Stone Axe found at Kilcreggan
A possible polished stone axe has been reported, having been found on the foreshore below Fort Road, Kilcreggan, by Mr Joseph Durkin. The axe, which measures 13cm by 8cm, and is around 6cm deep, appears to have been artificially shaped to produce a form that appears very similar to a Neolithic polished stone axe, although the rear of the object terminates fairly abruptly, suggesting that it may have been broken.
In terms of similar material having been found in the surrounding area, it is recorded that a polished stone axe was found in digging at Portkil, Kilcreggan, in 1904 (WoSAS Pin 6033). This axe was identified as being made of epidotized intermediate tuff of the Borrowdale Volcanic Series, from the Great Langdale and Scafell areas of Cumbria. It is also recorded that a wing-flanged bronze axe of Ulrome type from 'Port Kiln, Rosneath' was donated to the Inverary Castle Museum (WoSAS Pin 6012). While both of these axes are recorded as coming from Portkil, however, the records do not provide any information on exactly where on the lands of the farm they were found. The identification of similar material from the immediate vicinity of Kilcreggan suggests that it is possible that the axe found by Mr Durkin may have eroded from the adjacent shoreline. The other possibility is that it may have ended up on the foreshore after having been scooped up elsewhere as ballast for ships using the various landing stages present on the shoreline, and then deposited on the foreshore when this ballast was removed when the ships took on cargo.
Both photographs on this page were kindly supplied by Mr Durkin.