Mithen, S. J. and Wicks, K. (2012). Croig Cave: a Late Bronze Age ornament deposit and three millennia of fishing and foraging on the north-west coast of Mull, Scotland. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 142. Vol 142, pp. 63-132.
| Title: | Croig Cave: a Late Bronze Age ornament deposit and three millennia of fishing and foraging on the north-west coast of Mull, Scotland | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Issue: | Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 142 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Series: | Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Volume: | 142 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of Pages: | 512 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Page Start/End: | 63 - 132 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Publication Type: | Journal | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract: | Activity within caves provides an important element of the later prehistoric and historic settlement pattern of western Scotland. This contribution reports on a small-scale excavation within Croig Cave, on the coast of north-west Mull, that exposed a 1.95 m sequence of midden deposits and cave floors that date between c 1700 BC and AD 1400. Midden analysis indicated the processing of a diverse range of small fish and the collection of shellfish throughout this period, showing a high degree of continuity involving low-risk inshore fishing. At c 950 BC, a penannular copper bracelet and an amber bead were deposited within a small, shallow pit within the cave floor, suggestive of a discrete ritual episode within the cycle of otherwise potentially mundane activities. Lead isotope analysis indicated an Irish origin for the copper ore. A piece of iron slag within later midden deposits, dated to c 400 BC, along with high frequencies of wood charcoal, suggest that smithing or smelting may have occurred within the cave. High zinc levels in the historic levels of the midden c AD 1200 might indicate intensive processing of seaweed. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Year of Publication: | 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Source: |
ADS Archive
(ADS Archive)
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| Created Date: | 26 Apr 2015 |
