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Series: Cardiff Studies in Archaeology
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Dunadd: an early Dalriadic capital
Alan M Lane
Ewan Campbell
Report on archaeological investigations of the hillfort of Dunadd in Argyll, popularly believed to be the capital of the early Scottish kingdom of Dál Riata. The authors review the documentary and historical evidence relating to the site, and present an overview of work done on the site by past antiquarians and archaeologists. The results of excavations carried out in 1980--1 are then described. These revealed two phases of Iron Age activity, dated to c. 400--200 cal BC and to 100 cal BC to AD 100 cal, and involving a substantial stone structure on the summit of the hill in at least one of these phases. The main phase of construction of the visible walls of the fort appears to belong to the early medieval period, beginning with the construction of an oval fort in the fourth to fifth century AD. By the seventh century additional enclosures had been included in the defensive works, and subsequently the summit fort was remodelled to create its present pear-shaped plan; at the same time the main outer enclosure wall was built, utilising the natural rock-cleft entrance. These later building activities seem to belong to the eighth, ninth or tenth centuries AD. These dates are supported by finds from the excavations, which also throw light on the socio-economic development of Dál Riata. The excavations uncovered evidence of a seventh-century metalworking workshop with over 900 mould fragments, 250 crucible sherds, waste products, scrap metalwork, tools and raw materials. Scientific analysis indicates sophisticated metalworking practices with evidence for the working of gold, silver, copper alloys, lead, tin, iron and glass. The moulds were mainly for penannular brooches, typological analysis of which has led to a redefinition of the chronology of some Insular brooches. Mould fragments for a large compartmented brooch show that such brooches were produced in Scotland, and at an earlier date that assumed from art historical evidence. The interaction of `Germanic' and `Celtic' art styles is attested by the presence of Anglo-Saxon artefacts and moulds showing Anglo-Saxon influence. The site can be identified as a major centre in the development of the Hiberno-Saxon style. Other finds include a wide range of exotic items including imported pottery, glass and raw materials from as far away as the Mediterranean. It is suggested that the presence of a unique group of rock carvings outside the fort indicates that the site was the place of inauguration of the kings of Dál Riata. The excavation evidence confirms major use of the site in the period of the seventh to ninth centuries. Separately authored contributions include
2000
Pace of change: studies in early medieval chronology
1999
Places of special virtue: megaliths in the Neolithic landscapes of Wales
Vicki Cummings (Ed.)
The volume explores the landscape settings of megalithic chambered monuments in Wales. Set against a broader theoretical discussion on the significance of the landscape, the authors consider the role of visual landscapes in prehistory, meanings attached to the landscape, and the values and beliefs invested in it. Wales is rich in Neolithic monuments, but there is a general absence of certain classic monumental forms found in the rest of Britain and Ireland, such as causewayed enclosures, henges, and cursus monuments. Cummings and Whittle argue that Wales has its own unique and individual Neolithic which is simply different from the Neolithic found further to the east. It is suggested that this difference may relate to an essentially mobile existence, with strong links back to the Mesolithic period. The authors present three detailed case studies, examining the settings of sites in southwest, northwest and southeast Wales. They outline the history of research for each region, including the previous classification of the monuments and any excavations, and describe the specific landscape settings of the monuments. They assess the significance of a variety of landscape features which would have been visible from the monuments, in particular emphasising the mythological and symbolic significance of the sea, rivers and mountains. An illustrated inventory of sites completes the volume. Includes French, German and Welsh summaries, and separately authored chapters on
2004
The harmony of symbols: the Windmill Hill causewayed enclosure, Wiltshire
Alasdair W R Whittle
Joshua Pollard
Caroline Grigson
Three circuits of ditches comprise the Windmill Hill enclosure, which was re-examined in 1988 as part of wider research into the area's Neolithic sequence and environment, and the context in which monuments were built, used and abandoned. Detailed results are set out by category and theme, and abundant environmental evidence is presented covering soils, land snails, plant remains, charcoals, pollen, amphibian and small mammal remains. This volume advances many theories on the enclosure's symbolism: inclusion and exclusion, the relationship between culture and nature or between people and their surroundings. The authors suggest that the monument drew on the memory of the past and may itself have been a metaphor for time. Deposits reveal a wide range of use including subsistence, eating, drinking, perhaps feasting, alliance, exchange, death and expression of gender roles. The later history of the enclosure, in the later Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, is also considered.
1999
The Neolithic of the Irish Sea
Vicki Cummings
Chris Fowler
This collection of 24 papers aims to reconsider the nature and significance of the Irish Sea as an area of cultural interaction during the Neolithic period. The traditional character of work across this region has emphasised the existence of prehistoric contact, with sea routes criss-crossing between Ireland, the Isle of Man, Anglesey and the British mainland. A parallel course of investigation, however, has demonstrated that the British and Irish Neolithics were in many ways different, with distinct indigenous patterns of activity and social practices. The recent emphasis on regional studies has further produced evidence for parallel yet different processes of cultural change taking place throughout the British Isles as a whole. This volume brings together some of these regional perspectives and compares them across the Irish Sea area. The authors consider new ways to explain regional patterning in the use of material objects and relate them to past practices and social strategies. Were there practices that were shared across the Irish Sea area linking different styles of monuments and material culture, or were the media intrinsic to the message? The volume is based on papers presented at a conference held at the University of Manchester in 2002.
2015
The Neolithic of the Irish Sea: materiality and traditions of practice
Collection of twenty-four papers which aims to reconsider the nature and significance of the Irish Sea as an area of cultural interaction during the Neolithic period. Much previous work across this region has emphasised the existence of prehistoric contact, with sea routes criss-crossing between Ireland, the Isle of Man, Anglesey and the British mainland. A parallel course of investigation has demonstrated that the British and Irish Neolithics were in many ways different, with distinct indigenous patterns of activity and social practices. The emphasis on regional studies has further produced evidence for parallel yet different processes of cultural change taking place throughout the British Isles as a whole. The volume brings together some of these regional perspectives and compares them across the Irish Sea area. The authors consider new ways to explain regional patterning in the use of material objects and relate them to past practices and social strategies; they examine whether there were practices that were shared across the Irish Sea area linking different styles of monuments and material culture, or whether the media were intrinsic to the message. The volume is based on papers presented at a conference held at the University of Manchester in April 2002, and contributions include
2004
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