The environmental context of later prehistoric human activity in Orkney, Scotland
This thesis investigates concepts of marginality and the response of human populations to changing environmental conditions in prehistoric Orkney. Archaeological remains from the Orcadian Bronze Age are less visible than those from the Neolithic and Iron Age, leading to suggestions that the Neolithic-Bronze Age transition represents a cultural and/or economic 'decline'. This 'decline' has often been attributed to environmental deterioration, although there is little published evidence for post-Neolithic environmental conditions in the islands and that which does exist comes from areas that are considered agriculturally marginal today. Palaeoecological records from three small wetland basins situated within landscapes with differing degrees of marginality are presented here. Radiocarbon chronologies for these sequences show that events previously assumed to be synchronous across Orkney, such as woodland decline, are in fact highly variable. High-resolution analysis has been carried out between c. 3000 cal. BC and c. 600 cal. AD (late Neolithic to Iron Age), and records compared with the distribution of archaeological sites in order to reconstruct changes in land-use, farming practices and settlement patterns
Farrell, Michelle
Geography
The environmental context of later prehistoric human activity in Orkney, Scotland. This thesis investigates concepts of marginality and the response of human populations to changing environmental conditions in prehistoric Orkney. Archaeological remains from the Orcadian Bronze Age are less visible than those from the Neolithic and Iron Age, leading to suggestions that the Neolithic-Bronze Age transition represents a cultural and/or economic 'decline'. This 'decline' has often been attributed to environmental deterioration, although there is little published evidence for post-Neolithic environmental conditions in the islands and that which does exist comes from areas that are considered agriculturally marginal today. Palaeoecological records from three small wetland basins situated within landscapes with differing degrees of marginality are presented here. Radiocarbon chronologies for these sequences show that events previously assumed to be synchronous across Orkney, such as woodland decline, are in fact highly variable. High-resolution analysis has been carried out between c. 3000 cal. BC and c. 600 cal. AD (late Neolithic to Iron Age), and records compared with the distribution of archaeological sites in order to reconstruct changes in land-use, farming practices and settlement patterns
environmental_context later_prehistoric human_activity orkney scotland investigates concepts marginality response human_population change environmental_condition prehistoric orkney archaeological_remain orcadian bronze_age less visible leading suggestion neolithic_bronze_age transition represent cultural and economic_decline decline often attribute environmental deterioration although_little published evidence post neolithic environmental_condition island exist come area consider marginal today palaeoecological record small wetland basin situate_within landscape differ degree marginality present here radiocarbon chronology sequence show event previously_assume synchronous across orkney woodland decline fact highly variable high_resolution analysis_carry cal cal late record compare distribution archaeological_site order_reconstruct change land_use farm practice settlement_pattern