The Scottish Neolithic Flashcards
What do we know about Timber Halls from the Neolithic?
-Balbridie is a famous example, discovered by observing cropmarks
-Oak posts were driven into the ground, standing 2-3m tall (at Claish)
-All timber halls were only built and used for around 200 years, and then burnt down
-There purpose is unclear; perhaps for temporary settlement, permanent or whether they were ritual sites
What do we know about Cursus Monuments from the Neolithic?
-Built in early neolithic (around 4000BC) and were some of Scotland’s earliest monuments
-Wooden post ones (3900-3600BC) were followed by ditch-and-bank ones (3600-3000BC)
-There are less than 20 known wooden ones with the longest being 800m long (around 3800BC)
What do we know about the Cleaven Dyke?
-2.1km long (1.8km visible as a ditch and bank, the rest as cropmarks)
-50m wide
-Possibly built around 3600BC
What were Cursus Monuments used for?
-Ceremonies and rituals associated with land clearance and farming
-Processional walking routes for ceremonies
-Land divisions
-Gathering places for people and cattle
What Evidence do we have for the Scottish Neolithic’s Material Heritage?
-Polished stone axe heads (such as those at the Creag na Caillich quarry)
-Pottery was starting to be used, possibly introduced from elsewhere?
-Start of transition to farming so a higher proportion of domesticated plant remains have been found
-Chambered cairns found which were most likely burial sites, suggesting a stronger sense of religion within the society
What can we Interpret about Scotland’s Cultural Development at this time?
-Farming brought to Scotland around 3800BC
-David Reich found 90% of Britain’s DNA replaced 4500BC by migration, and a further 99% in 3000BC
-Suggests new ideas (e.g. farming and pottery) were introduced and perhaps new religions/ beliefs too
What do we know about the First Farmers?
-Lived in light timber houses
-Lived in one area but moved seasonally
-Used hoes, spades and ards, working in small plots for wheat and barley
-Used local resources for food
-Managed herds of cattle and sheep through transhumance (seasonal movement)
What do we know about Funery Monuments found in Scotland?
-Over 1000 funery monuments have been found across Scotland
-Some are earth long barrows, others wooden mortuary structures (perhaps for excarnation) and some are chambered cairns
-Hundreds of chambered cairns have been found and may have been used as communal burial areas for families
What is Aerial Archaeology and How is it Useful?
-Flying over sites in a small plane to take photos of the surroundings
-Gives a clear overview of larger sites and how they relate to other similar sites
-Allows archaeologists to identify cropmarks
What are Cropmarks and How are they Useful?
-Identified using aerial archaeology
-Characterised by irregularities in crop growth (more or less compared to surroundings)
-Areas where pits were produce more growth in crops due to higher moisture and nutrient content
-Areas with less growth suggest there are buried sites such as walls or stone-capping
