Archaeological prospect and practical technique in an environmental region

The theme is the Western Isles (Outer Hebrides) in prehistory and history ‐ research considerations past, present and future. The settlement characteristics are singled out for a region ‐defined in ecological terms ‐ the machair. Geomorphological conditioning of human occupation is hypercritical but the indications are of high human occupation potential. Despite strong superficial evidence that this potential was being developed at certain periods, excavation to date has failed to amplify this, locate sites or identify criteria for the remaining periods. This is probably due to lack of regional specialization, of location analysis, and of the specific field techniques required. Research here, as elsewhere, requires interpretation based on substantial bodies of reliable material viewed with much more than cursory interdisciplinary understanding. Collective, long‐term, regional, multiperiod projects are much more productive of the reliable practical data that archaeological theory needs than random emergency activities lacking expertise

Archaeology · Biology · Excavation · Geography · Human settlement · Interpretation (philosophy · Prehistory · Settlement (finance · Theme (computing · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Ecology · Historical Studies of British Isles · History · Maritime and Coastal Archaeology

• Settlement Landscapes in the North Atlantic

  Jane Harrison, Jane Ellen Harrison•Journal of the North Atlantic•2013

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• Researching Catastrophic Environmental Changes on Northern Coastlines

  Gerald F Bigelow, M Ferrante et al.•Arctic Anthropology•2005

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• Building Mounds. Longhouses, Coastal Mounds and Cultural Connections

  Jane Harrison, Jane Ellen Harrison•Medieval Archaeology•2013

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• Man, Settlement and Urbanism

  Peter Ucko, Ruth Tringham et al.•Man, Settlement and Urbanism•1991

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• Settlement and economy in the third and second millennia B.C

  Open Access•David R Harris•Journal of Historical Geography•1978

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• Palaeoenvironmental Reconstruction and Evaluation

  Donald A Davidson, Robert L Jones et al.•Transactions of the Institute of…•1976

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• The Post-Glacial Rise in Sea-Level and Coastal Changes in the Uists

  William Ritchie•Transactions of the Institute of…•1966

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• The Evolution of Scotland's Scenery

  C A M King, Chris King et al.•Geographical Journal•1968

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• The Coastline of Scotland

  J A Steers•Geographical Journal•1952

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• Sandscaping and C14

  Open Access•Iain Crawford, Roy Switsur•Antiquity•1977

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• Quanterness, radiocarbon and the Orkney cairns

  Colin Renfrew, Douglas Harkne et al.•Antiquity•1976

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• The chambered tombs of Scotland

  Open Access•Lionel Masters, Lionel J Masters•Antiquity•1974

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