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Foreword

This year’s Annual Report focuses expressly upon Departmental research in progress, and rather less upon teaching and other domestic matters, not because the latter are considered any less important, but because it is in making public the results of research that the Department has a primary obligation In 1998 the Department produced a revised Research Strategy document which is now the basis for determining priorities in the internal allocation of resources. Management of the Strategy and Departmental resources is the responsibility of the Head of Department (currently Professor D. Harding) in conjunction with regular meetings of Departmental Staff acting in lieu of a separate Research Committee. Professor E. Peltenburg is responsible for postgraduate affairs, and Professor I. Ralston is Director of the Centre for Field Archaeology (CFA). The Department has two Research Centres at Calanais, Isle of Lewis and at Lemba, western Cyprus, which form the focus for long-term research programmes.

Investment in the Department’s major research projects is long-term, and it may be anticipated that the achievements highlighted in RAE 2001 will include several already in progress in 1996. Examples will certainly be the Jerablus-Tahtani excavations in Syria, the publication of research in western Cyprus based on the Lemba Archaeological Research Centre, and research-driven fieldwork on the Mesolithic and Neolithic at Bylany in Czechoslovakia, in the Iron Gates region of the lower Danube, in Burgundy and Berry, and in western Scotland. The Department’s commitment to field research following from the international Mont Beuvray programme, together with its long-term investment in later prehistoric studies in Scotland, in particular in the Western Isles through its Calanais Archaeological Research Centre, will also remain central to its research record.

Several tactical considerations are implicit in the Research Strategy.

The first relates to the role of a University Department of Archaeology within its local or regional context. Whilst a Department of international standing may be expected to have a significant involvement in archaeology abroad it must also have a commitment to the country in which it is based and sustained. This is especially pertinent in Edinburgh on the eve of the establishment of the first Scottish Parliament in nearly three hundred years, but this Department’s commitment to Scottish archaeology is of long-standing, and not a late conversion. Stuart Piggott, often wrongly presented as disdaining all things Scottish, was responsible for important excavations, including Cairnpapple and Dalladies, the name of Gordon Childe is immediately associated with the excavations at Skara Brae and Rahoy, and both wrote books on the prehistory of Scotland. In effect, Edinburgh aims to provide leadership in archaeological research in Scotland within a wider European context. Archaeological research abroad should also be based upon an understanding in depth of the countries and cultures concerned, and designed to focus the best of British archaeological scholarship on the identification and resolution of major research issues.

The second tactical consideration relates to the relative merits of group research and individual research. The Department has excellent examples of group research in which staff and postgraduates benefit from a climate of interactive endeavour, and in which they participate in collaborative research with other academic institutions in Britain and abroad in order to maximise effective use of resources. It is important that research groups should themselves have clear objectives and an active agenda. Other research continues to be generated by individuals, and may lead to major publications of internationally-recognised merit, and should not be under-rated simply because it is not the product of teamwork. What is crucial is that individual research, at any rate in so far as it attracts formal Departmental support, is focused on themes or objectives which are common to other individuals or groups, that is, it contributes to the overall Research Strategy of the Department.

The Department endeavours to sustain a strong postgraduate school, commensurate with staff numbers, and focused on the specialist expertise of its staff. Proliferation of postgraduate numbers at the margins of supervisory expertise is academically and practically problematic, and is avoided.

The Research Strategy aims to integrate the objectives and processes of research with the Department’s undergraduate teaching function more closely to mutual benefit. Focusing Honours teaching upon research strengths reduces staff time spent in preparation of material which makes no contribution to research output, injects vitality and purpose into teaching, and reciprocally generates debate in Honours classes, all of which stimulates further ideas relevant to research.

The Department’s long-standing research strengths have been focused chronologically and geographically on the prehistoric and early historic archaeology of the Old World, from the British Isles (including Scotland) through Europe and the Mediterranean basin to the Middle East. Methodologically its research includes studies involving archaeological theory and professional field practice, as well as laboratory-based studies, notably those concerned with the human environment and material culture.

Whilst regional specialisation is self-evidently necessary, compartmentalisation is not, and dual interests, in Britain and abroad, characterise most of the Department’s core staff. Watkins and Peltenburg, for example, have both published important research on the Scottish Iron Age, as well as in their primary Middle Eastern and Mediterranean fields, while Finlayson has collaborated in Middle Eastern research in addition to his primary west of Scotland projects. Ralston and Bonsall are both equally committed to Scotland and major European research projects. The Department’s Scottish research is not constrained by insular boundaries, but is concerned with interactions across the Atlantic seaways (Harding and others), while the environmental framework (Coles) is investigated in the context of Iceland, Atlantic Europe and the North Sea basin.

Accordingly, the Department’s Research Strategy does not emphasise geographical divisions, but instead identifies three key research themes and three practical methodological strengths which may be applicable to or fundamentally underpin research objectives across geographical boundaries. The research themes are:

Late Hunter-Gatherers and Early Farmers, with particular reference to the processes of transition, including environmental changes, the origins of agriculture, and associated aspects of ritual, burial, economic and social structure,

Complex Societies and Early States, with particular reference to the characteristics of urban, proto-urban or non-urban societies, developed economic and agricultural systems and iron technology, the emergence of literate civilisations and their relationships with non-literate neighbours, and the relationship of these to environmental factors,

Public Archaeology, including all aspects of cultural resource management, contract research, experimental archaeology for research and public exhibition, archaeology as an educational and leisure resource.

The practical archaeological strengths are:

Field Archaeology. Every member of staff is active in fieldwork, which is the catalyst for much of the Department’s original research output. It also underpins the distinctive character of the Edinburgh Honours M.A. degree in Archaeology, the fieldwork training component of which is exceeded by no other university in Britain. The Department’s practical expertise includes survey and excavation, air-survey and photography, experimental archaeology and underwater archaeology.

Artefacts and Materials. The Department has a unique resource in the Gordon Childe teaching collection of artefacts. During the year, Jenny Shields, a graduate of the Department currently with the National Museums of Scotland, made considerable progress with efforts to place the collection on a sound footing for teaching and research. The study of artefacts and material culture will continue to be a major research focus of the Department.

Ecofacts and Environmental Archaeology. The Department regards the development of environmental studies as integral to its archaeological research, and accordingly has been progressively developing its environmental reference collections and laboratory resources in support of staff and postgraduate research.

Reductions in real terms in resources in recent years has led many academics to believe that standards have fallen. With class sizes much larger than hitherto, including Honours classes of up to forty compared to Piggott’s half-dozen, and with pressure at the same time to reduce periodical subscriptions rather than enhancing library provision, even improved pedagogic techniques can hardly be expected to sustain the range and depth of teaching for which the Department was noted hitherto. In research too it would be easy to argue that resources have failed to keep pace with professional expectations, especially in terms of fieldwork. Yet the truth is that neither Childe nor Piggott, rightly respected as the foremost European archaeologists of their time, never excavated in Europe, whereas in the last ten years Edinburgh has had a major involvement, in collaboration with national institutions of the countries concerned, in excavations from Bylany and in the Iron Gates in the east to the Mont Beuvray, Bourges and Escolives in the west, not to consider its long-standing interests in Mediterranean Europe. This is not to excuse the policy of attrition of resources adopted by successive governments, even on the grounds that it has prompted greater initiatives to look elsewhere for support. It demonstrates instead how much more could have been achieved if the potential had been exploited to the full.

D. W. Harding

 Notes from the Editor (EP):

The new title for the Department’s Annual Report, "Archaeology in Edinburgh" is a reflection of the department’s growing interaction with other archaeological bodies in the capital and with public archaeology in general. This year’s Report, Volume 44, covers the period 1 January – 30 September 1998.

   Personnel - Department of Archaeology

Head of Department (to 31 July 1998)

Trevor Watkins, BA, PhD, FSA, FSAScot

Head of Department (from 1 August 1998) and Abercromby Professor of Archaeology
D. W. Harding, MA, DPhil, FRSE, FSAScot

Professors

Edgar Peltenburg, BA, PhD, FSA, FSAScot

I. B. M. Ralston, MA, PhD, FSA, FSAScot, MIFA

Senior Lecturers

J. C. Bonsall, BA, FSAScot, MIFA

Mrs M. S. Midgley, MA, PhD, FSAScot

Trevor Watkins, BA, PhD, FSA, FSAScot

Lecturers

G. M. Coles, BA, PhD, FSAScot

Research Fellow

T. N. Dixon, MA, PhD, FSAScot

British Academy Teaching & Research Fellows

Nicola A. Murray, MA, PhD, FSAScot
Louise F. Steel, BA, PhD

Honorary Staff

Endowment Fellow

I. A. Morrison, MA, PhD, MSNR, FSAScot (Department of Geography)

Honorary Fellows

Ian Armit, MA, PhD, MIFA

Nicola A. Murray, MA, PhD, FSAScot

Post-Doctoral Research Fellows

Robert Leighton, MA, PhD
Louise C. Maguire, MA, PhD
Bill Manley, BA, PhD
Robert J.S. Sands, BSc, PhD
Anne Tresset, Maîtresse, D.E.A., PhD

Research Associates

Barrie Andrian, BA (Scottish Trust for Underwater Archaeology)
Raquel Lopez Rodriguez (University of Madrid)

Support Staff

Draughtsman/Illustrator

G. D. Thomas, MA, MLitt, PhD, FSAScot, MIFA

Laboratory Superintendent

Ian W. Morrison, MPhil, LRIC

Secretary

Miss P. J. Storey, MA, MLitt, FSAScot

Part-Time Tutors

Bryon Bass, BA, PhD
Simon Gilmour, MA, FSAScot
Alex Hale, BA, FSAScot
Adam Jackson, MA
Robert Leighton, MA, PhD
Robert J.S. Sands, BSc, PhD
Fiona M.K. Stephen, MA
Clive L.M. Warsop, MA

Centre for Field Archaeology

Director: I. B. M. Ralston, MA, PhD, FSA, FSAScot, MIFA
Manager: W. L. Finlayson, MA, PhD, FSAScot, MIFA
Field Manager: Andrew Dunwell, BA, FSAScot, MIFA
Deputy Field Manager: Derek Alexander, MA, FSAScot, AIFA
Senior Environmental Scientist: Ciara Clarke, BA(mod), MSc, PhD, FSAScot

Field Officers: Tim Neighbour, BSc, FSAScot, AIFA - Richard Strachan, MA, FSAScot, AIFA - Kirsty Cameron, MA, FSAScot, AAAI&S, AIFA - Alastair Rees, MA FSAScot, AIFA - Catherine McGill, MA - Jamie Hamilton, MA, FSAScot, AIFA

Assistant Field Officers: Bruce Glendinning MA, AIFA - Ronan Toolis MA, FSAScot, AIFA

Environmental Scientist: Mike Cressey, BA, MSc, PhD

Senior Illustrator: Kevin Hicks, BA, AAAI&S

Assistant Illustrator: George Mudie, MA

Technicians: Kenneth Browell MA - Naomi Law MA - Steven Morgan MA - Ian Suddaby MA

Administrative Assistant: Helen Skinner, MA

Part time Assistant: Bea Alexander

Registered Research Students Right - Some of the postgraduates in 1998

Research

The Department’s current research focus is on the themes of hunter-gatherers and early farmers, complex societies and early states, and public archaeology as described in the Foreword. Reports are essentially presented here according to those key themes.

Late Hunter-Gatherers and Early Farmers

Monumental Neolithic Cemetery at Escolives, Yonne, France

Magdalena S. Midgley, in collaboration with P. Duhamel, P. Buvot, J.-P. Delor and M. Prestreau, Service régional de l’archéologie de Bourgogne

The excavation in general

The second excavation season of the monumental cemetery at Escolives took place from 24^th August to 2^nd October 1998. The results of the 1998 excavation season are described in detail in the Second Interim Report - Excavation Season 1998, a copy of which can be requested from Dr. Midgley

What follows below is a brief summary of the main achievements of the 1998 season. First of all, we completed the excavation of four monuments in the southern part of the cemetery (A, B, C, D), which were partly investigated during the previous season, and we also excavated two more monuments (H and G) which are located in the northern segment of the site.

We confirmed unequivocally the sepulchral nature of the site through the discovery of three graves which contained human remains and other, probable, grave structures. Within the graves we encountered a variety of grave goods - pottery, flint tools and jewellery - which help us to define more precisely the cultural and chronological parameters of the cemetery. We also conducted an intensive sampling of all features to learn more about the past environment and the geological history of the site.

The Monuments

The most significant information recovered with respect to the monuments is the variation of types. The diversity of shape, size, construction and architectural designs implies that the cemetery was used over a long period of time and that monuments evolved or, indeed, were deliberately remodelled in accordance with the changing needs of the community which used the cemetery.

The Graves

While the sepulchral nature of the site at Escolives was never really in doubt, the discovery of graves containing not only grave goods but also human remains, confirmed unequivocally that the site was a cemetery. All graves contained primary inhumations: in two of the graves only fragments of human crania were preserved but in one grave an extended human skeleton was found on the gravel floor. Arrows had been placed with all the deceased - although they survive only as flint arrowheads- suggesting that hunting was still economically and socially important pursuit; one person had an unusual stone pendant suspended from the neck (see figure 1), while another individual was also accompanied by a pot which survived intact and has a characteristic "square mouth".

A similar vessel, unfortunately fragmentary, was discovered in another possible grave pit. These vessels are particularly interesting because, in the last few years, this type has been recognised in a number of contemporary funerary contexts in central and western France (with some broader SW European associations), and yet, they never appear in domestic assemblages. A wider typo-cultural and functional study of these vessels will be undertaken as part of the final synthesis of the cemetery but, for the moment, we should note that they appear to be a specific ceramic type created exclusively for use in burial rituals.

Study of the palaeoenvironment

All features excavated in 1998 were sampled. Several pits provided charred fills which will be analysed for plant microfossils, and will provide material for radio-carbon dating. We have also engaged in the study of local geology and geomorphology with a view to better understanding of alluvial and colluvial activities which created the original environment for the location of the cemetery and subsequently played a major role in its transformation and erosion.

The Student Experience

The excavation was co-directed by myself and Mon. Pascal Duhamel, with other French archaeologists being involved as appropriate. The team consisted of eleven undergraduate and one postgraduate students from the Department of Archaeology, University of Edinburgh and eight students from Universities in France; one German and one English student also attended the excavation.

The students worked on the site in mixed pairs and trios and this gave them an opportunity to learn, from one another, different methods and techniques and to exchange individual experiences. Students were taught a variety of different archaeological techniques (surveying, planning, sectioning, sampling features, documentation etc.) and each had an opportunity to engage with a particular task at least twice. The excitement generated by the discovery of graves was great among the students and it was decided that they all should have an opportunity to partake in such excavation. Naturally, from the point of view of speed this has slowed us down quite a bit. However, the loss in time was amply off-set by the experience - and enjoyment - that students derived from participating in the excavation of skeletons.

Students were also encouraged to study the rich collections of Neolithic materials available in the local archaeological base to learn more about types of cultural materials relevant to the period of the cemetery. Once a week there was an evening lecture at which the progress of the excavation and issues relevant to the Neolithic settlement of the Yonne region were discussed.

Finally, courtesy of Mr Jean -Paul Delor and the local amateur aviation club, all the students had the opportunity to partake in a short aeroplane flight over the site. This proved to be a very exciting and thoroughly educational experience for the entire team, allowing the students to see the site in its totality and to experience the geographical and topographical setting of the cemetery to the full. As an additional bonus, one of the photographs taken by a student during the flight reveals features which are most likely indicative of an additional, massive barrow to the south of the main cemetery concentration. This proposition will be investigated on the ground during the following excavation season.

Conclusion

The main objectives of the 1998 excavation season were to continue to explore the archaeological record by excavating all the features, recovering organic and cultural materials, to collect samples for the analysis of the palaeoenvironmental conditions on the site and to study the taphonomic aspects such as ditch fill formation and the results of alluvial and colluvial processes affecting the site. We have achieved all these objectives and the results of the 1998 season have consolidated further an integrated approach to the investigation of the Escolives cemetery.

Oban and Schela Cladovei projects

Clive Bonsall

Research time in 1998 was devoted mainly to post-excavation work for both the Oban and Schela Cladovei projects and completion of a number of publication projects. Drafts of two papers dealing with archaeological and palaeoenvironmental aspects of the Oban project were submitted to the project’s sponsor, Historic Scotland, and one of these was subsequently submitted for publication in the journal The Holocene.

In June Mr Bonsall received an NERC award of 12 AMS ¹⁴C dates from the Oxford Accelerator with a notional value of £4200 in connection with a study of the effect of diet on radiocarbon levels in human bone samples from Stone Age sites in the Iron Gates gorge. This work is being undertaken in collaboration with (among others) Dr G.T. Cook (SURRC, East Kilbride) and research staff at the Oxford University Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit.

Lemba Archaeological Project, Cyprus

E. Peltenburg

Research was mainly devoted to the preparation of publication of two excavations and to laying the foundations for a survey to take place in August-September 1999.

Publications

The first publication comprises the remaining two volumes of the 1979-1992 excavations at Kissonerga-Mosphilia. The first volume is schedule to appear in the autumn of 1998 in the series Studies in Mediterranean Archaeology. The remaining two are due to appear later in 1998 as Occasional Paper 19 in the Department’s own series, as well as on the World Wide Web. A team of 26 scholars worked on these volumes. Topics include: Architecture and stratigraphy (Peltenburg and Thomas, Edinburgh), Mortuary evidence (Baxevani, Athens, Lunt and Watt, Glasgow), Pottery Archive (Bolger, Maryland, Quye, National Museums of Scotland and Stephen, Edinburgh), Catalogue of figurines (Goring, National Museums of Scotland), Ground Stone tools (Elliott Xenophontos, Nicosia), Other artefacts (Wilthew, National Museums of Scotland), The chipped stone report (Finlayson, Edinburgh, McCartney, Lemba), Animal remains (Croft, Lemba), Archaeobotanical report (Murray, London), the Mollusca (Ridout-Sharpe, Reading), Sedimentological report (Tipping, Stirling), Charcoal identifications (Lawrence, Kew Gardens).

Apart from its final publication, it is worth noting that part of the site is to be opened to visitors thanks to generous support from the Cyprus Department of antiquities, the Leventis Foundation and the Kissonerga Improvement Board.

The second volume under preparation is Excavations at Kissonerga Mylouthkia 1977-1995 by Diane Bolger, Paul Croft, Elizabeth Goring, Adam Jackson, Edgar Peltenburg and Gordon Thomas with contributions by Sue Colledge, M. Gratuze, B. Irving, T. Lawrence, Dororthy A. Lunt, C. McCartney, D. Miles, I. A. Morrison, Mary Anne Murray, J. Nicholson, J. S. Ridout Sharpe, Jenny Shiels and Marie Watt. This has been accepted for publication in the Studies in Mediterranean Archaeology series. Considerable time was spent on collating material, examining finds in the Paphos Museum, sorting pottery at the Lemba Archaeological Research Centre and analysing the stratigraphy.

Several LAP Project members also assisted the Cyprus Department of Antiquities in the preparation of a report on the results of the exceptional Chalcolithic cemetery of Souskiou-Vathyrkakas, a process that entailed work in both the Kouklia and Cyprus (Nicosia) Museums.

Survey

In order to carry out survey of prehistoric sites next summer, a number of key sites were visited with a view to assessing accessibility, preservation and potential. A License from the Department of Antiquities was successfully negotiated for this purpose.

The Dana-Faynan-Ghuwayr Early Prehistory Project, Jordan

Bill Finlayson

Introduction

The Dana-Faynan-Ghuwayr Early Prehistory Project was established in 1996 as a joint Edinburgh and Reading Universities research initiative, and an integral part of the BIAAH Wadi Faynan Project. This report describes the fieldwork undertaken between 1st and 30 September 1998, the second of four planned field seasons. The field team consisted of Drs Bill Finlayson (Edinburgh) and Steven Mithen (Reading), the project directors, Dr Richard Tipping (Stirling) as geomorphologist, Amanda Kennedy as environmental data coordinator, Anne Pirie (Durham) as lithic specialist, Denise Carruthers (Edinburgh) as zooarchaeologist, Kirsty Cameron (Edinburgh) as surveyor, and a team of students from Edinburgh and Reading. Hussien Mahmoud Ali Al-Jarrah worked with the team as the Jordanian Department of Antiquities representative and four Bedouin workmen were employed.

Excavations at WF16

WF16 was evaluated in 1997 by the excavation of two trenches and shown to be of considerable potential for further excavation. Located at the juncture of Wadis Ghuwayr and Faynan, it has a chipped stone assemblage typical of the PPNA, substantial structural remains, and sediments containing animal fauna, molluscs, insects and wood charcoal. Eight AMS radiocarbon dates were acquired from fragments of wood charcoal and snail shells from this fieldwork which suggested two phases of occupation at c. 9900 and 9400 BP radiocarbon years. The aim in 1998 was to extend both of the 1997 trenches in an attempt to acquire the following: data for environmental and economic reconstruction; a larger sample of material culture; additional materials for dating; and sediment samples for micro-stratigraphic analysis. Preliminary processing was to be undertaken in the field.

Detailed interpretation of the structures and material exposed in trench 1 awaits the completion of post-excavation analyses. At present it appears that there is a complex sequence of events. This commences with the excavation of a series of large pits, cut with near vertical sides into the gravel matrix. Midden material accumulates within these pits. In some cases the midden material appears to slope down, suggesting the accumulation of rubbish within a pit. In other cases the deposits appear to be accumulating in a roughly horizontal manner, suggesting that they are lying on occupation horizons, even if no formal floor surfaces can be discerned. At at least two separate stages stone walls are built forming sub-circular structures. Midden material appears to continue to accumulate between these two structural events. Radiocarbon dating suggests that this sequence is a fairly rapid one. Arguably the function of this part of the site does not change over time, as the structural events and midden accumulation appear to be a continuous process. Given the apparent absence of plaster floors it is possible that the structures in this part of the site are not domestic houses, and that we are seeing some possible evidence for the segregation of activities on site that has been suggested to be an important development of the early PPNA.

The 1998 excavation has clarified how the structure within trench 2 was constructed. The primary walls were made of large boulders. A secondary construction phase exists when the walls were made from smaller blocks, apparently mortared together with a crude clay/silt mix that had not been homogenised. This does not appear to be a superstructure of the first phase as the walls follow a different alignment. In addition there appears to be a largely stone-free mud wall above the boulders which has a vertical inner face. The identified upper floor layers all appear to slope up to this wall. Some of these later floors appear to run over the large rock elements of the earlier construction. This suggests that while there is a continued use of space the form of the structure has changed.

The main excavated structure in Trench 2 appears to represent a good example of a PPNA dwelling. It has the combination of stone, mortar, mud walling and plaster that appear to represent something of an innovation at this time. In addition, the re use of the same space repeatedly, with careful remodelling of the building appear to be typical PPNA features. Unfortunately the floor layers are not well preserved, making it hard to excavate these in plan and determine whether there are clear associations with artefactual material or domestic rubbish. Interestingly it appears that many of the layers containing dense deposits of ground stone tools in charcoal rich matrices are not resting on floors, but lie in small hollows, suggesting that this material has been introduced as levelling material before the reflooring of the house. Whether this has any symbolic significance is impossible to say at present. A tightly flexed burial was found, placed within the sequence of floor horizons, again a typical PPNA feature.

Separated by a few hundred radiocarbon years, the structures in Trench 1 and 2 appear to form distinct components of a fairly permanent settlement. It is possible that they represent a change of use for the site, but it is perhaps more likely that they reflect an increasing segregation of activities at this time.

Geomorphological survey

The importance of undertaking a geomorphological survey in the study region had been demonstrated by work in 1997. Locating archaeological sites in this region, and maximising the returns from field survey, is dependent upon an understanding of its geomorphological history. Moreover, a geomorphological survey is essential in its own right as one step towards reconstructing the environmental context of prehistoric settlement. In 1998 the project aimed to complete the geomorphological survey in Wadi Ghuwayr and identify the critical sediments requiring dating by TL, which is proposed as an element of the 1999 fieldseason.

The current climate is arid to semi-arid, vegetation is nearly absent and thermal geomorphic processes (freeze-thaw) very quickly reduce the steep and bare rock surfaces to shattered degraded surfaces fringed by extensive talus slopes and alluvial fans. Preservation of early prehistoric archaeological sites on these unstable slopes is very unlikely. Field-survey concentrates on identifying the only stable surfaces within these valleys, former river gravel surfaces left as terraces above the currently incising wadi floor.

In 1998 the field-survey of the upper Wadi Ghuwayr was extended east in order to identify early archaeological sites within the same environmental setting as that excavated at WF16. Survey continued to a point where well-defined fluvial terraces are virtually absent. At this point sheer vertical walls of sandstone inhibit formation of palaeo-fluvial features and consequently the preservation of archaeological sites. Survey was also extended west and north west of WF16 into the lower parts of Wadi Dana, Wadi Khaled and their confluence in Wadi Faynan, and included areas formerly mapped by other teams working on the Wadi Faynan project. The reasons for this apparent duplication were to confirm the rather schematic mapping of landforms presented by Barker and colleagues (which appear not to have been surveyed by EDM), to be able to link these more extensive and continuous surfaces to the sequence defined in upper Wadi Ghuwayr, to search for worked-flint scatters in site settings different to those in the gorge-like upper wadis and to provide a geomorphological context for the archaeological field-walking programme reported later in this report. Through mapping a larger area and correlating widely separated terrace fragments by EDM survey it is now clear that a series of gravel surfaces were probably present at the end of the Pleistocene period. Bedrock surfaces were present, of course, but these are generally too steep, eroded and unstable to preserve archaeological sites. All major fluvial gravel aggradations and surfaces were exposed and accessible for occupation at the end of the Pleistocene period. The settlement at WF16 was at least 20 m above, and possibly higher, than the contemporaneous valley-floor. WF16 was not a river-side settlement sensu stricto.

The 1997 survey indicated that the key determinant in archaeological site location is the presence of fluvial gravels rich in far-travelled lithologies, and in particular of flint. This led to the suggestion on geomorphological grounds that these fluvial gravels were the main source of flint used in tool manufacture. In one way the link between gravel and flint scatters is self-evident in that bedrock surfaces do not provide stable surfaces and extensive fan gravel surfaces are probably of Holocene age; only fluvial gravel surfaces provide extensive stable surfaces. The link is possibly endorsed to some extent, however, by the relation between flint-rich gravels and worked-flint scatters established over the last two seasons.

Archaeological survey and site evaluation

The 1998 fieldseason aimed to extend the project's archaeological survey in the area by fieldwalking further gravel deposits, identified by the geomorphological survey as potential surfaces for early prehistoric sites. As part of the survey, the project also aimed to evaluate at least one of the sites located in 1997 by small scale excavation. WF328, a lithic scatter apparently associated with a circular structure on a knoll to the immediate east of WF16 was prioritised for such work.

Three gravel surfaces in the upper part of Wadi Ghuwayr were walked following their identification in the geomorphological survey as potential locations for early prehistoric sites. An additional area at the head of the catchment was given a preliminary examination, this appears to lie close to major flint sources and will be examined in more detail in 1999. Three gravel terraces to the west of Kirbat Faynan, which form extensive level areas were also walked. From this a total of 1677 chipped stone artefacts were recovered. The majority of these appeared as isolated artefacts at low densities. There are additional signs of human activity on the terraces, including numerous cairns and areas of cleared ground. This area will be prioritised for further fieldwork in 1999.

Site evaluation of WF328

WF328 is located on a bedrock knoll within the lowest part of Wadi Ghuwayr, situated to the immediate east of WF16. In 1997 a low density scatter of chipped stone artefacts was located across the surface of this knoll which included three bladelet cores and one microlith. Substantial structures are present on the knoll in the form of large arcs of rocks derived from gravel deposits embedded into what appeared to be a relatively thin soil horizon over the volcanic bedrock. To undertake a more detailed evaluation of this site a trench was excavated, positioned to examine the interior and exterior of one structure. This had the specific aims of acquiring material for dating, a sample of the chipped and coarse stone associated with the structure, and to assess whether organic remains survived within the deposits. A sample of coarse stone, shell, and chipped stone was successfully recovered, broadly similar to the material from WF16.

Conclusions

The 1998 field season proved to be very productive and the overall aims of the season were achieved. As may have been predicted, the larger scale excavations at WF16 have produced not only a wealth of samples for detailed analysis, but have also demonstrated a more complex sequence of structural events in both trenches than was previously visible. The accumulated evidence all supports the interpretation of the site as an early PPNA occupation, an important discovery in this location, and an unusually undisturbed occupation from this period.

Two sites further up the Ghuwayr system appear to have some promise. One is the site of WF402, where a number of microliths were located. Some subsequent activity has been identified in the form of structures and possibly associated pottery, but it appears that another early site may be located here. We will evaluate this by trial trenching in 1999 to determine its nature and whether significant deposits survive in a relatively undisturbed way. WF403, at the top of the wadi system, represents a very different type of site. Again it is likely that such a large site will represent several periods, however given its proximity to primary flint sources this is likely to be an important upland area for early prehistoric settlement. The initial rapid visit to the site noted thick stratified reddish clay deposits that are probably the remains of a former lake. This offers the potential for detailed palaeoenvironmental work, as well as providing another reason for sites to be located here.

Complex Societies and Early States

Uig Landscape Survey Project 1998

Simon Gilmour and Michael Church

The 1998 research season on the Uig peninsula concentrated on two sites: Gob Eirer (NB 033340), a probable Viking/Norse promontory fort and Guinnerso (NB 034362), a multi-period relict landscape.

Gob Eirer

Excavations concentrated on retrieving dating material from secure contexts within one of two rectilinear buildings discovered in 1996. Small-scale trenches across the western building were successful in locating carbonised material for radiocarbon dating, retrieved more diagnostic Viking or Norse pottery and also developed our knowledge of the stratigraphy of the site. Unfortunately the exact layout of the building could not be clearly defined but may consist of either a single structure with several rectilinear compartments or at least two separate buildings. Architectural details included a stone lined ‘bench’ feature against the inner face of the north and gable wall, and the doorway defined in 1996 incorporating a paved stone path to the entrance through the 3m thick defensive wall. Abutting these features were the partial remains of at least one in-situ clay floor and associated ash spreads. Small finds included a small pottery assemblage, some pumice and a large number of hammerstones and pounders.

This site is the first defended Viking or Norse site to be discovered in West Atlantic Scotland except perhaps for the so-called ‘fort’ at the Udal, still unpublished. Radiocarbon assays are currently awaited for the layers above and below the buildings excavated in 1996 and the material retrieved from the 1998 season will be processed in 1999. The site is one of only three dated Norse settlement sites in Lewis and will therefore provide valuable information on social and environmental interactions during the Norse period within the context of the

known burial, stray find and Norse place name evidence widespread across the rest of Lewis. It will also be an important element in the analysis of the interaction between the indigenous population of Lewis and an external society.

Guinnerso

Excavation continued on the main site just south of Loch Ruadh Guinnerso and the ‘Giant’s Graves’ feature to the north. New trenches were also opened to the west of the main site on a possible building associated with a field wall. The deep stratigraphy of the main site continued throughout the season and it proved impossible to reach the lower deposits within the main trench this year. Many of the deposits investigated proved to belong to the overlying, and since removed, possible medieval workshop structure. Beneath these, a complex of underlying oval or sub-oval structures was exposed. The best preserved of these included cellular elements arranged around a central area with a rectangular kerbed hearth. This structure also incorporated a long narrow eastern entrance passage and vertical slab walls surmounted in some cases by horizontal drystone coursing. Underlying this building is at least one further, as yet unexcavated, well built curvilinear structure that may be revetted into earlier material. Small finds from this main area included large amounts of pottery finer than previous wares. This material may represent residual debris from the well-built underlying structure and probably dates the earlier layers of the main site to the Iron Age.

Excavations in the small satellite cell to the east of the main trench demonstrated that metalworking debris discovered last year related to dumping from activities elsewhere on the site. The find of a single possible crucible in the main trench along with the Iron Age sherds may indicate the main metalworking activity still remains unexcavated. The cell was completely excavated to the rubble platform, also discovered last year, underlying the entire site; further pottery sherds were recovered from this level and include applied cordon decorated pieces.

Excavations to the west of the main site were focused on a possible rectangular building lying at the end of a rough drystone boundary wall. It became immediately apparent that no building lay in this area but that the western edge of the trenches had clipped a possible cairn with well laid platforms extending from its eastern side. The cairn, constructed of small to medium sized angular stone laid on a bed of horizontal flags, included a large orthostat marking an empty internal area and/or the forecourt features. Unfortunately, the cairn seems to have been severely slighted by the later construction of a large stone platform feature. This was only partially investigated due to time constraints. Deposits that seem associated with the underlying cairn and its small exterior platform areas produced a large assemblage of struck quartz including diagnostic tools such as broken blades. These deposits also produced a small assemblage of coarse pottery, a few sherds of which were decorated with several deep gashes. The quality of the pottery and the large quartz assemblage hint at a possible Bronze Age date for this cairn feature with the platform built second, and the rough boundary wall placed last, but still respecting the earlier site.

An extension of the test pit excavated last year into the Giant’s Graves feature revealed a curvilinear enclosure relating to the eastern orthostat previously thought to be a grave marker. Within this enclosure were a tumble of large and medium sized stones interspersed with deposits of burnt material. One of these included a large piece of charcoal from a roundwood, originally mistaken for a burnt stake, and pieces of burnt turf. This enclosure was built into an earlier, rectilinear structure incorporating low but thick ‘walls’ of large flat stones sitting on a laid paving. In the middle of this structure an area relatively clear of stone was covered by a very black burnt soil horizon incorporating patches of peat ash. Initial interpretation of this enigmatic site as a possible funerary monument will be tested in the light of further post-excavation analysis.

Further extensive environmental sampling was undertaken both on-site and within the wider blanket peat landscape. Post-excavation analysis on these and other artefacts recovered from the excavations are currently underway.

This site is proving to be one of the richest and most detailed multi-period landscapes yet studied in Lewis. The deep deposits on the main site may now reach back to the Iron Age and the developmental sequence recorded here will prove invaluable to understanding settlement development and human interaction with the environment in marginal areas. Changing patterns of land use are also attested, probably dating from the Bronze Age to the medieval period, both of which are poorly understood in the Outer Hebrides and Western Scotland in general.

Sponsors: Historic Scotland, Russell Trust, Department of Archaeology - University of Edinburgh, Ian Geering - Uig and Hamnaway Estate, University of Edinburgh Development Trust, Abercromby Travel Fund, Student and Volunteer Contributions

The Late Bronze Age Topography of Gaza

Louise Steel
Introduction

The Gaza Research Project, directed by myself and Drs Joanne Clarke and Bill Manley, has been examining the BA habitation of the Gaza region with reference to textual evidence, re-examination of previously excavated material, and small-scale archaeological fieldwork within Gaza itself. Our aims are to explore the indigenous development of Gaza and its interconnections with Egypt, Cyprus and the Aegean during the period of the so-called New Kingdom Egyptian empire in the Levant.

The role played by Gaza during the LBA has yet to be fully discussed. To date discussion has focused on the identification of the ancient city of Sharuhen – chiefly identifying it with the well-known site of Tell el-Ajjul on the wadi Azza. But such discussions have been hampered by the lack of detailed knowledge of the LBA landscape of Gaza: major sites that should be included in the argument have been excluded from the discussion and the complicated pattern of settlement in the region has been largely ignored. This paper aims to redress the balance, by rewriting our knowledge of the LBA settlement of the coastal plain around the Wadi Azza and examining in more detail shifting patterns of occupation.

The Sites

Gaza: the ancient city of Gaza is a large tell site located on the southern Levantine coastal plain some 5 km from the modern coastline. The site has been continuously occupied throughout antiquity until the modern period and the mound of ancient Gaza is overlain by the old city of Gaza.

The first historical references to Gaza are in Egyptian New Kingdom texts. Tuthmosis III refers to Gazat ‘a prize city of the Governor’ in his list of conquests and other Egyptian texts refer to it as ‘the [city] of Canaan’. Gaza is also referred to in later historical documents, including biblical and Assyrian sources. Gaza was the pre-eminent city of the Philistine Pentapolis and the site of the temple of Dagon.

Because of its strategic position at the cross-roads between Africa, Asia and the Mediterranean, Gaza suffered at the hands of various conquering armies: the New Kingdom pharaoh, Tuthmosis III in the fifteenth century BC, the Assyrian army under Tiglath Pileser III in 743 BC, Pharaoh Necho II of the Egyptian XXVI Dynasty in 609 BC, the Persians, and Alexander the Great in 332 BC. The Hellenistic city of Gaza was the northern outpost of Ptolemaic rule and at the end of the first century BC it was amalgamated into the eastern Roman empire. From the fifth century AD Gaza was a prominent Byzantine city until AD 635 when the Arabs defeated the Byzantine army in a battle near Gaza.

Despite the importance of Gaza from the LBA, the site is little known archaeologically. The only attested excavations on the tell are the soundings made by the Rev. Phythian-Adams in 1922, on behalf of the Palestine Exploration Fund. Phythian-Adams excavated three trenches on the northern limits of the tell. We relocated these trenches during our 1998 survey season and have plotted them onto a map of the modern city of Gaza. The maps are currently being prepared by the Municipality of Gaza). In his excavations Phythian-Adam’s uncovered five mudbrick city walls (which he labelled the brown, red, gray and green) and a glacis of field stones which ran obliquely into the mound. No Hellenistic remains were found in these excavations, suggesting a prolonged period of abandonment in the city’s history following its destruction by Alexander the Great. This apparently corroborates historical sources, primarily Strabo, who describes Gaza as e r h m o V or deserted. It should be remembered, however, that only a small part of the tell was excavated – and interpretations of the finds from this area can hardly be extrapolated to the entire occupation area of the tell site.

The so-called gray and green walls are the earliest and appear to date to the mid- to late second millennium habitation of Gaza: either her LBA (Late Bronze Age) or Philistine occupation. The earliest pottery recovered from the site was LBA and includes imported Cypriote wares: Base Ring and White Slip. Phythian-Adams noted that this layer was not very deep, which he found curious ‘for it might have been expected that a great city like Gaza would have had more to show for her long history during the XVIIIth Egyptian Dynasty’. There is therefore some evidence that the mound of Gaza was occupied from the mid-second millennium BC, but as noted by Phythian-Adams ‘The archaeological evidence indicates, therefore that while we are in the neighbourhood of a Bronze Age site, we are too far removed from the heart of it to expect numerous proofs of its existence’
Tell el-Ajjul: The site of Tell el-Ajjul lies on the northern banks of the Wadi Azza some 6km southwest of the ancient city of Gaza about 1km from the modern coastline. It is a low prominence of sandstone marl. The tell occupies an area of around 11ha but Tufnell estimates that the last phase of the MBA (Middle Bronze Age) city must have covered some 30 acres. The site was excavated by Flinders Petrie between 1930 and 1934, under the auspices of the British School of Egyptian Archaeology. Petrie identified the site with ancient Gaza but more recently Kempinski has identified Ajjul with biblical Sharuhen (1973, 145-52). The site is particularly important for the wealth of finds: especially the largest corpus of MK scarabs from any site in the Levant and the large quantities of fine goldwork

The earliest occupation in the area is a Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age site identified by Starkey on the southern bank of the Wadi Azza. The earliest activity at the site of Ajjul dates to the EB IV period (2300-2000 BC) and is represented by two large cemeteries, probably of a nomadic people, to the east and west of the mound: the 1500 and 100-200 cemeteries. The earliest occupation on the actual mound of Ajjul comprises a series of MB II tombs cut into the sandstone near the north corner of the cemetery. The main occupation of the site is MBA contemporary with the Egyptian XII and XIII Dynasties. A large MB city stretched over the southern half of the mound and a series of five palaces was built in the northern corner of the site. The site continued in use into the LBA but few traces remain of the LBA structures.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Dr Moain Sadek, Director of the Department of Antiquities in Gaza for his invaluable help in setting up our research in Gaza and for allowing us to refer in this talk to sites previously unknown in the Gaza region. We are also indebted to the Municipality of Gaza, in particular the Mayor, Mr Aown Shawa, and the director of the Surveying Department, Mr Nihad Almughany for their practical support of our work in Gaza.

Cypriot and Mycenaean imports to Tell Batash

Louise Steel

I studied the Late Cypriot and Mycenaean pottery from the site of Tell Batash, excavated by Prof. Amihai Mazar, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. This is currently in preparation for publication. August 1998: I also completed a study of the Mycenaean pottery from the Governor's tomb, Ajjul, housed in the Rockerfeller Museum and funded by the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem. I am currently working on the rest of the finds from the tomb for republication.

Jerablus Tahtani, Syria

E. Peltenburg

The sixth season of University of Edinburgh excavations at Jerablus Tahtani, Syria, was completed on 10 June 1998. The project conducted its archaeological research with the authority of the Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums as part of the international Tishreen Dam rescue programme in the Aleppo Mohafazat. The team is most grateful to Professor Dr. Sultan Muhesen, Director General of Antiquities and Museums, Dr. Adnan Bounni, Director of Excavations and Dr. Wahid Khayatah, Director, National Museum, Aleppo for their considerable help and encouragement. For the fifth season of work Mr. Mohammed Ali acted as our very capable Government Representative. Generous support was provided in part by the CBRL, the British Academy and the British Museum.

The project had three aims this season: 1) to evaluate the earlier pre-fort occupation of the tell by a sounding in Area III, 2) to investigate occupation inside the Early Bronze Age fort in Area IV, and 3) to assess the relations between the fort and a monumental tomb complex by connecting Areas I and II. See Levant 29, 1997: 1-18 for location of these Areas and references to previous reports.

The Late Uruk occupation

Results in Area III demonstrate that the Early Bronze Age fort was preceded by an Uruk occupation, which in turn was succeeded by what appears to be an open EB settlement. In the lowest levels encountered, we excavated the first unambiguous Late Uruk architecture to be found at Jerablus Tahtani (Fig.1). This consists of part of a rectilinear building with bricks of different colours, another one with a bin, a secondary burial cut through the wall of a building and environmentally rich pits. Apart from very high proportions of classic Late Uruk pottery, mostly from open areas, finds include numerous tiny beads, a fine copper awl with twisted handle and a clay sealing indicative of early Sumerian administrative operations. Uruk and a little local Late Chalcolithic material, presumably derived from buildings to the east, continued to occur over these in situ deposits. Above was an open area consisting of two distinct pit phases followed by buildings. The pit phases belong to the initial episode of re-settlement in the Early Bronze Age after the collapse of intrusive Uruk occupation in the Upper Euphrates area of the ancient Near East. This sequence is providing valuable information on the transition from Late Uruk to the local EBA.

Early Bronze Age Fort

We exposed a 120 m² area of the final occupation in the Early Bronze Age fort. More intra-mural burials were recovered, including a small chamber in which bodies were laid on top of stacks of pottery, and another of a youth buried with a crescentic axehead. Below these, the plan of the fort interior facing nearby Carchemish became clear. Immediately inside the wall is a single row of contiguous rooms and yards. These are separated from another row of more substantial contiguous stone structures by a paved passage running parallel with the fort wall. Thus, in this quarter of the late fort, communication was by a peripheral ring road that, together with the fort wall, governed spatial organisation. Evidence for metalworking was recovered from the rooms against the fort wall.

Fort extra-mural zone

As a result of linking Areas I and II, we have a 48 m. long exposure that connects an entrance of the Early Bronze fort via a paved ramp and staircase to the monumental tomb initially reported in Levant 27, 1995, 7-15. It is clear from gravel deposits in late phases of this system that inhabitants had difficulty in keeping it open. A series of retaining walls outside the entrance and over the redundant glacis may have been installed as erosion prevention measures. Earlier phases of the passage and entrance that are more assuredly contemporary with the use of the tomb await investigation.

Early Vitreous Materials

E. Peltenburg

Collaboration in the production of the Catalogue of Faiences in the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities, British Museum, continued.

Further studies of native and imported Egyptian Western Asiatic faience vases from rich Late Bronze Age tombs at Hala Sultan Tekke on the south coast of Cyprus were undertaken on behalf of the directors, I. A. Todd and A. South.

Studies of faience vases were continued in order to address the question of continuity and discontinuity in relations between the Near East and the Aegean at the end of the second millennium BC in response to a request by the organisers of an international Colloquium to be held in Mainz. The study embraces consideration of changing craft practices at the start of the Iron Age. This research will also lead to the publication of a paper (accepted by the editor of the Reports of the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus) by Pickles and Peltenburg on contextualising the beginnings of the use of iron.

A chapter on Egyptian faience, penned together with Nicholson, Cardiff, was submitted to Cambridge University Press for the volume Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technologies.

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Public Archaeology

For other reports on Public Archaeology, see also:

Calanais Reseach Centre - Lemba Research Centre, Cyprus - Scottish Trust for Underwater Archaeology

Lemba Experimental Village, Cyprus

Gordon D. Thomas

The LEV has now developed as a mature, long term project which requires input and considerations on a number of levels. The three main aspects of the work at the site are currently undergoing reassessment with a view to long term developments. Within the programme of research and site management associated with the LEV the crucial areas identified for development in the short to medium term are: 1) research into site formation processes, 2) monitoring and maintenance of the four demonstration structures and 3) site presentation and educational facilities.

Research into site formation processes was carried a stage forward this year with the excavation of Roundhouse 6, a small mudwall structure which was constructed in 1996 and burnt down in 1997 as part of a controlled experiment. The aim of this experiment was to examine the disposition of building elements as a result of this form of destruction, to determine the pattern and amount of deposits formed and, to understand the effects of fire on building materials and elements. The results of this work have been illuminating and are currently under study with further experiments planned for the future.

Monitoring was also carried out on the four demonstration structures; Roundhouses 1-4. It is clear that it is now necessary to establish an annual programme of building maintenance on a more formal basis. The buildings have now reached an age and state of repair where intermittent ad hoc attention is no longer enough to maintain their integrity and condition. Considerations of this problem are now in hand.

The continuing need for improved site presentation and the development of the site as an educational resource is an aspect of which the project staff have long been aware. The provision of new notice boards, fenced areas and, possibly, a more innovative type of educational facility are under consideration. The impending publication of a guidebook for the LEV site and for the Lemba Archaeological Project by the Bank of Cyprus is a welcome development in this respect.

 

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 Principal Publications

Boroneant, V., C. Bonsall, Mormintele mezolitice din Aria III de la Schela

K. McSweeney& M. Macklin, R. Payton Cladovei, Drobeta 8, 1998: 3-10.

Mason, S., V. Boroneant, V. Plant remains from Schela Cladovei, Romania: a
& C. Bonsall preliminary note, Mesolithic Miscellany,17(2), 1996: 11-14.

Miller, J. J., Dickson, J. H. & T. N.Dixon Unusual food plants from Oakbank Crannog, Loch Tay, Scottish Highlands: cloudberry, opium poppy and spelt wheat, Antiquity 72, 1998: 278.

Finlayson, W. L. & S. Mithen The Dana-Faynan (south Jordan) Epipalaeolithic Project: Report on Reconnaissance Survey, 14-22 April 1996 Levant 30, 1998: 27-32
Finlayson, W. L. Wild Harvesters: the first people in Scotland. Historic Scotland/Cannongate, Edinburgh

Gilmour, S. & M. Cook Excavations at Dun Vulan: a reinterpretation of the reappraised Iron Age, Antiquity 72, 1998: 327-337.

Mercer, R. J. & M.S. Midgley The Early Bronze Age cairn at Sketewan, Balnaguard, Perth & Kinross, Proc Soc Antiq Scot 127, 1997 (1998): 281-338.

Neighbour, T. Excavation of a Presumed Round House and Associated Features at Priesthill Farm, near Delny, Ross and Cromarty District, Highland Region, 1993, Northern Studies 33, 1998: 67-91
Neighbour, T. Excavations on the Roman temporary camp at Longforgan, near Dundee, 1994, Tayside and Fife Archaeological Journal 4, 1998: 99-105

Peltenburg, E. The Chalcolithic Periods, History of Cyprus. A’ Ancient Cyprus,T. Papadopoulos (ed) 117-170. Nicosia.

Ralston, Ian B. M. & Diana M. Murray The excavation of a square-ditched barrow and other cropmarks at Boysack Mills, Inverkeilor, Angus, Proc Soc Antiq Scot 127, 1997 (1998): 359 – 386.
Ralston, Ian B. M. National Parks: the cultural dimension, in ed. Scottish Wildlife and Countryside Link Protecting Scotland’s Finest Landscapes Session II National Parks – the opportunities, 16^th March 1998, 8 -10. Perth.
Ralston, Ian B. M. The archaeology of the Sands of Forvie and the Ythan valley, in ed. Gorman, M. L., The Ythan: Festschrift for Professor George M. Dunnet, 20 - 37. Aberdeen.
Ralston, Ian B. M. with O. E. Büchsenschütz, and F. Schubert, Les fortifications, 18-21 in eds Gruel, Kathérine and D. Vitali, L’oppidum de Bibracte; un bilan de onze années de recherche (1984 - 1995), Gallia 55, 1998: 1-140.

Steel, L. The social impact of Mycenaean pottery in Cyprus, British School of Archaeolgy at Athens 93, 1998: 285-96.
Steel, L. & C. Mee, Corpus of Cypriote Antiquities 17. The Cypriote Collections in the University of Liverpool and the Williamson Art Gallery and Museum (Studies in Mediterranean Archaeology 20.17) Jonsered.
Steel , L. & E. Ribeiro The ceramics from Maroni-Tsaroukkas, in S.W. Manning and F. de Mita et al. Cyprus, the Aegean and Maroni-Tsaroukkas, Cyprus and the Aegean in Antiquity: From the Prehistoric Period to the 7th Century A.D.,1997:133-6. Nicosia.

Watkins, T. The human environment, Paléorient 23/2: 263-270.
Watkins, T. Pinarbasi, Karaman Province: investigating the beginnings of settlement in Central Anatolia, in R. J. Matthews ed., Ancient Anatolia 27-35. London.

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Degrees and Dissertations awarded in 1997/8

 MA with Honours in Archaeology

Upper Second

Stuart CAMPBELL	Christopher REID
Rebecca CRAIG	Angela ROSS
Daniel ELSWORTH	Justine STANSFIELD
Abigail GLEESON	Rebecca THOMAS
Sarah A.MACINTYRE	Duncan WOODWARD

Lower Second

Laura ENRAGHT-MOONY

Sam MCFARLANE

MA with Honours in Ancient Civilisations of the Mediterranean and Middle East

Upper Second	Lower Second
John BROWN	Adam TAYLOR

MA with Honours in Archaeology and Social Anthropology

First Class	Lower Second
Kirsi LORENTZ	Adam CHAPPELL

MA with Honours in Geography and Archaeology

Upper Second	Lower Second
Alexander HARVEY	Mark MURKIN

B.Sc. with Honours in Environmental Archaeology

First Class	Upper Second
Robert AUSTIN-SMITH	Christopher ELLIS
	Rory SHANNON

Ph.D.

Mark W. HOLLEY	The Artificial Islets of the Central Inner Hebrides: First Approaches
Niall T. N. GREGORY	A Comparative Study of Irish and Scottish Logboats

MA Dissertation Titles and Abstracts

Ph.D. Theses Titles and Abstracts

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Calanais Archaeological Research Centre

Western Isles Archaeological Research Programme

Introduction and Research Strategy

The Western Isles Archaeological Research Programme, based at the Department’s Calanais Research Centre, has been engaged on a long-term programme of archaeological and environmental research since 1985, concentrating primarily but not exclusively in the Uig district of west Lewis. The Western Isles are exceptionally rich in archaeological field-monuments, more especially so for the two periods of prehistory which relate directly to the Department’s key research themes.

The Visitor Centre nestles alongside the older Callanish Farm, which is now a University-owned research centre.

Principal among the classes of site represented in the islands are the monumental brochs and duns of the later prehistoric period, and the related series of wheelhouses, manifestations not of an urban society but of a complex and probably hierarchical society which evidently enjoyed a diverse subsistence economy within the constraints of its particular bio-climatic environment. After the initial stages of research, attention has focused particularly upon the decline of monumental architecture as a physical expression of these communities’ identity, and upon the various forms of building, cellular and eventually figure-of-eight in layout, which characterised the post-broch, pre-Norse settlements of the ‘Pictish’ period.

Foremost among the field-monuments of the Western Isles are the Standing Stones and satellite circles of Calanais itself. In accordance with the Department’s strategic interest in the ritual, economy and social structure of early farming communities, work has more recently been targeted on the Calanais area, including survey, excavation and environmental sampling. The apparent paucity of evidence for domestic settlement and agricultural practice within this ‘ritual landscape’ is now being supplemented by evidence from the sub-peat landscape within the environs of the University’s estate, and raises the prospect of a fundamental review of our perception of the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age in this part of Atlantic Scotland.

The third of the Department’s key research aims, the promotion of public awareness and interest in archaeology, has been implicit in the Western Isles Research Programme from the outset, and is represented in the University’s ongoing commitment to the Calanais Visitor Centre and the public activities of Urras nan Tursachan. More recently the Department’s excavations at Bosta, Great Bernera, have formed the basis of a reconstruction exercise undertaken by local agencies.

Among the practical methodological strengths highlighted for development in the Department’s Research Strategy, the fundamental importance of fieldwork, and the consequent study of artefacts and materials, is implicit in the programme. Of equal significance, however, is the diversification of environmental studies, which may be expected to play an increasingly crucial part in the programme over the next few years.

Excavations at Loch Bharabhat, Cnip

The reports of land-based and underwater excavations, by Professor D. W. Harding and Dr T. N. Dixon respectively have been complete for some time, and are expected to be published shortly.

Excavations at Loch na Berie, Riof

The report of work undertaken between 1985-89 and 1993-95 is in preparation. A first fascicule, on the Structures and Stratigraphy of the site, by Professor D. W. Harding and Mr S. Gilmour is nearly ready for publication, and is expected to appear in the current year. Further fascicules on the faunal remains, ceramics and non-ceramic artefacts are in various stages of completion or preparation, and will appear as soon as resources permit.

Excavation of the Cnip Wheelhouse

The report by Dr Ian Armit, Honorary Fellow of the Department, is in an advanced state of preparation, as are his reports on excavations at Loch Olabhat, North Uist..

Holocene Climate Change in Western Isles

Palaeoecological research has continued to focus on the nature and timing of later Holocene climate change in the Isle of Lewis. Detailed Palaeoecological analysis of several deep blanket peat sections has revealed a complex sequence with several phases of both wetter and dryer mire surfaces over the last four thousand years. The application, with the collaboration of Dr. Andrew Dugmore of the Department of Geography, of new tephrochronological techniques has demonstrated the presence of at least ten Icelandic tephra marker horizons or isochrones in the study area. These have enabled the research group to demonstrate that the changes seen in palynological and peat humification data are broadly synchronous across the study area. This demonstration of synchronous change indicates that the changes are clearly not due simple to internal fluctuations in mire hydrology but are driven by regional, climatic, factors. A programme of additional tephrochronological analysis supported by C14 dating is planned with the support of the Western Isles Council, Historic Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage with the objective of building a regional tephrochonology for the Western Isles.

Research in the Calanais Environs

With the assistance of Mr. Chris Burgess the Calanais Environs Survey report is now in entering its final stages, with publication expected late in 1999. The Cnoc an Tursa excavations are also proceeding to publication with the assistance of Mr. S. Campbell.

One of the key features identified by the Calanais Environs Survey was the abundance of sites buried beneath blanket peat throughout the survey area. An opportunity to expand our knowledge of the sub-peat landscape came in the winter of 1998 when a watching brief was undertaken by Dr. G.M. Coles, Mr. M. Church and Professor D.W. Harding on the cutting of a cable trench at Calanais Farm (centred on NB213327) on behalf of the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board and the Calanais Visitors Centre. As predicted on the basis of earlier test-pit studies the trench revealed nothing of archaeological significance over most of its length. In the lower section, however, the trench crossed an area of deep peat which had previously proved unamenable to test-pit survey and four archaeological features situated below the peat were recorded in this area. The features appear to be stone field-banks or walls and were built upon a well-developed soil horizon which could be traced laterally along the trench. From the implied linkage of two features, the continuity of the buried soil horizon and probing which indicated that the features continue for some distance beyond the edges of the trench, we would suggest that these stone banks form part of a prehistoric field-system. This view was supported when a further section through one of the putative field-banks was cut to obtain samples for dating and palaeoenvironmental analysis in October 1998. On the basis of comparison with other areas and the likely date for the initiation of peat growth in this area we suggest that this field-system is probably of later Neolithic or earlier Bronze Age date and therefore contemporary with the main stages in the development of the Calanais Stone Circles.

It is intended to undertake a programme of excavations on the ‘Calanais Fields’ in the summer of 1999 with a view to determining the age and function of the fields and in the hope of locating previously elusive Bronze Age occupation sites.

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Centre for Field Archaeology

1998 has been a busy year for research, but with the emphasis perhaps shifting in favour of post-excavation analysis with fewer substantial set piece excavations. The palaeoenvironmental aspects of our work have continued to grow with both more coastal research and also with the post-excavation programmes initiated on previous fieldwork. Once again, most of our work was conducted in Scotland, but conforming to past patterns, we continued to undertake some work in Northern Ireland, England and Jordan.

CFA's contracts with external agencies and companies have been negotiated via Edinburgh Research and Innovation.

STAFFING

CFA Staff are listed in Section 1. Bill Finlayson, Ciara Clarke and Mike Cressey are employed as Research Fellows of the University; other members of the core staff are classed as Research Associates. Dr Milburn has been working on various projects for CFA and the Department of Archaeology, and has been covering for Dr Clarke during her maternity leave.

Other individuals have made a substantial contribution to the Centre's research during 1998 on project-specific work, or in helping to staff the Field School, described in more detail below:

Andy Aspinall	Catherine Flitcroft	Caragh O’Neill
John Bendicks	Abigail Gleeson	Laura Pirie
Ken Browell	John Gooder	Eleanor Rafferty
Stuart Campbell	Alex Hale	Anthony Taylor
Mike Church	Andy Heald	Marcia Taylor
Mairi Davies	Adam Jackson	Ralph Troup
Colin Davis	Roger McWee	Bill Tulloch
Margaret Engl	Callum Mitchell	Graeme Warren
Rob Engl	Stephen Morgan

Numerous other individuals from both within and beyond the University have contributed to our research:

Alan Braby	Melanie Johnson	Ruth Pelling
Chris Burgess	Amanda Kennedy	Laura Sinfield
Ann Clark	Richard Kynoch	Gordon Thomas
Althea Davie	Kath McSweeney	Jennifer Thoms
Susan Dawso	Paula Milburn	Clive Warsop
Thea Gabra-Sanders	Malcolm Murray

Project Work

A large number of projects were conducted over the course of the year. Many of these comprised the usual run of initial desk-based assessments, the provision of advice to developers, and the small scale surveys, trial trenching exercises and watching briefs that provide the constant work stream for any applied archaeological organisation. The following accounts provide an indication of some of our more archaeologically-rewarding projects undertaken during the course of 1998.

Major Excavations

St Fergus to Peterhead Gas Pipeline: A watching brief and excavations were undertaken on the route of the St Fergus to Peterhead Gas Pipeline during May-June 1998. Three principal sites and a series of isolated, miscellaneous, undateable features had been recorded within the pipeline swathe. Two important findspots - Sites 3 and Site 7, containing sizeable quantities of flint artefacts and pottery of probable Bronze Age and Iron Age date, were located. Three structures - Site 5, Site 6a and Site 6b - of probable Iron Age date were excavated and demonstrated a considerable degree of structural complexity. The remains of two ploughed out burnt mounds - Site 8 and Site 9 - were located.

Monitoring of the topsoil stripping ensured that damage to known sites was minimal. Monitoring within the Peterhead Airfield/Longside Airfield revealed no sites of archaeological interest. The Great North of Scotland Railway: Formantine to Buchan Section; (dismantled) was unaffected by the works. The excavation of the pipeline trench through the St Fergus and North Ugie Water Canal revealed that the canal at this location was excavated entirely out of the subsoil and that the outer bank was not artificially enhanced.

Site 5 consisted of a continuous curvilinear slot which defined an area 12m north-south by 6m east-west within the pipeline swathe. Part of a slot also projected northwards for 2.4m to where it ran beneath the topsoil bund. An irregular spread of stones (one a saddle-quern) set within a shallow cut in the subsoil occupied the western central interior of the site. Two flint flakes and a sherd of pottery were recovered from amongst these stones. Two pits were located immediately inside the ring-groove in the south-east and a third pit between these and the paved area. The exposed arc of the ring-groove was a continuous slot with no break in its circuit to indicate an entrance.

Site 6a consisted of a single multi-phased roundhouse of ring-groove construction (Structure 1) overlain by a second, smaller structure (Structure 2) to the south. A test-pit had been excavated into the south-eastern sector of Structure 1 prior to its identification. At least four phases of roughly concentric intercutting ring-groove trenches formed multiple phases of the outer wall of Structure 1, which had an external diameter of 14m. A penannular spread of rough paving was set concentrically and c. 3m from the inside of the wall. An innerring, comprising 8 post-holes, was present on the outer edge of the paved spread. A narrow slot was located in one section only beneath the paving running concentrically around its periphery. Three intercutting post-holes representing the separate construction phases of a central post were located within the central area defined by paving. The entrance position was not immediately apparent, however, two severely truncated post-holes were aligned with the terminus of the primary ring-groove and may represent its northern side. Within the south-eastern quadrant were the remains of 6 possible post-holes. Four of these appeared to form an alignment c. 2m long from 1m inside the projected outer wall line to c. 1 m beyond it and may represent the southern side of an entrance structure. No evidence for a formal hearth or any occupation deposit survived within Structure 1. A second structure (Structure 2) was revealed overlying this ring-groove house on its southern side. Approximately three-quarters of the circumference of its outer wall line survived. An extrapolation of the wall line would suggest a diameter of 6.8m. A range of artefacts of flint, quartz, coarse stone and pottery were recovered from the excavations of Structures 1 and 2. These predominantly came from the area of paving, post-hole and slot fills. A suite of samples of the excavated features was taken for environmental assessment and radiocarbon dating.

Site 6b consisted of a meandering ditch measuring 19.45m. Its width tapered from north to south and this narrowing was paralleled by its fills: the first 7m (from north to south) consisted largely of stone-free silts which abruptly changed to densely packed large angular and tabular stones. These stones marked the position of a large post pipe 0.8m in diameter, which formed the first in an alignment of seven posts-pipes measuring c. 0.3-0.6m in diameter which decreased in size southwards. At Section E-F and southwards no individual post-pipes were located. Instead the inner cut of the ditch was lined with large tabular stones set on edge. Available evidence suggests that these features form the eastern side of a timber-lined passage of a ditched enclosure. Within the northern section of this ditch (Section A-B)a curvilinear, earlier slot was revealed adjacent to its eastern edge and had been truncated by it. A second narrow slot was located c. 0.7m east of and running parallel to the ditch, and appears to represent the truncated remains of a palisade slot. Its relationship to the other features identified is uncertain, but its termination adjacent to the earlier slot suggests they may have formed a twin palisade alignment. Two truncated oval pits/post-holes were located on the eastern side of the ditch. A quantity of flint artefacts and pottery, including rim sherds, was retrieved from the fill of the enclosure ditch. The pottery is undecorated and appears to represents body sherds from large bucket-shaped vessels consistent with an Iron Age date.

Seafield West: The second phase of work at Seafield by Inverness uncovered what appears to be part of a substantial Iron Age settlement. Post excavation analysis is ongoing.

Castles: Fieldwork and advice has been conducted on various castle sites, principally in 1998 at Lochnaw castle near Stranraer, recovering information to enable the reconstruction of the castle for public exhibition. Ongoing research with Renfrewshire Council has continued to be conducted to look for Wallace’s home as part of their development of this popular Scottish heritage issue.

Major Post-excavation Projects

Bostadh Beach, 1^st millennium AD settlement: Following initial rescue excavations, post-excavation analysis and research continues with all three postgraduate students progressing to PhD status. The three studentships are making an important contribution to the development of environmental research in the Department. Replication of a Bostadh house has been completed in collaboration with the local Historical Society. Although part of the purpose of the construction is for public exhibition the work has been conducted as authentically as possible to provide important experimental data on construction techniques.

Infrastructure Projects

A92: Early prehistoric pits, souterrain, long cist burials, paved area, possible roundhouse, medieval enclosures and possible medieval structure were located during an archaeological evaluation arried out in advance of proposed road improvements. A total area of 22,599 m² was sampled within the areas to be affected by the proposed improvements. Only one Scheduled Ancient Monument, comprising two souterrains and located at Ardownie (NMRS ref: NO43 SE61) lay within the proposed route. However, trial trenching conducted within the scheduled area demonstrated that the affected sector did not contain any archaeological features.

Several other potentially significant sites were identified during the evaluation. These are listed below from east to west:

NO 6170 3940 Elliot Souterrain, paved area, cup marked stone and long cist burials.

NO 6057 3910 Three Mile Wood Prehistoric Pits.

NO 6043 3880 Mains of Kelly Neolithic Pits.

NO 6020 3893 Mains of Kelly Curvilinear ditch features.

NO 5920 3843 Nether Kelly Linear Feature (NO53 NE38).

NO 5832 3785 Hatton Farm WWII Building Foundations.

NO 5583 3691 Auchrennie Possible Roundhouse.

NO 5630 3572 Carlogie Pits.

NO 5451 3455 Carnoustie 20^th century Bottle/Refuse Dump.

NO 5292 3403 Cotside West Prehistoric pits.

NO 5349 3423 Barry Manse Medieval Enclosures.

Elliot Souterrain paved area and long cist burials: Two trenches, excavated on the edge of a small spur, revealed the remains of a souterrain, paved area and two long cist burials. The exposed portion of the souterrain measured 18m in length by 3m in width. Its termini were not exposed; however, its general plan is curvilinear, similar to many other cropmark examples in Angus. A section excavated across it revealed a deposit of rubble collapse overlying a band of fine, brown clay. This section was not bottomed owing to repeated flooding. No adjacent post built structures were located. This, however, does not preclude their existence. A paved area, within which lay two cup marked stones, was partially revealed to the E of the souterrain. Some 10m further E were the heavily truncated remains of two stone-lined long cists within which were the fragmentary remains of two individuals. These elements appear to form part of a small Iron Age settlement and possibly associated cemetery.

Three Mile Wood (Balcathie): A suite of features, aligned NE/SW were visible on aerial photographs extending into the affected area. Trenches concentrated at these points revealed a number of features on the edge of a terrace above ground sloping down to Three Mile Burn. These mainly comprised deep pits, two of which contained prehistoric pottery and small amounts of burnt bone.

Three Mile Wood (Mains of Kelly): Isolated, shallow pits were noted within 5 adjoining trenches in this area. Trench 12 contained five shallow pits, one of which produced several sherds of unabraded grooved ware.

Mains of Kelly: Excavation revealed a topsoil over 1m in depth, which overlay a gravelly, coarse sand subsoil. Cut into this were curvilinear ditched features, U shaped in profile which, although shallow, appear to indicate the presence of heavily truncated circular enclosures or structures. When extrapolated, the diameter of the principal circular feature identified measured from 12m to 15m in diameter.

Nether Kelly: A linear feature, aligned N-S and measuring 1.5m in exposed length by 1.4m wide by 0.18m deep, appears to comprise part of rectilinear feature noted on an oblique aerial photograph.

Hatton Farm: Trial trenching revealed a series of brick and concrete foundations at the site of temporary accommodation built during WW II, associated with the nearby airfield of East Haven (otherwise known as HMS Peewit), and visible on vertical stereo aerial photographs.

Auchrennie: A dense concentration of truncated features was revealed on the edge of a west facing scarp slope, west of Muirdrum. These appear to comprise a possible ring-groove structure with an adjacent area of paving. Postholes, shallow pits and a curving ring-groove slot were amongst the many features identified. Although only partial excavation took place during the evaluation, the density of features indicates that the site may have been intensively utilised. Late prehistoric pottery and flint artefacts were recovered.

Carlogie: A number of linear and curvilinear features and a series of shallow pits were revealed on the terrace of a raised beach N of Carnoustie. No artefacts were recovered from the sample of features excavated.

Carnoustie: Trial trenching immediately to the west of a sports ground produced large quantities of early to mid 20^th century refuse.

Cotside West: The right angle of what appears to be a large rectangular ditched feature, measuring 10m E-W by 3.5m N-S, was revealed on level ground below a raised beach. This ditch was 1.5m wide by 0.60m deep. Two sherds of 13^th to 14^th century medieval pottery, of a type rare on the North shore of the Tay (G Haggerty pers. comm.), were retrieved from this feature. A vestigial linear feature was traced running c. 1m parallel to and outside the external angle of the rectilinear ditch. A whetstone was retrieved from topsoil.

Barry Manse: Three separate intercutting curvilinear and linear ditches, of similar dimensions, were located and recorded. A fractured stone bead and a sherd of possible Neolithic pottery were recovered from the fill of the earliest ditch, while sherds of diagnostically early medieval pottery were recovered from the fills of the later of the three ditches. The third ditched feature, the latest in the sequence, measured 11m in length with a concave, shallow profile and was 0.10m to 0.25m in depth. Two additional sections of ditch, both measuring 2.20m in width by 0.35m in depth were located respectively at the extreme N and S of the trench. They were aligned east-west and U shaped in section. As only a small proportion of these features was exposed interpretation of their function is unclear. A peat bed preserved beneath marine sand and clay deposits and dating from about 8000 BC was located near Barry.

Survey Projects

Surveys were undertaken for all kinds of development, from windfarms and forestry in upland areas, to retail and business park sites around urban areas, and for quarries and open cast coal developments in industrial landscapes.

Coastal archaeology

In 1998 a CFA team undertook survey of a stretch of coastline of the Moray, Beauly and Cromarty Firths adding to the work already conducted on the Solway Firth (and complementary to work conducted on Lewis). More in depth work started on the Solway Firth at key locations, developing detailed models of coastal change (in collaboration with Coventry University) and developing dendrochronological data (with AOC Archaeology). The coastal archaeological theme has important environmental archaeology aspects but is being driven by cultural resource management needs focussed on the increasing threat to coastal sites and the inadequacy of a reactive rescue policy.

Archaeological Site Management

Animal disturbance: Over the last few years we have conducted a number of fieldwork projects designed to examine various threats to sites, and one of the most important of these has been rabbit damage. Indeed, the excavations at Brown Caterthun initially commenced as a commission to examine this threat. In 1998 we produced a technical advice note for Historic Scotland.

Wetland Archaeology: A number of projects have been conducted developing both field methods and cultural resource management of wetland areas. Inevitably these also develop environmental issues. Detailed work has been conducted at Ballachullish, developing radar survey techniques and an information and advisory note has been produced for SNH on the management of the palaeoenvironmental interest at wetland sites. Members of staff are involved in establishing a wetland archaeology research group

Technical Reports

Nos. 378-449 were issued since the last Annual Report

Publications

See Sections 3 and 10 and homepage for other CFA staff publications.

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Lemba Archaeological Research Centre, Cyprus

LARC, Lemba 8260, Paphos District, Cyprus

Manager: Dr. Paul Croft
Assistant Manager: Dr. Diane Bolger

The LARC serves as a Departmental base for individual and team field projects, as well as a focus for the research activities of fieldworkers from other institutions. University projects are mainly concerned with training in practical work suited to Mediterranean conditions and locally available facilities. Currently they comprise survey, excavation, ethnoarchaeology, artefact and materials studies, site management and experimental archaeology. Fieldwork required for undergraduate dissertations are a regular feature of research at the LARC. Other users are post-excavation and research teams. Their activities, listed below, demonstrate the international role of this research facility. The Centre is the Cypriot base for the Lemba Archaeological Project.

The Centre successfully negotiated this year for the production of a Bank of Cyprus Guide to heritage sites which it oversees: two excavated sites and the Experimental Village. Prof. E. Peltenburg and Drs. P. Croft and G. D. Thomas undertook to write the Guide. The Bank of Cyprus will bear all costs of publication and the Cyprus Department of Antiquities has agreed that revenues will be expended exclusively on the upkeep of these sites.

The LARC was also successful in negotiating grants totalling £ 75,000 to establish a visitor centre at Kissonerga. Supporters of this programme are the Department of Antiquities, Kissonerga Development Board and the Leventis Foundation.

Field Schools

Field schools take place during vacations, in line with policies to combine research with education. They are advertised in U.K. university archaeology departments, on the World Wide Web site 'Aegeanet' and on the departmental homepage. The Summer Field School, "Excavations at the Tombs of the Kings" was conducted by Dr. Paul Croft as part of a liaison programme with the Cyprus Department of Antiquities. Undergraduates from U.K. and other universities participated.

Post-Excavation

Apart from its in-house projects, the LARC was used for post-excavation research by the following projects:

Excavations at Akamas	Cyprus	University of Aarhus, Denmark
Excavations at Jerablus-Tahtani	Syria	University of Edinburgh
Vasilikos Valley Project	(Cyprus)
Excavations at Belmont	(Israel)	British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem
Excavations at Duweilah	(Jordan)	University of Sydney
Excavations at Tel Jezreel	(Israel)	British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem
Excavations at Tell Shuna	(Jordan)	Universities of Durham / Liverpool
Excavations at Ayios Savvas tis Kononas	(Cyprus)	Brock University, Canada
Excavations at Lachish	(Israel)	University of Tel Aviv
Excavations at Paralimni-Nissia	(Cyprus)	Department of Antiquities
Excavations at Souskiou-Vathyrkakas	(Cyprus)	Department of Antiquities
Excavations at the Tombs of the Kings, Paphos	(Cyprus)

 

Individual researchers

Amongst those who resided or worked at the Centre were:

Ms. Elizabeth Doering, (Fulbright Fellow, School for the Arts at Boston University) "Ancient Figurative Ideals in Contemporary Cypriot Sculpture";
Ms. Jenny Shiels, experimental pottery making;
Mr. Z. Parras (University of Sheffield) examined osteological material from several sites for his PhD.
Dr Sherry Leonard, Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute, analysed human osteological material from Kissonerga-Mylouthkia

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• • Scottish Trust for Underwater Archaeology

Chairman of STUA: T Nicholas Dixon
Managing Director of the Scottish Crannog Centre: Barrie Andrian

Throughout 1998, the work of the STUA continued to revolve round the Scottish Crannog Centre (SCC) and the crannog reconstruction in Loch Tay, although plans are now afoot to recommence excavations at Oakbank Crannog and a preliminary assessment survey will be carried out in the summer of 1999 to that end.

The Scottish Crannog Centre

The summer of 1998 saw the final construction phase of the site with completion of the fence around the outside of the platform. The fence is constructed of hazel panels and makes a very effective barrier against anyone trying to access the site from the water. It would also protect the inhabitants against projectiles. On a more mundane level it also protects the house walls from the ravages of the weather, and particularly the cold prevailing south-west wind blowing down the loch, which not only creates a cold environment but also dries up the hurdle walls making them brittle and subject to breaks.

While no gap has been left in the fence it is likely that the original crannog dwellers would have had a gate giving access to the water and to a dugout canoe that was a common mode of transport at the time. Evidence of a ladder to the water level is best seen from the crannog in Loch Treig. (Ritchie J. 1942 The Lake-Dwelling or Crannog in Eaderloch, Loch Treig, PSAS 76: 8-78).

Monitoring of the crannog structure continues but so far there appear to be no major areas of breakdown. Considering that some 25,000 people have visited the site it is a mark of the strength of the structure that wear and tear, even in the entranceway which is the most trampled area of the site, is minimal. It is interesting to consider how many years of occupation this could represent in the life of a family of about twenty that might have lived on a crannog of this size.

The layout of the interior develops slowly and according to conditions and tasks that become evident as the site is utilised. One of the questions that is often asked is whether people would sleep on platforms above floor level. It has been suggested that the smoke from the fire, unable to escape through a smoke hole would make upper levels untenable. It was shown conclusively, during a night spent on the crannog at the end of October 1998, that upper platforms constructed in two areas of the house were not only tenable but warm and comfortable and did not suffer from smoke problems

One of the features where monitoring has brought to light a slight problem is in the area of the hearth. There have been a number of fires on the crannog, sometimes lasting for many hours. The hearth is constructed of stones and clay, the same as in the original sites, to protect the underlying timbers from the heat. The clay naturally cracks and a number of small cavities formed particularly in the joins between stones. Removal of the stones showed that hot ashes and charcoal had penetrated the cracks and had in, some cases, charred the underlying floor timbers. Interestingly, the clay in the charred areas had been reduced to a whitish powder very similar to material discovered at Oakbank Crannog. Both materials will be examined to see if they are the same. The hearth has been renewed with extra care taken to prevent the same thing happening again.

Education

The STUA commitment to education was demonstrated during the year by the production of an education pack in conjunction with the Education Authorities of Perth & Kinross, Angus and Dundee and has been distributed to all the schools in these areas. Other schools can buy copies from the SCC. The pack contains two twenty minute videos on Underwater and Experimental Archaeology. There are also teacher notes, pupil activity sheets and an illustration folder of photographs. Feedback indicates that the pack is an enjoyable and useful contribution to the 5-14 curriculum.

The crannog was visited by the Callander, Perthshire and St. Andrews groups of the Young Archaeologists Club and many other children visited from schools throughout the country. Archaeology Societies were also a significant part of the visitor makeup during the season.

Filming took place at the crannog, and elsewhere in Loch Tay, for a programme called Who? What? Where? When? Why? for BBC Children's Educational Broadcasting which was shown in September. The site also featured in a series called The Diceman for the Discovery Channel. It was broadcast in November and will be re-broadcast in February in the UK and throughout Europe.

The Scottish Crannog Centre now has a website that can be accessed at http://www.crannog.co.uk/

Miscellaneous

In addition to managing the SCC, Barrie Andrian has been active in carrying out maritime desk studies for environmental impact assessments for a number of proposed major subsea developments.

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Archaeology Field School: Angus and South Aberdeenshire

The first year field school continued the previously established pattern of survey (topographic and environmental) being undertaken during the Easter vacation, and excavation being undertaken in the summer. In addition to the training purpose of the school, the research aspects are now well developed and a series of publications relating to the field school are now in press.

Major fieldwork exercises in 1998 included the following:

Mains of Edzell: Archaeological excavation was undertaken on a scheduled cropmark enclosure site. The objectives were to examine the effects of agricultural attrition, rabbit erosion, tree root action and quarry erosion of the site. The aerial photographic evidence showed the enclosure to comprise three ditches encircling the northern part of the small hill. Landuse on the hilltop is divided by a dry stone dyke, with arable farmland to the north and a mature beech wood to the south. There were no indications of features within the enclosure, nor that the cropmark continued into the wooded area. Excavation confirmed the presence of the features noted as cropmarks to the south within the wooded area and uncovered a number of features inside the enclosure.

The three ditches were shown not to run concentrically, nor did they symmetrically encircle the hilltop. The inner ditch displayed an entrance on the east side with several related structural components. The middle was the largest of the three ditches and significant deposits of burnt material were found in all sections of this ditch. It seems likely that the three ditches were not contemporaneous. Internal features included clay and stone lined pits, a palisade slot, pits and postholes.

The ground level on the arable side of the hill was approximately 1m lower than its equivalent on the woodland side, probably as a result of horizontal truncation from ploughing. It was thought that the greater accumulations of hilltop deposits within the wooded area would provide a better preservation environment for underlying features. However, initial comparative analysis of the erosion patterns resulting from the different landuses on the hilltop suggests that better preservation occurs on the farmed side of the hill. This is probably a result of tree root penetration and rabbit burrowing.

West Mains: Trial trenching was undertaken on a cropmark consisting of what appeared to be a rectilinear enclosure with flattened ends, bowed sides and rounded corners. Interestingly, this enclosure seems to run across a natural depression and the aerial photograph displayed differential survival of the feature. Excavation revealed that the enclosure ditch was close to the present surface where it showed on the aerial photograph but elsewhere was sealed below a layer of buried ploughsoil deposited in a natural depression probably by agricultural activity. This ploughsoil sealed an organic palaeosol which the ditch of the enclosure clearly cut through. This ditch was V-shaped c. 1m wide and between 0.4 - 0.6m deep. To the north of the enclosure a large pit, not apparent on the aerial photograph was discovered. This pit was 2.0-2.1m wide, 1.6m deep and at least 5m long, although it appeared to continue northwards into the edge of the trench. The fills were mixed but contained large amounts of charcoal fragments and some burnt bone. Unfortunately no datable artefactual material was recovered, but its elongated form, depth, steep sides and flat base all suggest it could be one terminal of a souterrain without stone lining.

Palisaded enclosure, Ironshill, near Inverkeilor: An evaluation was undertaken on a cropmark site. The site is divided by a modern field boundary running south-west/north-east. To the W of this boundary, two-thirds of the site is known from cropmark coverage as a circular enclosure with one large central structure, which is intersected by the field boundary, and additional smaller structures. There is no cropmark coverage for the eastern sector. An area excavation (85m by 25m) was carried out on the eastern part of the site on the very edge of the plateau. This included all of the east side of the monument (about one third of the enclosure and a quarter of the central structure) and some external features. Two additional trenches were excavated, one to the NE of the main trench and a second running from the eastern edge of the main trench down the side of the plateau to the valley bottom. No features were identified in the latter trench.

The enclosure has an average diameter of c55m. In the excavated portion, it was defined by a palisade trench 0.4 - 0.6m wide by 0.9m deep. Packing stones were present intermittently around the circumference. Post-pipes were visible where packing stones remained. A narrow entrance (2.5m wide) was identified on the south-east side of the enclosure. Packing stones survived in both termini, in which post-pipes approximately 0.7m in diameter were visible. From aerial photographic evidence, two additional possible entrances (at the NW and SW) are visible in the unexcavated portion of the enclosure. Running along the inside of the palisade slot was an intermittent line of shallow pits/postholes.

A circular post-built structure, with a maximum diameter of c. 18m, lay almost central to the enclosure. Most of this monument lies in the unexcavated side of the enclosure. Here, the cropmark showed two concentric rings of large postholes with one central post. Within the excavated area, only the outer ring of large, weight-bearing postholes, and a single posthole from the inner ring, were encountered. The postholes were an average of 0.8m in depth and diameter, and were filled almost entirely with stone packing. A postpipe approximately 0.7m in diameter was clearly visible within the inner-ring posthole.

Two groups of features apparently relating to this main structure were situated between the two main posthole rings. These were a narrow ring-groove, which tailed off at the south-east, and just inside this an intermittent ring of very small pits/postholes. Neither of these feature groups were entirely concentric to the main circles, but as they did respect them, it is not possible to say if they represent earlier or later structures or are components of the main structure. One additional feature lay within the main structure. This was a shallow oval pit, cut by the inner post-hole: around 25% of its fill consisted of pottery fragments.

There is no obvious entrance to this structure either visible within the excavated area or on the cropmark image. The only indication of its possible position is the break in the inner ring groove on the south-east side.

An irregularly-spaced ring of small, shallow pits/postholes lay concentrically to and outwith the main post rings. These features may represent an outer wall, in which case the extrapolated maximum diameter of the monument would be approximately 25m.

On a line with this possible outer ring were two pits over 2m in diameter and 1m deep. These had apparently been re-used several times. Both had been partially infilled with a fairly homogenous fill, then lined with fire-cracked stones. The fills overlying this lining were charcoal-rich and included fragments of burnt bone in both cases. The southernmost pit had a lens of burnt grain, probably barley, among its upper fills. If the outer ring of shallow postholes does represent the outer wall of the main structure, it seems unlikely that these pits are contemporary with it as they overlapped its projected alignment.

Fifteen additional features lay within the enclosure and clearly outwith the main structure. These varied in diameter from 0.2 - 1.5m, but were not of any great depth. One round pit was almost entirely filled with carbonised wood. These features do not form any obvious patterns, but the majority could be seen to fall into one of two lines distributed east-west across the enclosure and respecting both the central structure and the palisade. This trend is reflected on the west side of the monument in aerial photographs where a line of at least four features can be seen running from the central structure to the north-east edge of the enclosure. Hence a general organisation can be seen, with features sub-dividing the enclosed space approximately across its east-west axis.

Several features were identified outwith the enclosure in the main trench. Immediately to S and SE of the site lay three ring groove features, none of which fell substantially within the trench. One is represented on aerial photographs as a circular mark approximately 7m in diameter, situated in a group with two other identical features on the west side of the dividing fenceline. A similar feature lay to the south-west of the enclosure, again only partly represented in the trench. This consisted of two approximately concentric shallow grooves. Some fragments of pottery were found in these features which are similar to those found in the central structure. These features were associated with shallow, charcoal-rich pit/postholes. On the N side of the palisaded enclosure were three small postholes which may form part of a ring continuing into the north and east sections.

A trench excavated to the north-east of the main trench revealed a small part of a souterrain, a portion of a ring-groove cut by a posthole, and several additional postholes. Two sections were excavated through the souterrain, which turned at right angles within the trench. These demonstrated that the right-angled bend represented the point where the shallower part of the feature (1.2m deep), probably an entrance, turned sharply to the west and dropped down to 1.6m deep at the same point. No internal features were identified. A complete 1^st-2^nd century AD trumpet brooch was recovered from the homogenous upper fill.

Redcastle: A second season of excavation was carried out on the cropmarks in the field to the south of Red Castle. A trench measuring 25m by 25m was topsoiled immediately to the north of the area excavated last year and focused on the remains of a souterrain which had been discovered the previous season when a side entrance and part of the main passage had been investigated. This year the remainder of the fill of the souterrain was completely removed. It was entered through a gently sloping, curving, passage from the north-west which contained a layer of clay immediately above its floor, possibly collapsed daub. Artefacts recovered from this entrance area included a large iron handle (possibly from a bucket) and shards from a Roman glass vessel. About 3.8m from the entrance there was a marked step down into the deeper part of the souterrain. This step was flanked by two large posts probably marking a doorway. The souterrain then turned sharply westwards into the main passage which curved slightly to the north-west. This component was approximately 12m long, 1.5m wide and up to 1.4m deep. There were at least four pairs of post-holes along the main part of the passage which appear to have held wood revetting the sides; there was no stone lining. No remains of any above ground timber structures associated with the souterrain were recovered.

Six burials were also located. Four of these were in sandstone long cists and skeletal material survived in various states of preservation. The other two burials were unlined extended inhumations and only body stains survived. A number of lengths of shallow ditches, possibly the remains of barrows surrounding some of these burials, were identified along with a scatter of pits, one of which produced a lozenge-shaped flint arrowhead.

Cropmarks, Newbarns, near Inverkeilor: A programme of trial trenching was carried out on adjoining fields, one scheduled and one unscheduled, to the north of Newbarns Farm. Both fields are rich in cropmarks of varying forms. Seventeen trenches were excavated, of which nine targeted cropmark sites and eight were over areas where no cropmarks have been noted. Five of the eight trenches excavated over blank areas produced negative results. Of the remaining three, one produced a shallow linear feature, with a homogenous fill, running NW/SE. The other two each produced three widely spaced, shallow pit/postholes with an average diameter of 0.3m and depth of 0.1m. In the unscheduled field, three groups of cropmarks (NO 64 NE 24) were targeted with five trenches, each measuring 25m by 1.5m. Two trenches were excavated across a ring-ditch feature, and were then extended to cover the whole feature and a small area around it. The ring-ditch was approximately 7m in maximum diameter. The width of the ditch in plan was 2.2m at the east side and 1.6m at the west side. A section was excavated E-W across the monument to give a complete profile. In both sections through the ditch, the ditch cut was almost vertical with a flat bottom. The W and E sections had maximum depths of 0.6m and 0.75m respectively. Three widely spaced postholes, one of which had been re-cut, were located approximately 1m outside the ring-ditch. Each was of an entirely different depth and nature.

A trench was excavated across a c. 40m long crescent shaped cropmark. This proved to be a shallow, charcoal-rich lens 0.25m deep and 4m wide. The remaining two trenches were excavated over what appeared on aerial photographs to be a concentration of pit/postholes. No significant concentration of features was identified, one trench producing four widely-spaced, small, shallow pits; the other producing two similar features.

In the scheduled field, four groups of cropmarks were targeted with four trenches. A trench, measuring 25m by 1.5m, was excavated across a kidney-shaped cropmark approximately 25m by 5m. This proved to be a modern feature, 1m deep with a homogenous fill included modern glass, pottery and metal fragments.

A trench, measuring 25m by 20m, was opened over the NE corner of a rectilinear enclosure measuring c. 30m by 30m. A break in the ditch defining the enclosure formed the only visible entrance in the monument. The ditch was 1.35m wide and 0.5m deep. No stone packing or postholes were present to indicate whether the enclosure had been palisaded, but a line of small postholes was visible c1.2m inside the ditch, possibly indicating the presence of a retaining revetment wall for an upcast bank. Inside the excavated part of the enclosure, three pits measuring 1.5m by 1m were arranged in a semi-circle. One of these was excavated and proved to be 0.6m deep, with a homogenous fill. Outside the enclosure eleven pit/postholes, varying in diameter from 0.3m to 0.7m and not of any great depth were located. The excavated sample were homogenous and no finds were made. Three small pit/postholes, each 0.25m in diameter and depth, were identified at the entrance, which was 3m wide. One lay in the centre of the entrance; the others immediately outside the entrance by the southernmost terminus. There were no finds from this trench.

A trench measuring 20m by 15m was excavated over the northernmost third of a semicircular ditch (NO 64 NE 18) with a radius of c12m. This appeared prior to excavation to be associated with many pits and post/stakeholes. The ditch was 0.7m deep, with almost vertical sides and a flat base. The fills included two charcoal-rich layers. Neither stone packing nor postholes were apparent within the ditch and there was no evidence of a retaining palisade of any type. A section at the terminus revealed a gentle rise to the subsoil surface. The ditch measured 2.2m in depth from which point it narrowed steadily to just 0.5m at the terminus.

Four round pits appeared to be associated with this feature, two being inside it and two just beyond the terminus. These pits were an average of 0.7m in diameter and 0.4m deep. All had fills similar to that of the ditch. Two of the pits were excavated and both contained fragments of pottery, one of which was a decorated beaker rimsherd. A flint artefact was retrieved from the same pit as the beaker sherd. Both the pits and the ditch contained some heat-cracked stones in their charcoal-rich fills. Immediately to the north of the terminus and outside the ditch, was an oval hollow measuring 4m (N-S) by 3m (E-W), by 0.35m deep. This feature lay slightly off-centre to a ring of 10 stake/postholes, one of which was cut by the ditch. These were c 0.25m in diameter and 0.25-0.4m deep.

Thirteen additional pits of various sizes were located outwith these two main feature groups. The excavated sample of these produced no artefacts.

A trench measuring 8m by 15m was excavated over a second ring ditch (NO 64 NE 18) and associated pits and postholes. This ring-ditch measured 7m in diameter and was 1.5 to 2m in depth, but was only 0.5m in depth. Five postholes were identified, cutting or cut by the ring ditch, three outside it and one inside it. The fills of these features were identical to that of the ring ditch, hence their stratigraphic relationships could not be determined.

The function of these ring-ditches was not immediately apparent. There was no evidence that they were foundations for post-built structures and no significant features were identified within them. It seems most likely that they represent the vestiges of round barrows. These monuments are known to occur in the area, such as the scheduled example at nearby Corbie Knowe.

Fourteen additional features, comprising a ditch terminus, a large pit and twelve smaller pits, were located in this trench. Of the excavated sample, all had homogenous fills and none produced any finds.

Turin Hill: A detailed survey of the extensive suite of archaeological features on the summit of Turin Hill was undertaken and instances of damage or erosion to these remains were recorded. Turin Hill displays a remarkable range of enclosures and obviously has a long history of use. The earliest identifiable remains on the site appear to be a large bivallate fort, with associated outworks, which is replaced by a smaller oval fort. This oval fort is overlain by a stone-built dun. The remains of two other less well-preserved duns, situated to the east and west, are likely to be of approximately the same date. These duns have also been classified as homesteads or ring-forts. Many of the features on Turin Hill have been recorded on earlier plans but this survey also located remains of possible roundhouses and numerous quarry scoops. Although the precise date of the features on Turin Hill cannot be determined without excavation, the remains suggest that settlement on the hill is likely to have spanned from at least the Late Bronze Age into the Early Historic Period with later quarrying activity in the Middle Ages.

Palaeoenvironmental survey: The palaeoenvironmental survey comprised of two main parts; the completion of the geomorphic survey in the Calleter and Nathro valleys and the detailed coring of palaeoenvironmental sites previously identified within the wider study area.

The geomorphic survey of the catchments of the Nathro Burn and Calleter Burn, tributaries of the West Water, have now been completed. A series of Late Devensian and Flandrian alluvial terrace deposits were identified and investigated. Two suites of terraces were identified – a high level suite (generally between 10 and 20 metres above the valley floor) and a low-level suite (between 0.5 and 5 metres above the valley floor). The higher suite demonstrated a sequence of three apparently biologically sterile Late Glacial features all associated with the down wasting of ice in the upper catchment and subsequent periglacial conditions during the Loch Lomond stadial. The sequence and relative superimposition of the features suggests that the area was not covered with ice during the Loch Lomond stadial and that ice re-advance in West Water valley was limited. A number of apparently early post glacial terrace features appear to reflect the rapid adjustment of the river system to warming temperatures and the afforestation of the area. This was accompanied by a transition from net deposition to net erosion and the downcutting of the valley floor. The lower suite of terraces appears to relate to anthropogenic activity within the catchment triggering increased sediment influxes and leading to a return to net aggredation. A number of key exposures of organic channel fills and terrace sequences were recorded and sampled and await analysis and dating. These should provide a chronology for the lower terrace suite and enable the relationship between human activity and terrace formation to be investigated in more detail.

Survey through out the study area has involved visits to several hundred locations of which some 70 potential palaeoecological coring sites were investigated in detail by trial coring and test pit excavation. A very high proportion of these sites had been damaged or truncated by past or present landuse and some difficulty in obtaining a complete environmental sequence for this area was revealed. One site, at Braeside near Edzell, was investigated in more detail to explore the character of truncation and preservation along coring transects as opposed to assessment from single boreholes. As predicted a clear pattern has emerged of better preservation of palaeoecological evidence in the uplands than in the lowlands. The impact of agriculture on the palaeoenvironmental record appears to have been concentrated in the lowlands of Strathmore. Of the 50 or so terrestrial sites investigated only two are deemed worthy of further investigation and only one, Eslie Moss, may produce evidence for the later prehistoric period critical to our understanding of the context of the Brown and White Caterthuns. The potential of the various lochs in the area has yet to be fully realised. A number of potential coring sites within valley bog at loch margins have been identified but only one, at Reswellie House has been investigated in detail. This has yielded a long Holocene sequence through loch marginal Alder carr, however, the position of the site in the landscape and the nature of the deposits means that little information on human activity is likely to be available from this location. The results from this survey are presented in the forthcoming edition of the Tayside and Fife Archaeological Journal.

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• • Other Publications and Reviews

Alexander, D.	Excavation of pits containing decorated Neolithic Pottery and early lithic material of possible Mesolithic date at Spurryhillock, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Proc Soc Antiq Scot 127, 1997: 17-27
Alexander, D.	Excavation on Arthur’s Seat fort, Edinburgh, 1995, Proc Soc Antiq Scot 127, 1997: 595-600
Alexander, D.	Excavation of a medieval grain-drying kiln and earlier mill-lade at Llanbryde, Moray, Proc Soc Antiq Scot 127, 1997: 677-685
Alexander, D.	Renfrew Castle (Renfrew parish) Trial trenching, DES 1997: 32
Alexander, D. with G. Coles	Nathro and Calletar valleys (Lethnot & Navar parish) survey, DES 1997: 14-15
Alexander, D. with B. Henry	Picketlaw (Neilston parish) Hut circle, DES 1997: 32
Alexander, D. (with W. L. Finlayson	Longannet Pipeline (Carnock; Culross; Torryburn; Tulliallan parishes) Mine adit and miscellaneous artefacts, DES 1997: 34-35
Alexander, D. with C. McGill	Devol Moor to Spango valley (Greenock; Port Glasgow; Kilmacolm parish) Archaeological assessment, DES 1997: 52-3
Burgess, C.	Dreva Craig (Stobo parish) Watching brief, DES 1997: 67
Burgess, C. with M. Church, C. Flitcroft, S. Gilmour	An Dunan (Uig parish) Utilised natural island, DES 1997: 85
Burgess, C. with M. Church, S. Gilmour, A. Heald	Guinnerso (Uig parish) relict landscape, DES 1997: 85-6
Cameron, K.	Candle Stane, Insch (Insch parish) Roundhouse, DES 1997: 9-10
Cameron, K.	Churchton Bay, Raasay (Portree parish) Archaeological assessment, DES 1997: 50
Church, M., with C. Burgess, C. Flitcroft, S. Gilmour	An Dunan (Uig parish) Utilised natural island, DES 1997: 85
Church, M., with C. Burgess, S. Gilmour, A. Heald	Guinnerso (Uig parish) relict landscape, DES 1997: 85-6
Clarke, C. M.	Palaeoenvironmental Results in Alexander, D. Excavation of pits containing decorated Neolithic Pottery and early lithic material of possible Mesolithic date at Spurryhillock, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Proc Soc Antiq Scot 127, 1997: 17-27
Clarke, C. M.	Review of Coles, J. and Coles, B. Enlarging The Past, The Contribution Of Wetland Archaeology (Society Of Antiquaries Monograph Series 11) in Recent Writing on Scottish Archaeology, CSA, 1998, 3
Clarke, C. M. with R. Strachan	Vallay (North Uist parish) Structure(s) and occupation levels, DES 1997: 84
Coles, G. with D. Alexander	Nathro and Calletar valleys (Lethnot & Navar parish) survey, DES 1997: 14-15
Cressey, M.	Spireslack (Muirkirk parish) Evaluation, DES 1997: 28
Cressey, M. with W. L. Finlayson	Glenhead Farm (Kemnay parish) Archaeological evaluation, DES 1997: 10
Cressey, M. with W. L. Finlayson	Spireslack (Muirkirk parish) Evaluation DES 1997: 28
Cressey, M. with R. Toolis	Solway Coast, Coastal erosion assessment survey, DES 1997: 23-24
Dunwell, A.	Geirisclett (North Uist parish) Chambered Tomb, DES 1997: 84
Dunwell, A. with R. Strachan	Tap O’Noh (Rhynie parish) Enclosure; ?hut circles, DES 1997: 11
Dunwell, A. with W. L. Finlayson	Dunfermline to Kirkcaldy (Dunfermline; Aberdour; Auchtertool; Kirkcaldy & Dysart parishes) Desk-based assessment and field inspection, DES 1997: 36-7
Dunwell, A. with B. Glendinning	Blackhill Wood (Ardoch parish) Roman signal station and temporary camp, DES 1997: 62
Dixon, T	Künstliche Inseln in schottischen Lochs, Archäologie In Deutschland I: 58
Finlayson, W. L.	"Microwear Examination", in G.J. Barclay & G. S. Maxwell eds The Cleaven Dyke and Littleour Monographs Series 13, Edinburgh., Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 72
Finlayson, W. L.	"Worked Flint and Quartz", in R. P. J. McCullagh & R. Tipping (eds) The Lairg Project 1988-1996: The Evolution of an Archaeological landscape in Northern Scotland,, Scottish Trust for Archaeological Research, Edinburgh, 1998, 132-139
Finlayson, W. L.	"The chipped stone" in D. Alexander, Excavation of pits containing decorated Neolithic pottery and early lithic material of possible Mesolithic date at Spurryhillock, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Proc Soc Antiq Scot 127, 1997: 17-27
Finlayson, W. L.	"The plano-convex knife" in R. J. Mercer & M. S. Midgley, The Early Bronze Age cairn at Sketewan, Balnaguard, Perth and Kinross, Proc Soc Antiq Scot 127, 1997: 281-338
Finlayson, W. L.	"Chipped stone; hammerstone & axeheads" in D. A. Johnstone, Biggar Common, 1987-93: an early prehistoric funerary and domestic landscape in Clydesdale, South Lanarkshire, Proc Soc Antiq Scot 127, 1997: 185-253
Finlayson, W. L. with D. Alexander	Longannet Pipeline (Carnock; Culross; Torryburn; Tulliallan parishes) Mine adit and miscellaneous artefacts, DES 1997: 34-35
Finlayson, W. L. with M. Cressey	Glenhead Farm (Kemnay parish) Archaeological evaluation, DES 1997: 10
Finlayson, W. L. with M. Cressey	Spireslack (Muirkirk parish) Evaluation DES 1997: 28
Finlayson, W. L. with A. Dunwell	Dunfermline to Kirkcaldy (Dunfermline; Aberdour; Auchtertool; Kirkcaldy & Dysart parishes) Desk-based assessment and field inspection, DES 1997: 36-7
Finlayson, W. L. with A. R. Rees	A long-cist burial at Innerwick, near Dunbar, East Lothian, Proc Soc Antiq Scot 127, 1997
Flitcroft, C. with A. Heald	Aird Callanish, Lewis (Uig parish) Sub-peat feature, DES 1997: 85
Flitcroft, C. with C. Burgess, M. Church, S. Gilmour	An Dunan (Uig parish) Utilised natural island, DES 1997: 85
Gilmour, S. with C. Burgess, M. Church, C. Flitcroft	An Dunan (Uig parish) Utilised natural island, DES 1997: 85
Gilmour, S. with C. Burgess, M. Church, A. Heald	Guinnerso (Uig parish) relict landscape, DES 1997: 85-6
Glendinning, B.	Kettlestone Mains (Linlithgow parish) Watching brief, DES 1997: 83
Glendinning, B. with T. Neighbour	Holmwood House (Cathcart parish) Victorian kitchen garden, DES 1997: 42
Glendinning, B. with A. Dunwell	Blackhill Wood (Ardoch parish) Roman signal station and temporary camp, DES 1997: 62
Hale, A.	Erskine (Erskine parish) Intertidal crannog, DES 1997: 66 Langbank East (Erskine parish) ?Intertidal crannog, DES 1997: 66
Hale, A.	Langbank West (Erskine parish) ?Intertidal crannog, DES 1997: 66
Hale, A.	Dumbuck (Old Kilpatrick parish) Intertidal crannog, DES 1997: 83
Hale, A.	Old Kilpatrick (Old Kilpatrick parish) Intertidal crannog, DES 1997: 83
Heald, A. with C. Flitcroft	Aird Callanish, Lewis (Uig parish) Sub-peat feature, DES 1997: 85
Heald, A. with C. Burgess, M. Church, S. Gilmour	Guinnerso (Uig parish) relict landscape, DES 1997: 85-6
Hamilton, J.	St. Michaels, Inveresk (Inveresk parish) Roman fort, DES 1997: 29
Hamilton, J.	River Ore and River Leven Trunk Sewer Renovation Works (Ballingry; Auchterderran parishes) Field survey and watching brief, DES 1997: 34
Hamilton, J.	Collessie Quarry, by Ladybank (Collessie parish) Field survey and trial excavation, DES 1997: 35
Hamilton, J. with C. McGill	A96 Kintore Bypass (Kintore; Kinellar; Dyce parishes) Early prehistoric pits and later prehistoric features, DES 1997: 10
Hamilton, J. with R. Strachan	White Caterthun (Menmuir parish) Hillfort, DES 1997: 15-16
McGill, C.	Finavon Hill, near Forfar (Oathlaw parish). Evaluative excavation, DES 1997: 16
McGill, C.	Broom Hill (Dalrymple parish). Opencast coal site, DES 1997: 27-8
McGill, C.	Pitreavie Golf Course (Dunfermline parish). Watching brief, DES 1997: 38
McGill, C.	Kemback to Blebocraigs (Kemback parish). Watching brief, DES 1997: 39
McGill, C.	Tam’s Loup Quarry, near Harthill (Shotts parish). Medieval structure; watching brief, DES 1997: 57-8
McGill, C.	Monkton (Monkton and Prestwick parish). Survey and desk-based assessment, DES 1997: 74-5
McGill, C.	Calanais, Lweis (Uig parish). Suvery and desk-based assessment, DES 1997: 85
McGill, C. and D. Alexander	Devol Moor to Spango Valley (Greenock; Port Glasgow; Kilmacolm parish). Archaeological assessment, DES 1997: 52-3
McGill, C. and J. Hamilton	A96 Kintore Bypass (Kintore; Kinellar; Dyce parishes). Early prehistoric pits and later prehistoric features, DES 1997: 10
Neighbour, T.,	Pitreavie Castle (Dunfermline parish) Desk-based assessment and field survey, DES 1997: 38
Neighbour, T.	Dun Mor, Dornie (Kintail parish): Ridge with artificially enhanced platforms, DES 1997: 48
Neighbour, T and B. Glendinning	Holmwood House (Cathcart parish) Victorian kitchen garden, DES 1997: 42
Peltenburg, E.	Excavations at Jerablus Tahtani 1992 Chronique Archéologique En Syrie 1,1997 (1998) 42-44
Ralston, Ian B. M.	Review of Pollard, T. and Morrison, A. eds The Early Prehistory of Scotland. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press for University of Glasgow = Dalrymple Monograph 3, 1996. Antiquaries Journa, 78, 480-1
Ralston, Ian B. M.	Review of Menez, Y. Une ferme d’Armorique gauloise: Le Boisanne à Plouër-sur-Rance (Côtes d’Armor) = Document d’Archéologie française 58, 1996. Antiquaries Journal 78, 486-7
Ralston, Ian B. M.	Review of Raftery, B., V. Megaw and Val Rigby (eds) Sites and Sights of the Iron Age: essays on fieldwork and museum research presented to Ian Mathieson Stead. Oxford: Oxbow Monograph 56, 1995, viii + 180pp. Britannia 29, 1998, 490-1
Ralston, Ian B. M.	Translation of "Abstract" in Bonenfant, P-P and J.-P. Guillaumet, La statuaire anthropomorphe du premier Age du Fer. Besançon: Presses universitaires franc-comtoises = Annales littéraires de l'Université de Franche-Comté 667, 101 - 104
Rees, A.R.	A1 Cement works to A1087 (Innerwick parish) Watching brief, DES 1997: 29
Rees, A. R.	Thornybank, near Dalkeith (Newton parish) Long cist cemetery, pit alignment, ring-groove, rectilinear structure, DES 1997: 53-4
Rees, A. R.	Smeaton, near Dalkeith (Newton parish) Watching brief, DES 1997: 53
Rees, A. R. with D. Alexander	Red Castle (Inverkeilor parish) Barrow cemetery and souterrain, DES 1997: 13-14
Rees, A. R. with W. L. Finlayson	A long-cist burial at Innerwick, near Dunbar, East Lothian, Proc Soc Antiq Scot 127, 1997
Strachan, R.	St Fergus to Peterhead (St Fergus; Peterhead parishes) Archaeological assessment, DES 1997: 11-12
Strachan, R.	East Dunfermline (Dunfermline parish) Archaeological evaluation, DES 1997: 37-8
Strachan, R.	Ardoch Roman fort (Ardoch parish) Erosion survey and possible palisade, DES 1997: 62
Strachan, R.	Fowlis Wester Church (Fowlis Wester parish) Excavation, DES 1997: 63
Strachan, R.	Hallowshean Farm (Kirkoswald parish) Watching brief, DES 1997: 74
Strachan, R.	Auchenlaich Farm, near Callander (Callander parish) Archaeological assessment, DES 1997: 78
Strachan, R.	Old Bridge, Stirling (Stirling parish) Watching brief, DES 1997: 80
Strachan, R.	Old Bridge, Stirling (Stirling parish) Watching brief, 80
Strachan, R. with C. Clarke	Vallay (North Uist parish) Structure(s) and occupation levels, DES 1997: 84
Strachan, R. with A. Dunwell	Tap O’Noth (Rhynie parish) Enclosure; ?hut circles, DES 1997: 11
Strachan, R. with J. Hamilton	White Caterthun (Menmuir parish) Hillfort, DES 1997: 15-16
Toolis, R.	Solway coast, Forts survey, DES 1997: 24
Toolis, R.	St Nicholas Farm, St Andrews (St Andrews & St Leonards parish) Medieval hospital, DES 1997: 41
Toolis, R. with M. Cressey	Solway Coast, Coastal erosion assessment survey, DES 1997: 23-24

 

 

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Public Lectures and Conferences

  

The Department hosted the second annual Symposium of Mediterranean Archaeologists on 20-22 February 1998. This was the second time it has been held in Edinburgh after an acclaimed initiative by our postgraduates to inaugurate such a symposium in the previous year. It now takes place annually at British Universities.

Bonsall, Clive	Third ‘14C and Archaeology’ Symposium	Lyon	Stone Age studies in the British Isles: the impact of accelerator dating (co-authored with Dr C. Tolan-Smith, University of Newcastle upon Tyne)
Dixon, Nicholas	Archaeological Institute of America lecture tour	University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA	Ancient lake dwellings in Scotland
Dixon, Nicholas	Archaeological Institute of America lecture tour	William and Mary College, Williamsburg, USA	Underwater exploration of ancient lake dwellings
Dixon, Nicholas	Archaeological Institute of America lecture tour	University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA	Scotland's submerged cultural heritage
Dixon, Nicholas	Archaeological Institute of America lecture tour	City University of New York, USA	Scotland's submerged cultural heritage
Dixon, Nicholas	Archaeological Institute of America lecture tour	Montclair University, New Jersey, USA	Scotland's submerged cultural heritage
Peltenburg, E.	International Symposium on the Archaeology of the Upper Syrian Euphrates	University of Barcelona	Jerablus Tahtani1992-6: a summary
Peltenburg, E.	International Symposium on the Archaeology of the Upper Syrian Euphrates	University of Barcelona	The living and the ancestors: Early Bronze Age funerary practices at Jerablus Tahtani
Peltenburg, E.	Engendering Aphrodite	Nicosia	Ethnography, egalitarian society and Kissonerga c. 3000 BC
Peltenburg, E.	University of Cyprus Public Lecture	Nicosia	Ayios Epiktitos Vrysi
Steel, Louise	Engendering Aphrodite	Nicosia	Wine, Women and Song: Drinking Ritual in Cyprus during the LBA
Steel, Louise	First International Conference on Near Eastern Archaeology	Rome	The Iconography and Function of Mycenaean Pictorial Vase Painting in the Near East
Steel, Louise	Landscape Perspectives on Palestine	Bir Zeit, Palestine	The Late Bronze Age Topography of Gaza
Steel, Louise	Cyprus in the Nineteenth Century BC: Fact Fantasy or Fiction?	London	The British Museum and the Invention of the Late Cypriot Period

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Undergraduate Course Statistics

First/Second Year Courses

[figures for 1997/8 (and 1996/7)]

Archaeology 1 116 (118)
Archaeology of Scotland 1 60 (26)
Archaeology 2, 1997/98 (revised half-courses)
Archaeology of Early Societies 2h: 61
Archaeology of Complex Societies 2h 60
Archaeology 2, 1996/97
Civilisations of the Ancient Middle East 36
Environmental Archaeology 27
Ancient Europe 9
Culture and Society of the Ancient Middle East 2h 34
Reading the Past 2h 24

Archaeology 3 and 4 Honours options

[Most courses are taught in alternate years so figures are for 1997/8 (and 1995/6)]

Archaeobotany 10 (13)
Data Management n/a (23)
Geoarchaeology 17 (13)
Graphics 21 (26)
Palaeoecology 21 (23)
Practice of Field Archaeology in the UK 23 (26)
Zoo-archaeology n/a (35)
Cultural Ecology n/a (10)
Cyprus in the East Mediterranean 16 (35)
Early Farming Communities in Europe 8 (15)
Late Hunter Gatherers in Europe 13 (15)
Production and Exchange 12 (15)
Settlement to Farming in the Middle East 14 (26)
Settlement Record of Temperate Europe 5 (16)
Later Prehistory - Southern Britain 17 (27)
Underwater Archaeology 15 (n/a)

 

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Occasional Papers and Project Papers

All orders should be sent, cash with order, direct to: Oxbow Books Ltd, Park End Place, Oxford OX1 1HN. The prices quoted here include UK postage and packing. Personal callers may obtain copies from the Secretary, Department of Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, Old High School, Infirmary Street, Edinburgh EH1 1LT, Scotland, U.K.. The complete list of department publications is as follows.

Monograph Series

No. 1 D. W. Harding, I. M. Blake & P. J. Reynolds, An Iron Age Settlement in Dorset. Excavation and Reconstruction, 1993, 125 + xi pp., inc. 6 pp. colour plates, £50.00.

Occasional Papers

No. 1 R. J. Mercer, Scottish Rural Rescue Archaeology: the next five years. 1978, 20 pp, £5.00.

No. 2 P. Hill, Broxmouth Hillfort Excavations, 1977-78: an interim report. 1979, out of print, but see No. 8.

No. 3 D. W. Harding, Celts in Conflict: Hillfort Studies, 1927-1977. (Inaugural Lecture, 6 Dec. 1979). 1980, 23 pp, £5.00.

No. 4 R. J. Mercer & J. M. Howell, Archaeological Field Survey in Northern Scotland, I, 1976-79. 1980, 157 pp, £20.00.

No. 5 A. F. Harding, The Lake Dwellings of Switzerland: retrospect and prospect. (Munro Lectures, 5 & 6 Feb. 1980) 1980, 16 pp, £5.00.

No. 6 D. W. Ridgway, The Etruscans. 1981, viii & 45 pp, £10.00.

No. 7 R. J. Mercer, Archaeological Field Survey in Northern Scotland, II, 1980-81. 1981, 170 pp, £20.00.

No. 8 D. W. Harding, ed., Later Prehistoric Settlement in South-East Scotland. (Proceedings of a conference held in November 1981) 1982, vii & 214 pp, £25.00. This volume incorporates a second edition of Occasional Paper No 2.

No. 9 B. S. Ottaway, ed., Archaeology, Dendrochronology and the Radiocarbon Calibration Curve. 1982, 100 pp, £15.00.

No. 10 N. Palk, Iron Age Bridle-Bits from Britain. 1984, 174 pp, £15.00.

No. 11 R. J. Mercer, Archaeological Field Survey in Northern Scotland, III, 1982-83. 1985, xii & 278 pp, £25.00.

No. 12 Fulvia Lo Schiavo, Nuragic Sardinia in its Mediterranean Setting. (Munro Lectures, 1 & 2 December 1982) 1985, v & 35 pp, £10.00.

No. 13 Richard Bradley, Consumption, Change and the Archaeological Record: the archaeology of monuments and the archaeology of deliberate deposits. (Munro Lectures, 27 & 28 November 1984) 1985, v + 44 pp, £10.00.

No. 14 T. F. Watkins & S. Campbell, Excavations at Kharabeh Shattani, I. 1986, 169 pp, £20.00.

No. 15 D. W. Harding, Excavations in Oxfordshire, 1964-66. (Frilford and Woodeaton) 1987, v & 59 pp, £10.00.

No. 16 Johannes Müller, The Chambered Cairns of the Northern and Western Isles: Architectural Structure, Information Transfer and Locational Processes. 1987, 92 pp. £15.00.

No. 17 S. Pickles, Metallurgical Change in Late Bronze Age Cyprus. 1988, 45 pp. £10.00

No. 18 Douglas Baird, Stuart Campbell & Trevor Watkins, eds., Excavations at Kharabeh Shattani, Volume II. 1995, 205 pp, £25.

No. 19 Edgar Peltenburg et al., Lemba Archaeological Project, Cyprus: Excavations at Kissonerga-Mosphilia, Volume II.1B (2 parts) 1998 [Published on Web at http://super3.arcl.ed.ac.uk/arch/publications/cyprus/kissonerga/index.html

Printed copies available at £ 25 per volume from the author.

Project Papers

No. 1 T. F. Watkins, Rullion Green 1983: report on the 1983 season of excavations. 1984, 81 pp, £10.00.

No. 2 D. W. Harding, Holme House, Piercebridge: excavations, 1969-70, a summary report. 1984, ii + 21 pp, £5.00.

No. 3 T. F. Watkins, Rullion Green 1984: report on the 1984 season of excavations. 1986, 100 pp, £10.00.

No. 4 R. J. Mercer, Excavation of a Neolithic Enclosure at Helman Tor, Lanlivery, Cornwall, 1986: interim report. 1986, 18 pp, £5.00.

No. 5 I. Armit, Excavations at Loch Olabhat, N. Uist, 1986: first interim report. 1986, 19 pp, £5.00.

No. 6 T. F. Watkins & D. Baird, Qermez Dere, the Excavation of an Aceramic Neolithic Settlement near Tell Afar, N. Iraq, 1987: interim report.. 1987, 14 pp & 4 figs, £5.00.

No. 7 C. S. Phillips, Wadi al Qawr, Fashga 1: the excavation of a prehistoric burial structure in Ras al Khaimah, U.A.E., 1986. 1987, 32 pp & 39 figs, £8.00.

No. 8 I. Armit, Excavation of a Neolithic Island Settlement in Loch Olabhat, North Uist, 1987: second interim report. 1987, 34 pp, £8.00.

No. 9 I. Armit, Excavations at Cnip, West Lewis, 1988: Interim Report. 1988, 34 pp, £8.00.

No. 10 I. Armit, Excavations at Loch Olabhat, North Uist, 1988: Third Interim Report. 1988, £8.00.

No. 11 T. Watkins & J. Murray, Rullion Green 1985: report on the 1985 season of excavations. 1990, £8.00.

No. 12 I. Armit, Excavations at Loch Olabhat, North Uist, 1989: Fourth Interim Report. 1990, £8.00.

No. 13 T. Watkins, Alison Betts, Keith Dobney & Mark Nesbitt, with contributions by Rowena Gale & Theya Molleson, Qermez Dere, Tell Afar, Interim Report No. 2. 1991, 62 pp., £10.00.

No. 14 T. Watkins, ed., with contributions by Alison Betts, Keith Dobney, Mark Nesbitt & Trevor Watkins, Qermez Dere, Tell Afar, Interim Report No. 3. 1995, 81 pp., £15.00.
Published on the occasion of the Department's Diamond Jubilee

Trevor Watkins (compiler & author), From the Pieces of the Past. 1988, 167 pp, A5 format. £10.00
 

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