Investigating portages in the Norse maritime landscape of Scotland and the Isles
Throughout history, the practice of carrying boats and supplies overland between navigable rivers, lakes and stretches of sea has been a concern of all maritime cultures. The Vikings are notorious for their use of portages during their expeditions of exploration and settlement. Portages are an intrinsic aspect of navigation within a maritime landscape, opening up new territories and expanding nautical routes. Portaging provides economic, logistic and strategic advantages over the alternatives of navigating dangerous waters or having access denied by land. As portaging is an activity performed by a maritime culture the evidence used in investigating portages must be multi-disciplinary, involving archaeological evidence, place-name studies, historical sources, ethnological studies and experimental archaeology. This thesis explores all aspects of the portage scenario, as they would have been manifest in the Norse maritime landscape. A survey of the history of portaging from antiquity to the modem era is performed, concentrating on the activities of the Vikings in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. The place of portages in the navigation of the maritime cultural landscape is applied to the many different situations
McCullough, David Alexander
Boats; Vessels; Vikings; Navigation; Experimental
Investigating portages in the Norse maritime landscape of Scotland and the Isles. Throughout history, the practice of carrying boats and supplies overland between navigable rivers, lakes and stretches of sea has been a concern of all maritime cultures. The Vikings are notorious for their use of portages during their expeditions of exploration and settlement. Portages are an intrinsic aspect of navigation within a maritime landscape, opening up new territories and expanding nautical routes. Portaging provides economic, logistic and strategic advantages over the alternatives of navigating dangerous waters or having access denied by land. As portaging is an activity performed by a maritime culture the evidence used in investigating portages must be multi-disciplinary, involving archaeological evidence, place-name studies, historical sources, ethnological studies and experimental archaeology. This thesis explores all aspects of the portage scenario, as they would have been manifest in the Norse maritime landscape. A survey of the history of portaging from antiquity to the modem era is performed, concentrating on the activities of the Vikings in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. The place of portages in the navigation of the maritime cultural landscape is applied to the many different situations
investigating norse maritime landscape scotland isles throughout_history practice carry boat supply overland river lake stretch sea concern maritime culture vikings notorious use expedition exploration settlement intrinsic aspect navigation within maritime landscape open_new territory expand nautical route provide economic logistic strategic advantage alternative navigate dangerous water access deny land activity perform maritime culture evidence use investigating must multi_disciplinary involve archaeological_evidence place_name study historical_source study experimental_archaeology explores_aspects scenario would manifest norse maritime landscape survey history antiquity modem era perform concentrate activity vikings scandinavia eastern_europe place navigation maritime_cultural landscape apply many_different situation