Coastal shell middens and agricultural origins in Atlantic Europe

Nicky Milner, Geoff Bailey, Oliver Craig, Naomi Belshaw, Eva Laurie, 2012. https://doi.org/10.5284/1017461. How to cite using this DOI

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https://doi.org/10.5284/1017461
Sample Citation for this DOI

Nicky Milner, Geoff Bailey, Oliver Craig, Naomi Belshaw, Eva Laurie (2012) Coastal shell middens and agricultural origins in Atlantic Europe [data-set]. York: Archaeology Data Service [distributor] https://doi.org/10.5284/1017461

Data copyright © Dr Naomi Belshaw, Prof Nicky Milner unless otherwise stated

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Primary contact

Prof Nicky Milner
Department of Archaeology
University of York
King's Manor
Exhibition Square
York
YO1 7EP
England
Tel: 01904 323940
Fax: 01904 323902

Send e-mail enquiry

Resource identifiers

Digital Object Identifiers

Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) are persistent identifiers which can be used to consistently and accurately reference digital objects and/or content. The DOIs provide a way for the ADS resources to be cited in a similar fashion to traditional scholarly materials. More information on DOIs at the ADS can be found on our help page.

Citing this DOI

The updated Crossref DOI Display guidelines recommend that DOIs should be displayed in the following format:

https://doi.org/10.5284/1017461
Sample Citation for this DOI

Nicky Milner, Geoff Bailey, Oliver Craig, Naomi Belshaw, Eva Laurie (2012) Coastal shell middens and agricultural origins in Atlantic Europe [data-set]. York: Archaeology Data Service [distributor] https://doi.org/10.5284/1017461

Overview

This database contains information gathered as part of Naomi Belshaw's PhD.

The aim of the thesis was to investigate the distribution of Mesolithic and Early Neolithic coastal sites in Scotland. In order to explore this three research questions were posed:

  1. To what extent does relative sea level change affect our understanding of coastal distribution of sites through time?
  2. How might the resource potential of certain areas have an effect on the distribution of sites?
  3. Has archaeological investigation biased our understanding of coastal site distribution?

In order to answer these questions the data from radiocarbon dated coastal sites (9000-3000 cal. BC) in Scotland have been collated and entered into a custom designed database in Microsoft Access. It is a relational database with table recording different types of information, broadly including location data, dating of the site and associated finds.

The list of sites to be used was selected according to several criteria. It would have been an almost impossible task to collate all the information on lithic scatters and the aim was to encompass sites which have been radiocarbon dated in order to investigate site distribution through time. Information was collected from a number of sources: Patrick Ashmore was contacted in September 2003 and he provided a full list of radiocarbon dates for Scotland.

More recent radiocarbon dates were obtained from Discovery and Excavation in Scotland 2004. In addition access was granted to the Scotland's First Settlers Project data (now published: SAIR 31). Every dated site in Scotland within a 5 km radius of the coast was included; 5km was deemed an appropriate distance from the modern coast that people might have travelled to when exploiting a coastal region, although it is acknowledged that there are some issues with this in that sea level change will have affected some coastlines.

Once the dated sites were identified, research located over 260 site reports, articles and monographs which were then used to complete site details within the database. From these reports the main archaeological finds were picked out and evidence of different types of lithics, species, pottery and artefacts were recorded in the database. The information gathered was also cross referenced with the online database Canmore. In order to achieve the aim the following details needed to be recorded in the database: general site information including name, geographical co-ordinates, altitude, distance from the modern coastline, geology and type of coastline. Within sites, details of middens, lithics, ceramics, flora, fauna and human remains were recorded as well as evidence for types of subsistence. In addition, wherever dates are given for particular finds both radiometric and diagnostic dates are recorded. Details on database construction can be found within the thesis (chapter 4).

One limitation that emerged, once the majority of sites had been input into the database, was the inconsistency of archaeological site reports. Although the initial pilot study had suggested key fields to record on archaeological sites, in reality many reports failed to mention details of the type of site, the evidence for agriculture, or information on rock or soil types. Even details of finds were variable between different archaeological reports. For instance some reports provided detailed information on types of fauna and flora found and relative percentages whereas others did not. In the latter case the percentage was recorded as 0 due to lack of data. However, for the purposes of this project, it is deemed that the data collected are sufficient to address the main aims of the work.

The thesis presents distribution maps of site location. This database is designed to allow searches for certain categories of data by period. For instance, it could be used to search for Mesolithic sites which contain limpets, or Neolithic cave sites.

Acknowledgements

Naomi would like to thank Nick Winder, Lindsay Allason-Jones, Kristian Pedersen, Penny Spikins and Andrew Parkin for advice on what material was relevant for inputting into a database; Nicholas Belshaw and Lorna Scammel for help in designing a database; Caroline Wickham-Jones and Karen Hardy for advice on the site of Sand and inviting me to a workshop in 2003; Patrick Ashmore for advice on radiocarbon dating and the database of dates; and also more generally David Andrews, Geoff Bailey, James Barrett, Clive Bonsall, Eva Fairnell, Peter Hall, Jen Harland, Eva Laurie, Nicky Milner, Gemma Moy, Jasmine Myer, Rachel Parks, Penny Spikins, Justin Washtell, Nick Winder.


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