The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology (2005) 34.2: 282–298 doi: 10.1111/j.1095-9270.2005.00060.x © 2005 The Nautical Archaeology Society. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK and 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA. Blackwell Publishing, Ltd. M. G. CAVERS & j. c. Henderson: UNDERWATER EXCAVATION AT EDERLINE CRANNOG, LOCH AWE NAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY, 34.2 Underwater Excavation at Ederline Crannog, Loch Awe, Argyll, Scotland M. Graeme Cavers and Jon C. Henderson Underwater Archaeology Research Centre, University of Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK With contributions by Amy Bogaard, Dept of Archaeology, University of Nottingham, Ewan Campbell, Dept of Archaeology, University of Glasgow, Murray Cook, AOC Archaeology, Loanhead, Edinburgh, EH20 9SY, and Allan R. Hall, Dept of Archaeology, University of York. Summary A trial excavation was carried out on the near-submerged crannog at Ederline Boathouse, Loch Awe, in July 2004. A trench measuring 3 × 5 m was opened on the northern side, in c.3 m of water. Around 1 m of organic deposits was encountered, along with structural timbers and animal bones. Despite a previous 4th century BC radiocarbon determination from a struc- tural timber, a sherd of E ware from a sealed context gives an Early Historic date for the deposits excavated in 2004. The results from this first intrusive investigation of a Loch Awe crannog demonstrate that these sites are complex and long-lived. © 2005 The Nautical Archaeology Society Key words: crannog; Iron Age; Early Historic; Argyll; E Ware. T he crannogs of Loch Awe were first investi- gated by McArdle and McArdle (1973; McArdle et al. , 1973), who surveyed all of the likely candidates for crannogs identified by aerial photography, finding 20 confirmed sites. While Loch Awe is among the largest freshwater lochs in Scotland, the distribution of crannogs in this area is still among the densest known in the country, and yet little is known about their dating or structure. Several of the sites recorded by the Loch Awe survey displayed timber and organic components, and in the early 1980s a sample from a structural timber was removed from one of these sites—at Ederline Boathouse—for radiocarbon dating, returning a determination of 370 BC ± 45 (UB-2415) (Morrison, 1982a), calibrating at 400–190 BC. From this initial indication it was largely assumed that the Loch Awe crannogs were closely related to those surveyed and excavated in Loch Tay by Dixon (1982), comprising stone mounds overlying organic occupation deposits dating to the Late Bronze and Iron Ages. A number of discussions have suggested that the majority of crannogs should be considered to relate to the Iron Age, and recent radiocarbon dates have reinforced this view. In order to investigate the nature of Iron Age lake-settlement in Scotland, Ederline crannog was chosen for an evaluation excavation in 2004, the aim of which was primarily to investigate the potential for preserved organic remains on the site, and secondly to contribute excavated data to the discussion of the construction and taphonomy of crannog sites in Scotland. Loch Awe Loch Awe is situated in the mainland part of the local government area of Argyll and Bute, spanning the border between Mid-Argyll and Lorn. The third- largest standing body of fresh water in Scotland, Loch Awe is also the longest at 41 miles, with a maximum depth of 94 m (mean depth 32 m) (Murray and Pullar, 1910; Lyle and Smith, 1994: 43). It lies in a steep-sided rock-basin running SW-NE from Ford at the SW end to Dalmally in Glen Orchy at the NE. The level of the loch is currently subject to artificial raising and lowering by the hydro-electric scheme at Cruachan, which can affect the water level by as much as 1–2 m. There are 20 known crannogs in Loch Awe, confirmed by underwater inspection during the 1972 survey by McArdle and McArdle (Fig. 1). A possible 21st site, reported in 1992 at Policeman’s