Trough

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This wooden trough was found at Durness in Sutherland. It contains a shrunken lump of bog-butter. It dates from between around 960 and 1260 AD.

The rectangular trough has flat handles at each end.

The practice of burying butter in bogs was carried out over many centuries, for storage and perhaps for other reasons. The Durness butter may have been stored for use as a tax payment - a practice known from Norse documentary sources.

Record details

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• Online ID: 000-100-001-988-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  H.SHC 10
• Date: Between around 960 and 1260 AD
  
• Material: Wood / bog-butter
  Wood / bog-butter
  Trough / sample / bog butter
  Trough / sample / bog butter
  
• Dimensions: 29.00" x 11.00" x 4.50" / 13.20" x 7.50"
  
• What: Trough / sample / bog butter
  Trough / sample / bog butter
  
• Subject: Dairy - bog butter (NMAS Classification)
  
• Who:
• Where: Scotland, Sutherland, Durness
  Scotland, Sutherland, Durness, Balnakeil Farm
  
• Event:
• Description: Rectangular wooden trough with flat handles at each end, containing a shrunken lump of bog-butter, from Durness, Sutherland
  Remains of bog-butter in a trough, found at Balnakeil Farm, Durness, Sutherland
  
• References:
  • Earwood, Caroline. Two early historic bog butter containers. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquities of Scotland, 121 (1991), pp 331-40. 
  • Hunter, F.J. Iron Age hoarding in Scotland and Northern England. In: Gwilt, A. and Haselgrove, C. (eds.). Reconstructing Iron Age Societies. Oxford: Oxbow Monograph 71, 1997, pp 108-33 
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