Plants and people in the later prehistoric and Norse periods of the Western Isles of Scotland
The first millennia BC and AD were a key period in the settlement history of Atlantic Scotland. There is a dramatic increase in the number and diversity of archaeological monuments, many of which are domestic in nature. The sites contain thousands of ecofacts and artefacts, allowing detailed insights into the workings and developments in everyday life across many different sites for the first time. The use of plants by humans would have been an essential component in many of these developments. Prior to this study, little direct evidence for human/plant interactions was available in the Western Isles, a pivotal location in the wider North Atlantic realm. The research focuses analysing and interpreting new carbonised plant macrofossil assemblages from nine multi-period sites in Lewis, the largest island in the Western Isles. A regional sampling strategy was employed, allowing direct statistical comparison of the archaeobotanical remains. Due consideration is given to the taphonomy of the carbonised plant assemblages. A generic model is proposed for most remains, involving the carbonisation of the plant material on household fires, followed by the spread of the ash and the carbonised material across the sites
Church, M. J.
Plants and people in the later prehistoric and Norse periods of the Western Isles of Scotland. The first millennia BC and AD were a key period in the settlement history of Atlantic Scotland. There is a dramatic increase in the number and diversity of archaeological monuments, many of which are domestic in nature. The sites contain thousands of ecofacts and artefacts, allowing detailed insights into the workings and developments in everyday life across many different sites for the first time. The use of plants by humans would have been an essential component in many of these developments. Prior to this study, little direct evidence for human/plant interactions was available in the Western Isles, a pivotal location in the wider North Atlantic realm. The research focuses analysing and interpreting new carbonised plant macrofossil assemblages from nine multi-period sites in Lewis, the largest island in the Western Isles. A regional sampling strategy was employed, allowing direct statistical comparison of the archaeobotanical remains. Due consideration is given to the taphonomy of the carbonised plant assemblages. A generic model is proposed for most remains, involving the carbonisation of the plant material on household fires, followed by the spread of the ash and the carbonised material across the sites
people later_prehistoric norse_period western_isles_scotland first millennia key period settlement_history atlantic_scotland dramatic increase_number diversity archaeological_monument many domestic nature site contain thousand artefact allow detailed insight working development everyday_life across many_different site first_time use plant human would essential_component many development prior study little direct_evidence human plant interaction available western_isles pivotal location wider north_atlantic realm focus analyse_interpret new plant assemblage multi_period site lewis large island western_isles regional sampling strategy_employ allow direct statistical comparison archaeobotanical remains due consideration_give taphonomy plant assemblage generic model_propose remains involve plant material household fire follow spread ash material across site