but particularly of the seventh and eighth centuries when many of the embryonic advances of the Christian faith were made into the British Isles. These sites record the lives of communities who, closely linked to Iona, withstood harsh conditions in pursuit of their faith; and the archaeology lived up to expectations.
By the close the site had yielded not only the foundations of the stone chapel but had expanded to reveal a complete Early Christian monastic complex. At the end of three days work we had confirmed the use of the site, its extent and placed a very important monument firmly on the map. Hopefully our work will allow the local people to appreciate another feature of their wonderful island. As ever, not bad for three days!
