Ceramics and regionality in the Highlands and Northern Isles of Scotland, 2500-1800 BC
This thesis considers the nature of pottery and its wider roles in the Highlands and Northern Isles of Scotland from 2500-1800 BC. The period under study represents a key moment in British prehistory with the introduction of metallurgy and wide-ranging changes in society. Since the inception of early Bronze Age studies pottery has played an important role in examinations of identity and chronology. As identified by several scholars there has been a recurrent emphasis on a select number of interpretive themes and regions such as Wessex and Aberdeenshire. This has marginalised certain areas creating an imbalance in our understanding of the tempo and dynamics of change during the period. Recent reviews have begun to address this issue, highlighting the importance of regional studies to our overall understanding of change in the later 3rd millennium. At present, there is no synthesis of ceramic material from the Highlands and Northern Isles that considers the diverse array of pot types and the contexts in which they are found. In response, this thesis aims to characterise the range of ceramic types, their contexts and associations. Through the course of this thesis a series of detailed regional datasets and interpretations
Scholma-Mason, Owain David
beaker ; food vessel ; grooved ware ; cordoned urns ; collared urns ; Shetland ; Caithness ; Orkney ; Inverness ; Ross & Cromarty ; Nairn ; grooved ware ; Neolithic ; Bronze Age ; identity ; assemblage theory
Ceramics and regionality in the Highlands and Northern Isles of Scotland, 2500-1800 BC. This thesis considers the nature of pottery and its wider roles in the Highlands and Northern Isles of Scotland from 2500-1800 BC. The period under study represents a key moment in British prehistory with the introduction of metallurgy and wide-ranging changes in society. Since the inception of early Bronze Age studies pottery has played an important role in examinations of identity and chronology. As identified by several scholars there has been a recurrent emphasis on a select number of interpretive themes and regions such as Wessex and Aberdeenshire. This has marginalised certain areas creating an imbalance in our understanding of the tempo and dynamics of change during the period. Recent reviews have begun to address this issue, highlighting the importance of regional studies to our overall understanding of change in the later 3rd millennium. At present, there is no synthesis of ceramic material from the Highlands and Northern Isles that considers the diverse array of pot types and the contexts in which they are found. In response, this thesis aims to characterise the range of ceramic types, their contexts and associations. Through the course of this thesis a series of detailed regional datasets and interpretations
ceramics regionality highlands northern isles scotland_consider nature pottery wider role highlands northern isles scotland period study represent key_moment british_prehistory introduction metallurgy wide_ranging change society since inception early_bronze_age study pottery play_important_role examination identity chronology identify_several scholar recurrent emphasis select number interpretive theme region wessex marginalise certain_area create imbalance tempo dynamic change period recent review begin_address issue highlight_importance regional_study overall change present synthesis ceramic_material highlands northern isles consider diverse array pot type contexts find response aim characterise range ceramic type context association course series detail regional datasets interpretation