| Abstract: |
The conference topic was selected as particularly appropriate for a multidisciplinary approach to the very important boundary zone providing a 'double larder' of land and sea resources, the rich nature of which is rapidly sketched. K D Thomas (49-64) reviews sources of evidence for changing coastal environments, including local and short term change, and human exploitation of (especially) mollusca and how to interpret this evidence. The Birsay Bay (Orkney) Project is outlined by A M Donaldson, C D Morris, and D J Rackham (65-86) studying past and current evidence for Bronze Age to Norse times and covering coastal, marine and stock-raising aspects; they emphasize the need for wet-sieving. Some ethnohistorical evidence for the use of seaweed is cited by M Bell (117-26): archaeologically it is difficult to recognize unless its typical inclusions (shells, worm tubes etc) are looked for, as at Bishopstone and Buckquoy. The vegetational history of the Isles of Scilly is outlined from some preliminary pollen studies (G W Dimbleby, J R A Greig & R G Scaife, 127-44). M J Jansma (145-62) explains diatom formation, its analysis, and its importance to Dutch settlement archaeology for studying transgression phases and also for source studies of pottery. From Oronsay, C Grigson (163-80) provides an interim report on mammalian remains, especially red deer and seals, from current excavations; resources on Colonsay may have been exploited. M Wilkinson (181-94) considers the fish otolith evidence from the Meso middens on Oronsay with reference to studies of resource scheduling and seasonality. On birds, D Brothwell, D Bramwell and G Cowles (195-206) collect data from (mostly) UK sites to indicate the potential, so far little explored, of bird studies for archaeology. |
