Fig. 157.—General View of Crannog at Buston, looking northwards.
5. The entrance to the central area, which was determined by the stumps of two massive door-posts, had a south-easterly aspect, and in front of it there was a well-constructed wooden platform, made of large oak planks supported on solid layers of wood, to which they were pinned down.
6. Beyond this platform, and separated from it by a massive wooden railing which was continuous with the inner circle of stockades, was the refuse-heap; and to the right a wooden pathway, also protected on its outer side, led downwards and westwards to the outer circle, where there appeared to have been a landing-stage. (See [Figs. 157] and [158].) About twelve yards in advance of this stage, and 4 feet from the surface of the field, a canoe was found buried in the ancient mud of the lake ([Fig. 159]).
Fig. 158.—Portion of north side of Buston Crannog, with the space between Inner and Second Circles of Piles dug out, showing arrangement of Mortised Beams and structure of Island.
This canoe was 22 feet long, 3 feet 6 inches broad at the stern, widening to about four feet in the middle, and 1 foot 10 inches deep. It is remarkable as showing evidence of having been repaired in two places by neatly fitting pieces of oak planking, which were kept in position by transverse ribs and wooden pins. The stern-piece was movable and fitted into a groove in the sides of the boat. In the mud removed from its interior were a few stones and portion of the skull of an ox.
The refuse-heap occupied an oblong position immediately in front of the southern entrance. It measured some 30 feet long by 15 or 20 broad, and 5 feet deep alongside the above-mentioned railing. Here nearly all the relics and some massive bones were found. These bones were abundantly impregnated with the mineral vivianite, both in its amorphous and crystalline condition, but the specimens of crystals here were much inferior to those from Lochlee. The position of the refuse-heap is seen in the immediate foreground of [Fig. 157], after the removal of its contents, as a pit partially occupied with water.
