The archaeological potential of windblown sand and its impacts on prehistoric settlements and landscapes in the Orkney Islands, Scotland
This thesis comprises an investigation into the nature, chronology, and significance of prehistoric windblown sand deposition on archaeological sites in the Orkney Islands, Scotland. One of the most visible and frequently-encountered forms of evidence for dynamic coastal processes which took place over the last four millennia are horizons of calcareous (shell) and mineral (quartz and feldspar) sands, which were deposited in coastal landscapes and settlements by wind and wave dynamics. Around 20% of the Scottish coastline is made up of sand-based features, with the dune area comprising some 48,000ha (Dargie and Duncan 1999, 143). Such coastal zones were densely settled in the prehistoric period. As monitoring of the modern coastline for changes affecting known archaeological sites continues, deposits of windblown sand - often interleaved with material evidence for human occupation - are becoming frequently recognised in the archaeological record. One coastal region which has felt the impacts of this coastal process (and continues to do so), is the Orkney archipelago, located off the northern coast of Mainland Scotland. It is this group of islands which form the geographical focus of this thesis. Previous archaeological
Gal, Emily Louise
Archaeology ; Orkney Islands ; Windblown sand ; Geomorphology ; Prehistory
The archaeological potential of windblown sand and its impacts on prehistoric settlements and landscapes in the Orkney Islands, Scotland. This thesis comprises an investigation into the nature, chronology, and significance of prehistoric windblown sand deposition on archaeological sites in the Orkney Islands, Scotland. One of the most visible and frequently-encountered forms of evidence for dynamic coastal processes which took place over the last four millennia are horizons of calcareous (shell) and mineral (quartz and feldspar) sands, which were deposited in coastal landscapes and settlements by wind and wave dynamics. Around 20% of the Scottish coastline is made up of sand-based features, with the dune area comprising some 48,000ha (Dargie and Duncan 1999, 143). Such coastal zones were densely settled in the prehistoric period. As monitoring of the modern coastline for changes affecting known archaeological sites continues, deposits of windblown sand - often interleaved with material evidence for human occupation - are becoming frequently recognised in the archaeological record. One coastal region which has felt the impacts of this coastal process (and continues to do so), is the Orkney archipelago, located off the northern coast of Mainland Scotland. It is this group of islands which form the geographical focus of this thesis. Previous archaeological
archaeological potential sand impact prehistoric_settlement landscape orkney islands scotland comprises investigation nature chronology significance prehistoric sand deposition archaeological_site orkney islands scotland visible frequently encountered form evidence dynamic coastal process take_place horizon shell mineral sand deposit coastal_landscape settlement wind wave dynamic around scottish coastline make sand based feature dune area comprise coastal zone densely settle prehistoric_period monitor modern coastline change_affect known archaeological_site continue deposit sand often material_evidence human_occupation become frequently recognise archaeological_record coastal_region felt impact coastal process continue orkney archipelago locate northern coast mainland_scotland group islands form geographical focus_thesis previous archaeological