Aspects of land-use and settlement in prehistoric and historic Caithness
This is an examination of the major phases of land-use and settlement in Caithness. These have been considered to consist of four main chronological groups: firstly that dating from the Agrarian Revolution, a watershed in the agricultural history of the region, to modern times; secondly the traditional feudal farming systems up to the time of the Improvements; the third group is that associated with the Norse colonisation of the country; and fourthly the land-use and settlement evidenced by the extant prehistoric monuments. Each category was examined with reference to all available sources -documentary and toponymic as well as archaeological. The historically documented categories were examined in their own right and were also seen to cast light on earlier periods by revealing the effects of these later systems of land-use on the prehistoric distribution pattern. A database was formed of all prehistoric monuments with information on their recorded dimensions and positional attributes, such as altitude, aspect, land type and proximity to a water source, from which their lo-calional preferences could be obtained. In order to gauge the effects of later formation processes on the prehistoric landscape it was seen
Taylor, Helen M. S.
Aspects of land-use and settlement in prehistoric and historic Caithness. This is an examination of the major phases of land-use and settlement in Caithness. These have been considered to consist of four main chronological groups: firstly that dating from the Agrarian Revolution, a watershed in the agricultural history of the region, to modern times; secondly the traditional feudal farming systems up to the time of the Improvements; the third group is that associated with the Norse colonisation of the country; and fourthly the land-use and settlement evidenced by the extant prehistoric monuments. Each category was examined with reference to all available sources -documentary and toponymic as well as archaeological. The historically documented categories were examined in their own right and were also seen to cast light on earlier periods by revealing the effects of these later systems of land-use on the prehistoric distribution pattern. A database was formed of all prehistoric monuments with information on their recorded dimensions and positional attributes, such as altitude, aspect, land type and proximity to a water source, from which their lo-calional preferences could be obtained. In order to gauge the effects of later formation processes on the prehistoric landscape it was seen
aspects land_use settlement prehistoric historic caithness examination major phase land_use settlement caithness consider consist_four main chronological group firstly date agrarian revolution watershed agricultural history_region modern_time secondly traditional feudal farm_system time third group associate norse colonisation country fourthly land_use settlement evidence extant prehistoric_monument category examine_reference available_source documentary well archaeological historically document category examine right also_see cast_light earlier_period reveal effect later system_land use prehistoric distribution_pattern database form prehistoric_monument information record dimension positional attribute altitude aspect land type proximity water_source preference could obtain order gauge effect later formation_process prehistoric_landscape see