Summary

The O.S. give an eight figure grid reference for a midden found by E.C. Cunnington on the south side of the Inner Head sometime prior to 1911. However, Cunnington's description suggests that middens containing wood ashes and shells such as mussels, cockles, limpets and oysters occur in "many places" along the south coast of the Inner Head. The evidence from thses middens suggests that the Inner Head was occupied, probably on a temporary basis only, throughout the prehistoric period.

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Description

O.S. give an eight figure grid reference for a midden found by E.C. Cunnington on the south side of the Inner Head sometime prior to 1911. This appears to be based on a position marked by J.G.Rutter on to a 6" map in 1949. However, Cunnington's description suggests that middens containing wood ashes and shells such as mussels, cockles, limpets and oysters occur in "many places" along the south coast of the Inner Head. In some places pot boilers (round pebbles 2-6cm in diameter) mixed with charcoal and cracked bones of sheep, pig, deer, ox etc were found. In one of the midden heaps (possibly that marked by Rutter) a saddle quern and rubber was found together with fragments of pre-Roman character (Savory 1974 p170).

The spot marked by the eight figure grid reference is above the cliff on the level terrace below the steep south facing slopes of the Inner Head and is now covered with a dense growth of bramble, bracken and gorse. Areas of dark soil, possible wood ash, and shells were noted at intervals all along the low cliff marking the southern edge of the Inner Head.

The evidence from these middens suggests that the Inner head was occupied, probably on a temporary basis only, throughout the prehistoric period. The medieval artefacts are likely to be connected with the house site (89348) which may represent more permanent occupation.

2003/4 survey
A variety of finds have been recovered from midden sites on the Inner Head, the OS give a single grid reference for a midden described by E.C.Cunnington prior to 1911 but his description suggest midden sites occurred at various locations along the southern side of the Inner Head.

The middens are essentially dumps of rubbish left behind from various human activity in the area, and appear to consist mainly of wood ashes and mussel, cockle, limpet and oyster shell. In some places pot boilers (stones heated in a fire then placed in liquids to heat them) were mixed with charcoal and bones of sheep, pig, deer, ox ad other animals. Sometime prior to donating his finds to the RISW in 1911 Cunnington recovered fragments of prehistoric pottery and flint flakes along with a very fine saddle quern complete with its rubber stone, used for grinding corn. After his death during WWI Cunnington's mother later donated further finds to RISW from her sons excavations on Worms Head which included another broken rubber stone, slingstone and two pieces of black jade which may have come from the same midden site.

Further finds donated at the same time appear to have come from a midden site on the Outer Head (89346). Several other finds have been recovered from this area over the years. H.E.Davidson recovered Romano-British and Medieval pottery sherds and M.E.David also inspected a midden (GGAT PRN 109w) which the OS linked to the midden on the outer head but it would appear more likely to be a midden in this area as it contained predominately Romano-British and Medieval finds.

Many of these finds are reported by Rutter (1948) and Savory (1974) who along with the OS have reported differing locations for these finds which has lead to a great deal of confusion over the sites, but what does appear clear is that midden sites have been found in various locations on Worms Head containing a variety of material from different periods pointing to a variety of human activity on the tidal island possibly spanning many centuries, although not necessarily continuously.

Currently this area of the Inner Head is covered in dense gorse and no midden site was easily visible although the previous survey noted areas of dark soil, possibly ash and shells at various intervals along the exposed low cliff marking the southern edge of the head.

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