| Abstract: |
Papers from the 1979 conference, with a prefatory paper by E A Slater and J B Kenworthy pointing out the need, in the face of Scotland's comparative lack of resources, for well designed and coordinated research projects in early technology. P R Ritchie (7-14) surveys the work done so far on origins of rock raw material, especially steatite. A version of D Roe's method of axe study has been used by J M Howell (15-24) to extract three main classes of ground stone axes, using a sample of 1000; no correlation was found between shapes and 'factories'. Microwear studies (low magnification) of flints from Skara Brae have been made by R Hope (25-35) who found five different categories and some evidence for a decrease in the availability of flint over time. Scarcity of flint was also evident in C Wickham-Jones's study (36-42) of flaked stone technology; quartz and chert were exploited, with some evidence for heat treatment. Bronze Age jet working was I A G Shepherd's subject (43-51); his experiments indicated that the simplest of cutting, grinding, drilling, and polishing techniques sufficed for the range of objects known. Looking at native and Roman metalwork, W H Manning (52-61) discards the notion of a native origin for the hoards from Blackburn Mill, Eckford, and Carlingwark Loch; these are essentially Roman material, and even Traprain's ironwork is anomalous in the Scotish native pattern. J N Dore (62-9) reports work in progress on Flavian pottery in Scotland, and finally W Gillies (70-85) extracts from Celtic literature some material relating to craftsmen - their significance and status etc - which archaeologists could both utilize and test. |
