Out of the ordinary : the materiality of the south-east Scottish Iron Age
A materiality approach is developed in this thesis in order to understand social-material relationships during the south-east Scottish Iron Age. The focus is on everyday objects, traditionally lesser studied in terms of cosmological value, made of bone and antler, stone, clay/pottery and metal (copper alloy and iron) from the Broxmouth Hillfort assemblage and other excavated Iron Age sites in East Lothian. This study sets out to move away from typology to examine the connections between these materials through their sourcing, affordances (signative and pragmatic), design, manufacture, use and deposition. In addition to the archaeological evidence, a range of analytical methods are employed; including laser scanning confocal microscopy, raman spectroscopy, and residue and isotopic analysis. It becomes evident that the materials studied, despite their predominantly local availability, were invested with meaning in appropriation, making, and were deliberately curated and maintained in use, assembling rich personal biographies. Identities were tied up with making, using and depositing of materials in turn embodying beliefs of fertility, renewal and productivity which were central to Iron Age cosmology, continuing
Maxwell, Mhairi Louise
Artefacts ; Iron Age ; Materiality ; Biography ; Cosmology ; Everyday ; Identity ; Analytical science ; Sustainability ; Scotland ; Bone and antler ; Pottery ; Stone ; Iron ; Copper ; Broxmouth Hillfort assemblage ; East Lothian
Out of the ordinary : the materiality of the south-east Scottish Iron Age. A materiality approach is developed in this thesis in order to understand social-material relationships during the south-east Scottish Iron Age. The focus is on everyday objects, traditionally lesser studied in terms of cosmological value, made of bone and antler, stone, clay/pottery and metal (copper alloy and iron) from the Broxmouth Hillfort assemblage and other excavated Iron Age sites in East Lothian. This study sets out to move away from typology to examine the connections between these materials through their sourcing, affordances (signative and pragmatic), design, manufacture, use and deposition. In addition to the archaeological evidence, a range of analytical methods are employed; including laser scanning confocal microscopy, raman spectroscopy, and residue and isotopic analysis. It becomes evident that the materials studied, despite their predominantly local availability, were invested with meaning in appropriation, making, and were deliberately curated and maintained in use, assembling rich personal biographies. Identities were tied up with making, using and depositing of materials in turn embodying beliefs of fertility, renewal and productivity which were central to Iron Age cosmology, continuing
ordinary materiality south_east scottish_iron_age materiality develop order social material relationship south_east scottish_iron_age focus everyday_object traditionally less studied term cosmological value make bone_antler stone clay pottery metal copper_alloy iron hillfort assemblage excavate iron_age site east_lothian study set move_away typology examine_connection material source affordances pragmatic design manufacture_use deposition addition archaeological_evidence range analytical_method employ_include laser scan microscopy spectroscopy residue isotopic_analysis becomes evident material study despite predominantly local availability invest meaning appropriation make deliberately curated maintain use assemble rich personal biography identities tie make_use deposit material turn embody belief fertility renewal productivity central iron_age cosmology continue