A small mesolithic site at Fife Ness, Fife, Scotland

Wickham-Jones, Caroline; Dalland, Magnar

doi:10.11141/ia.5.1

Cited by 14 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…One final aspect of use is specialisation and it is interesting to consider whether or not there is any evidence for specialisation at Sand. Specialisation is something that has been touched upon in the analysis of other Mesolithic sites, in particular small sites such as Fife Ness (Wickham- Jones & Dalland 1998a;Wickham-Jones & Dalland 1998b), but also bigger sites, for example Kinloch (Wickham -Jones 1990:103-16). In general the lithic assemblage at Sand is a typical Mesolithic assemblage with something of everything that one would expect on a site like this.…”

Section: Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mesolithic and later sites around the Inner Sound, Scotland the work of the Scotland's First Settlers project 1998-2004

Hardy¹,

Wickham-Jones²,

MacSween³

et al. 2009

sair

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Scotland's First Settlers comprised a survey project to locate and examine sites relating to the earliest, Mesolithic, settlement of the Inner Sound, along the coastlands between Skye and the west coast of Scotland. Particular foci of interest included the existence and nature of midden sites, the use of rockshelters and caves, and the different types of lithic raw material in use. In addition, information relating to the human use of the area up to the present day was recorded. Fieldwork took place over five years between 1999 and 2004: the entire coastline of the Inner Sound together with its islands was walked; 129 new archaeological sites were recorded; 36 sites were shovel pitted; 44 test pitted; and one major excavation took place. Excavation at Sand has been particularly exciting as it has resulted in the analysis of a shell midden dating to the early-mid seventh millennium BC, the early Mesolithic of Scotland. This report comprises the results of survey and excavation work as well as detailed artefact reports, full information on ecofacts such as shell, and bone, and information on the development of the landscape and environment, including sea level change. Finally, the broad-scale coverage of the project has led to a number of discussion points that have much to offer further work, both within the area and further afield. Digital material associated with this project is available through Archaeology Data Service archive http://dx.doi.org/10.5284/1000285 Scotland's First Settlers

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Section: Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mesolithic and later sites around the Inner Sound, Scotland the work of the Scotland's First Settlers project 1998-2004

Hardy¹,

Wickham-Jones²,

MacSween³

et al. 2009

sair

Self Cite

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“…The very earliest substantive indicator of human presence in Scotland has recently been obtained by radiocarbon dating of carbonized hazelnut shells found in association with a narrow‐blade microlith assemblage (crescents, scalene triangles, microburins) at Cramond, Edinburgh (Ashmore 2001; Denison 2001). These dates, ranging from 9250 ± 60 BP (OxA‐10180) to 9105 ± 65 BP (OxA‐10178), suggest that the kind of Mesolithic industry already well‐known from later in the ninth millennium BP in Scotland from the east coast (Wickham‐Jones and Dalland 1998) to the Inner Hebrides on the west (Wickham‐Jones 1990) was already established before the close of the tenth millennium BP. Evidence for any earlier Mesolithic occupation has not been forthcoming in terms of radiocarbon dates, but there are some tantalizing typological hints of equivalences to Star Carr‐type lithic artefacts of the mid‐tenth millennium BP from the sites of Morton, Fife, and Lussa Bay and Glenbatrick 1 on the Isle of Jura, and many analysts accept the probability of early Mesolithic occupation in Scotland at this date (Saville in press).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

An ahrensburgian‐type tanged point from shieldaig, wester ross, scotland, and its implications

Ballin¹,

Saville²

2003

Oxford J Archaeology

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“…Additional sites with features and artefact distributions implying shelters are found throughout Britain. Those in Scotland include: arcs of stake-holes from Cnoc Coig (Isle of Oronsay; Mellars 1987); a sunken sub-rectangular area at Newton (Isle of Islay; McCullagh 1989); oval scoops from Littlehill Bridge (Ayrshire; MacGregor et al 2010); stake-holes, post-holes, and pits from Morton (Fife; Coles 1971), Kinloch (Isle of Rum; Wickham-Jones 1990), Fife Ness (Fife; Wickham-Jones & Dalland 1998), and Bolsay (Isle of Islay; Mithen et al 2000); and constrained artefact distributions from Caochanan Ruadha (southern Cairngorms; Warren et al . 2018).…”

Section: Mesolithic Structures In Britainmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Interpretation of Mesolithic Structures in Britain: New Evidence from Criet Dubh, Isle of Mull, & Alternative Approaches to Chronological Analysis for Inferring Occupation Tempos & Settlement Patterns

Mithen¹,

Wicks²

2018

Proc. Prehist. Soc.

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The number of Mesolithic structures known in Britain has significantly increased since 2000, providing new opportunities for economic and social interpretations of this period. We describe a further structure, represented by features from the Mesolithic site of Criet Dubh, Isle of Mull. We compare the inferred Criet Dubh structure to other Mesolithic structures from Britain, notably those described as ‘pit-houses’. We then consider the implications of the radiocarbon dates from such structures for the tempo of occupation and past settlement patterns. While the use of Bayesian analysis of radiocarbon dates has encouraged interpretations of prolonged occupation and sedentism, we propose alternative interpretations with patterns of intermittent occupation for Criet Dubh and the pit-houses, involving their re-use after extended periods of abandonment within a sparsely populated landscape. The ability to debate such interpretations reflects the transformation in Mesolithic research made possible by the discovery of such structures, the use of multiple radiocarbon determinations, the application of Bayesian analysis, and the exploration of associations between cultural and environmental change. These developments have made the Mesolithic a particularly innovative period of study.

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A small mesolithic site at Fife Ness, Fife, Scotland

Cited by 14 publications

References 14 publications

Mesolithic and later sites around the Inner Sound, Scotland the work of the Scotland's First Settlers project 1998-2004

Mesolithic and later sites around the Inner Sound, Scotland the work of the Scotland's First Settlers project 1998-2004

An ahrensburgian‐type tanged point from shieldaig, wester ross, scotland, and its implications

The Interpretation of Mesolithic Structures in Britain: New Evidence from Criet Dubh, Isle of Mull, & Alternative Approaches to Chronological Analysis for Inferring Occupation Tempos & Settlement Patterns

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