Towards a social archaeology of the mesolithic in Eastern Scotland : landscapes, contexts and experience
The research reported here arose from perceived lacunae regarding archaeological understanding of mesolithic settlement in eastern Scotland. Historically this area, for a number of reasons, has seen 1ittle archaeological research in comparison to the maritime west of the country, a bias that requires redressing. The characteristics, problems and potentials of available data are assembled for the first time and critically assessed. Discussion of methodologies appropriate to this material is developed, and small-scale fieldwork undertaken within this framework presented. Any introduction of a new range of data is, in part, a construction of that data, and the particular interpretative and thematic stresses of the thesis arise from the argument that narratives of gatherer-hunter communities in the past have objectified those groups, consequently hindering comprehension of them. To this end an approach to a social archaeology of the mesolithic is developed, stressing the importance of examining skills and routines that, through thei; extension in particular contexts, may have structured an agent's experience of landscapes in the past. In order to flesh out these arguments and introduce the material evidence in
Warren, Graeme
Human settlements ; Hunting and gathering societies ; Mesolithic period ; Prehistoric peoples ; Social archaeology ; Scotland
Towards a social archaeology of the mesolithic in Eastern Scotland : landscapes, contexts and experience. The research reported here arose from perceived lacunae regarding archaeological understanding of mesolithic settlement in eastern Scotland. Historically this area, for a number of reasons, has seen 1ittle archaeological research in comparison to the maritime west of the country, a bias that requires redressing. The characteristics, problems and potentials of available data are assembled for the first time and critically assessed. Discussion of methodologies appropriate to this material is developed, and small-scale fieldwork undertaken within this framework presented. Any introduction of a new range of data is, in part, a construction of that data, and the particular interpretative and thematic stresses of the thesis arise from the argument that narratives of gatherer-hunter communities in the past have objectified those groups, consequently hindering comprehension of them. To this end an approach to a social archaeology of the mesolithic is developed, stressing the importance of examining skills and routines that, through thei; extension in particular contexts, may have structured an agent's experience of landscapes in the past. In order to flesh out these arguments and introduce the material evidence in
towards social archaeology mesolithic eastern scotland landscape contexts experience report arose perceive lacuna regard archaeological mesolithic settlement eastern scotland historically area number reason see archaeological comparison maritime west_country bias require redress characteristic problem available_data assemble first_time critically_assess discussion methodology appropriate material develop small_scale fieldwork undertaken within_framework present introduction_new range_data part construction data particular interpretative thematic stress arise argument narrative gatherer hunter community past group consequently hinder comprehension them end social archaeology mesolithic develop stress_importance examine skill routine extension particular context may structure agent experience landscape past order flesh argument introduce material_evidence