Settlement and landscape in the Northern Isles : a multidisciplinary approach : archaeological research into long term settlements and thier associated arable fields from the Neolithic to the Norse periods
The research contained in these papers embodies both results from direct archaeological investigation and also the development of techniques (geophysical, chronological and geoarchaeological) in order to understand long-term settlements and their associated landscapes in Orkney and Shetland. Central to this research has been the study of soil management strategies of arable plots surrounding settlements from the Neolithic to the Iron Age. It is argued that this arable system provides higher yields in marginal locations. The ability to enhance yield in good years and to store surplus can mitigate against shortage. Control and storage of this surplus is seen as one catalyst for the economic power of elite groups over their underlying or 'client' population. The emergence of a social elite in the Iron Age, building brochs and other substantial roundhouses of near broch proportions, is seen as being linked to the control of resources. Evidence at the site of Old Scatness indicated that there was a continuity of wealth and power from the Middle Iron Age through the Pictish period, before the appearance of the Vikings produced a break in the archaeological record. The Viking period saw a break in building traditions,
Dockrill, Stephen James
Orkney ; Shetland ; Neolithic ; Iron Age ; Viking ; Chronology ; Palaeoeconomy ; Palaeosols ; Power ; Sustainability ; Settlements ; Arable fields ; Soil management
Settlement and landscape in the Northern Isles : a multidisciplinary approach : archaeological research into long term settlements and thier associated arable fields from the Neolithic to the Norse periods. The research contained in these papers embodies both results from direct archaeological investigation and also the development of techniques (geophysical, chronological and geoarchaeological) in order to understand long-term settlements and their associated landscapes in Orkney and Shetland. Central to this research has been the study of soil management strategies of arable plots surrounding settlements from the Neolithic to the Iron Age. It is argued that this arable system provides higher yields in marginal locations. The ability to enhance yield in good years and to store surplus can mitigate against shortage. Control and storage of this surplus is seen as one catalyst for the economic power of elite groups over their underlying or 'client' population. The emergence of a social elite in the Iron Age, building brochs and other substantial roundhouses of near broch proportions, is seen as being linked to the control of resources. Evidence at the site of Old Scatness indicated that there was a continuity of wealth and power from the Middle Iron Age through the Pictish period, before the appearance of the Vikings produced a break in the archaeological record. The Viking period saw a break in building traditions,
settlement_landscape northern isles multidisciplinary archaeological long_term settlement associate arable field neolithic norse_period contain paper embodies direct archaeological_investigation also development technique geophysical chronological geoarchaeological order long_term settlement associate landscape orkney_shetland central study soil management_strategy arable plot surround settlement argue arable system provide high yield marginal location ability enhance yield good year store surplus mitigate shortage control storage surplus see catalyst economic_power elite_group underlie client population emergence social elite iron_age building brochs substantial near broch proportion see link control resource evidence site old indicate continuity wealth_power middle_iron_age pictish period appearance vikings produce break archaeological_record viking period_saw break building_tradition