Croig Cave
A Late Bronze Age ornament deposit and three millennia of fishing and foraging on the north-west coast of Mull, Scotland
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11009038 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Steven Mithen (0000-0002-3391-7443, University of Reading, corresponding author), Karen Wicks (0000-0002-7801-8708, University of Reading), Phil Austin, Stuart Black (0000-0003-1396-4821), Sarah Elliot, Claire Ingrem, Brendan O'Connor, Brendan O’Connor (0000-0002-8999-5184), Sam Smith (0000-0002-2828-1743), Trevor Cowie |
| Year | 2013 |
| Volume | 142 |
| Pages | 63-132 |
| Publication date | 2013-11-30 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0081-1564 • E-ISSN: 2056-743X |
| Publisher | Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.9750/psas.142.63.132 |
| OpenAlex | W4376860734 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 27 |
Activity within caves provides an important element of the later prehistoric and historic settlement pattern of western Scotland. This contribution reports on a small-scale excavation within Croig Cave, on the coast of north-west Mull, that exposed a 1.95 m sequence of midden deposits and cave floors that date between c 1700 BC and AD 1400. Midden analysis indicated the processing of a diverse range of small fish and the collection of shellfish throughout this period, showing a high degree of continuity involving low-risk inshore fishing. At c 950 BC, a penannular copper bracelet and an amber bead were deposited within a small, shallow pit within the cave floor, suggestive of a discrete ritual episode within the cycle of otherwise potentially mundane activities. Lead isotope analysis indicated an Irish origin for the copper ore. A piece of iron slag within later midden deposits, dated to c 400 BC, along with high frequencies of wood charcoal, suggest that smithing or smelting may have occurred within the cave. High zinc levels in the historic levels of the midden c AD 1200 might indicate intensive processing of seaweed
Archaeology · Bronze · Bronze Age · Cave · Excavation · Geography · Midden · Prehistory · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Geology · Historical Studies of British Isles · Maritime and Coastal Archaeology
Reconstructing deposits and recontextualising artefacts at Creag a' Chapuill Cave, Skye
Variable Use of Coastal Resources in Prehistoric and Historic Periods in Western Scotland
The changing fortunes of seaweeds in the North Atlantic from prehistory to the present day
The Social Role of Non-metal ‘Valuables’ in Late Bronze Age Britain
Gradistat
Strontium Isotope Stratigraphy
Deposition models for chronological records
A model of prehistoric collecting on the rocky shore
Calibration of radiocarbon results pertaining to related archaeological events
An Independent Chronology for British Bronze Age Metalwork
A Catalogue and Survey of the Metal-work from Traprain Law
Excavations at Geirisclett chambered cairn, North Uist, Western Isles
The Excavation of the Sculptor's Cave, Covesea, Morayshire
A Late Bronze Age hoard from Glentanar, Aberdeenshire
Traces of Beaker period cultivation at Rosinish, Benbecula
Amber beads from the Late Bronze Age hoard from Glentanar, Aberdeenshire
Excavation of Pictish and Viking-age farmsteads at Buckquoy, Orkney
Death, Decapitation and Display? The Bronze and Iron Age Human Remains from the Sculptor's Cave, Covesea, North-east Scotland
Fish Otoliths as Indicators of Seasonality in Prehistoric Shell Middens
Bayesian Analysis of Radiocarbon Dates
Lead Isotope Data From the Isotrace Laboratory, Oxford
Lead Isotope Data From the Isotrace Laboratory, Oxford
Procedures for Comparing and Combining Radiocarbon Age Determinations
Mössbauer and Magnetic Susceptibility Studies of Iron Oxides in Soils From Archaeological Sites
The Influence of Geology on the Magnetic Susceptibility of Soils on Archaeological Sites
The Late Glacial human reoccupation of north-western Europe
Bradshaw and Bayes
IntCal09 and Marine09 Radiocarbon Age Calibration Curves, 0-50,000 Years cal BP
The Mull ('South of Ireland') Hoard
Combining archaeological and radiocarbon information
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,36 |
| Citation span | 2015 - 2026 (12) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |