Dark-Age and Viking-Age pottery in the Hebrides, with special reference to the Udal, North Uist
This thesis is an examination of the evidence for Dark-age and Viking-age pottery in the Hebrides. A brief discussion of current knowledge of Hebridean ceramics shows how unusually ceramic-rich this area is in comparison with the rest of Scotland and much of the British Isles. But the Dark Age and Viking Age in the Hebrides and the pottery of those periods are very poorly known. The excavation of one major settlement site, the TJdal on North Uist, by I.A. Crawford, has allowed examination of stratified pottery groups of the period from c. 400 AD. to c. 1100 A.D. The stratigraphy, structures and chronology of this site are described briefly. The problems and methods involved in analysing a large handmade pottery assemblage are discussed in some detail. The stratified pottery from the Udal is described and the characteristic features of both Dark-age and Viking-age pottery assemblages are defined. Pottery from other sites in the Hebrides is then discussed and a series of sites with similar Dark-age pottery is listed. No close parallels have been found for this pottery outside the area. The Hebridean sites with Viking-age pottery are then described and pottery from other areas is examined in order to define the
Lane, Alan Macrae
Archaeology
Dark-Age and Viking-Age pottery in the Hebrides, with special reference to the Udal, North Uist. This thesis is an examination of the evidence for Dark-age and Viking-age pottery in the Hebrides. A brief discussion of current knowledge of Hebridean ceramics shows how unusually ceramic-rich this area is in comparison with the rest of Scotland and much of the British Isles. But the Dark Age and Viking Age in the Hebrides and the pottery of those periods are very poorly known. The excavation of one major settlement site, the TJdal on North Uist, by I.A. Crawford, has allowed examination of stratified pottery groups of the period from c. 400 AD. to c. 1100 A.D. The stratigraphy, structures and chronology of this site are described briefly. The problems and methods involved in analysing a large handmade pottery assemblage are discussed in some detail. The stratified pottery from the Udal is described and the characteristic features of both Dark-age and Viking-age pottery assemblages are defined. Pottery from other sites in the Hebrides is then discussed and a series of sites with similar Dark-age pottery is listed. No close parallels have been found for this pottery outside the area. The Hebridean sites with Viking-age pottery are then described and pottery from other areas is examined in order to define the
dark_age viking_age pottery hebrides special_reference north examination evidence dark_age viking_age pottery hebrides brief_discussion current_knowledge hebridean ceramic show unusually ceramic rich area comparison rest scotland much british_isles dark_age viking_age hebrides pottery period poorly know excavation one_major settlement_site north allow_examination stratify pottery group period stratigraphy structure chronology site describe briefly problem method_involve analyse large handmade pottery_assemblage discuss_detail stratified pottery describe characteristic_feature dark_age viking_age pottery_assemblage define pottery sit hebrides discussed series sit similar dark_age pottery list close parallel find pottery outside area hebridean sit viking_age pottery describe pottery area examine order define