Antiquity 78 (302)

Investigation of a partially waterlogged Neolithic site, on an islet in a Scottish Hebridean loch, showed that early strategies of exploitation were already environmentally damaging. Loss of soil fertility through intensive ploughing is well-documented, but stripping the turf can be equally damaging to the environment. Working on the lake settlement of Eilean Domhnuill in North Uist, the authors show that turf was cut for building material and used as fuel and that this practice contributed to a rapid degradation of the land surface through erosion.

Review article on several books concerning the (mainly European) Mesolithic, including Mesolithic on the move: papers presented at the 6th International Conference on the Mesolithic in Europe, Stockholm 2000 eds L Larsson, H Kindgren, K Knutsson, D Loeffler & A Åkerlund (Oxford: Oxbow, 2003) and Beyond foraging and collecting: evolutionary change in hunter-gatherer systems eds B Fitzhugh & J Habu (biab ref 2004/905).

Review article on several books, including Rural society in the Age of Reason: an archaeology of the emergence of modern life in the southern Scottish Highlands by C Dalglish (New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum, 2003) and Archaeologies of the British: explorations of identity in Great Britain and its colonies ed S Lawrence (biab ref 2004/1414).

On a gold disc discovered in 2002 during excavation of a Roman and early medieval lead bole smelting site at Banc Tynddol, Cwmystwyth. The small, circular, repoussé decorated and perforated gold-foil disc was found at a depth of 15cm below the remains of a medieval hearth and was identified on typological grounds as being an example of a Copper Age to Early Bronze Age 'sun-disc' belonging to the Primary Bell Beaker Goldwork Tradition with a probable date of manufacture somewhere between 2500-2100 BC. No further associated grave goods were found.