Post-Medieval Archaeol 39 (2)

The paper reviews, from the perspective of archaeology, the current state of the category of `historic battlefield' internationally. In particular, it considers the historical development of battlefield studies in archaeology and examines the ontology of the historic battlefield from three key perspectives: the definition of `battle'; battlefields as places; and the manner in which they are given value as part of management regimes.

The author argues that in the archaeology of post-medieval rural Scotland, research traditions have inhibited understanding of social change prior to the eighteenth century as the emphasis has been on the dramatic overturn of `traditional' society with Improvement and the Clearances. This contrasts with the situation for England and, indeed other parts of Europe, where there is an established concern for the much earlier `Age of Transition' from medieval to modern. The author explores the ancestry of Improvement by considering the genesis of the landed estate in the sixteenth and earlier-seventeenth centuries; this is primarily achieved through an analysis of the architecture and geography of castles in one area of the Highlands. This case study concerns the castles of the Glenorchy Campbells, a lineage emerging in the earlier-fifteenth century and proceeding to become one of the most significant of Scottish, and British, landed families. It is argued that in no small part through a changing approach to castle building, their rise was predicated on the transformation of clan territory into landed estate in the period after 1550. The usefulness of the `Age of Transition' construct, in this specific context and in general, is appraised. In concluding, the author argues for the alternative of the dialectical Marxist concept of contradiction. This places the focus on tension, fluidity, and lack of resolution in society, running counter to the idea of transition from one state to another.

Kenneth Barton's large collection of everyday post-medieval European ceramics has recently been donated to Somerset County Museums. The note describes the character of the collection, the intentions behind its formation, its potential for research, and access to the collection.

Report on finds recorded under the Portable Antiquities Scheme during 2004, with a description of some of the most notable items and a discussion of particular categories and themes.