DOCSLIB.ORG

Excavations at the Long Cist Cemetery on the Hallow Hill, St Andrews, Fife

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Excavations at the Long Cist Cemetery on the Hallow Hill, St Andrews, Fife Proc Soc Antiq Scot, (1996)6 12 , 387-454 Excavations at the long cist cemetery on the Hallow Hill, St Andrews, Fife, 1975-7 Edwina Proudfoot* with contributions by Christopher Aliaga-Kelly, Dorothy Lunt, the late Archibald Young, Gordon Cook, June Cundill, Peter Cundill, Michael Catherin& y Ro eD Smith ABSTRACT Excavations west of St Andrews were undertaken from 1975 to 1977, following the discovery of long gardenciststhe Hallowhousein the new ofon a Hill. Long cistsbeenhad discovered there 1861,in when 20 were opened. The recent excavations revealed a complex of long cists and other graves of an unenclosed burial ground of Early Christian date. Part of the cemetery was loosely organized, while elsewhere the cists were arranged in well-ordered rows. An unusual two-tier boulder-edged grave was found; no burial survived in the upper level; in the lower level an incomplete burial of a child accompaniedwas Romanby otherand objects, combinationa similar well-recordedthata to in cist uncovered in the 19th-century explorations. Other features included a cobbled road through the site, post-holes and possible structural remains, all affected by centuries of cultivation. The site has been equated on topographic and toponymic evidence with the lost Early Christian site, Eglesnamin. Radiocarbon dates for a number of cists calibrate generally to between the sixth and the ninth centuries report completedThe was AD. ofgranta aid with the from Historic Scotland. INTRODUCTION INVESTIGATIONS AT THE HALLOW HILL IN THE 19TH CENTURY The years 1859, 1860 and 1861 saw unprecedented antiquarian activity in St Andrews. A Bronze crematioe Ag n cemeter uncoveres ywa 185n i d Charley 9b s Howie (Anon 1861 t Lawhead)a , west t AndrewsoS f norte th hn Kinnese o ,ban th f ko s Burn (NGR 494O N : 3 1583) followine Th . g year, excavations by Robert Walker on the Kirkhill (Kirkheugh) revealed traces of the old church of St Mary of the Rock, with its extensive cemetery of medieval and earlier graves as well as long and prehistoric cists skullse Th . particularn i , , prove f interesdo BarnarJ o t t d Davies (1861, 191-9)e th , anatomist publisheo wh , d detailed measurement skulls6 1 f o s . After working at Lawhead, Charles Howie, attracted by the name 'Halyhill' (illus 1-3), decided investigato t e this siteenquiryn Roberd O . an e h t, Walker learned that 'several stone coffins, which resembled those uncovered at the Kirkhill, being of undressed stones and containing human skel- etons', had been dug upon the south side of the burn during agricultural work. For this reason they * St Andrews Heritage Services, 12 Wardlaw Gardens, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9DW I SOCIET 8 38 ANTIQUARIEF YO SCOTLANDF SO , 1996 conclusiocame th o et n that burialHalyhile th n so l wer f 'theo e present Christiar o , n period thad an t' hile th l should more correctl designatee yb Halloe dth w Hill (Anon 1861). A limited exploration was carried out by Howie in 1861, when five long cists were found and were t AndrewreporteS e th o dt s Literar Philosophicad yan l Society (Walker 186la). e Threth f eo skulls were donate Societe th o d t t tha ya t time t havbu , e since been lost Decemben I . r 1861 Walker (1861b) reported that Howie had uncovered a further 15 long cists, which he described in consider- able detail. Among these was one that attracted particular attention, 1861/Cist 5, in which Roman naturad an l objects accompanie childda ; thi sparticularle sais b cis o dwa t y deep, with fou r fivo r e layer f stoneso s ove . Thesit r e artefacts were publishe considerabln di e detail (Stuart 1867, lix)d an , most survived until c 1931 (Hay Fleming 1931, 252), but regrettably by 1975 no trace of them could founde b . These objects have acquire particulada r significanc becausw eno buriaea l e founth n di recent excavations, althoug lona t ghno cist, containe dsimilaa r collectio f objectsno . Stuart (1867, lix), reportin lone gth cise g th tcist d wit Romae san hth n artefacts, also recorded that the 20 excavated cists 'formed part of a larger number not yet examined'. However, no further archaeological activity took Halloplace th t ea w Hill unti excavatione th l s which for subjece mth f o t the present report. BACKGROUN EXCAVATIONO DT 1970E TH sN SI Pressur housinr efo Andrewt S n gi intenss late swa th e n e1960si whict ,a h period considerable develop- ment to the south of the burgh took place, while in the early 1970s, as part of this expansion, a large housing estat plannes whole Halloe ewa th th r f edo fo w Hill, the agriculturan i l use. Public interesn ti the possible significanc greao nams e s th t f etha wa edevelopmeno e th t t reduces nortsite th ewa hd dan of the area became a public park adjacent to the Lade Braes Walk. The summit of the Hallow Hill remained part of the development, although the site of the 19th-century discovery of long cists is clearly recorded on the Ordnance Survey map (1966) at NGR: NO 4940 1565, albeit that the precise site was not known (NMR 41O S NE8)N importance .Th Halloe th f eo w Hilwidels lwa y known locally because publishee ofth d report lone th gf so cist s discovere 1861n di . However provisioo n , e mads th nwa y eb various authorities for potential archaeological excavation or for recording discoveries that might be made during house-building. Extensive terracin landscapind gan Hallo2 1 f go w Hil lbee d (illuha n ) s4 required as a planning condition prior to construction in order to reduce the overall height of the house hile th l summitn o . Durin course gth f theseo e works many lorryload f soiso l were removed entirely fro sitee mth , whil substantiaea l amoun bulldozesois f to lwa fordo t m gardea n terrac north-wese th n eo t and buil slopinp du g groun plotease e soutd unknown th th an tf A .n ho do n numbe f lonro g cistd san other features was destroyed (JCB driver, pers comm, 1975). Later, during excavation of a trench in the east part of the garden, quantities of redeposited, broken human bones were found, and have been interpreted as coming from the terraced area, where only one cist (Cist 14) was afterwards recovered, deeply compressed by the bulldozer into the subsoil. However s onlwa y t i whe, r FullertonnM preparins , wa the , n12 gpatownea o n h f o acrosr s the north-east part of the garden that he discovered stones and bones, which he immediately reported to Professor W Frend of the University of Glasgow, who contacted the University of St Andrews. It was agreed that an excavation was desirable while part of the site was still accessible, because this provide opportunitn da investigato yt perhapd ean confiro st t leasma t detaile somth f eo s recorded in 1861. In due course the author was asked to organize a small excavation in the garden, in October 1975, and was assisted by local volunteers. Once it became clear that the project required a large, regular workforce an approach was made to the then SDD Historic Buildings and Monuments (now Historic Scotland), which could not fund PROUDFOOT: EXCAVATIONS, LONG CIST CEMETERY, HALLOW HILL ANDREWST S , , FIFE9 , 38 1975- I 7 ILLUS 1 Hallow Hill: location maps. (Based on the Ordnance Survey map © Crown copyright) 390 I SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND, 1996 100m ILLUS 2 Location of the excavated area and some other sites in the vicinity of the Hallow Hill. (Based on the Ordnance Survey map © Crown copyright) the project at that time. Support was then sought from the newly established Manpower Services Commission (MSC), which agree fun o dt projece th d stagen i t s during 1976-8, using local unem- ployed workers course londu 5 n e14 I .g cist othed san r burials were located wels a , othes a l r features; almost all were examined. Post-excavation funding was provided for one year by MSC, linked to fundinFife th e r Archaeologicafo g l Index Sitea , Monumentd san s Record e Universitbaseth n di y t AndrewoS f s whic authoe hasketh s rwa manag o dt t thiea s time. Limited post-excavation prepara- humae th tio f no n bon alss eowa fundeMSCe th t research y bu d,b , preparatio archivee th f no , finds and report were funded by the author and specialists. The SDD, now Historic Scotland, grant-aided preparatio illustrationthe nof publicationsfor radiocarbothe , n dates and, later completiothe , the nof archive and the report for publication. When excavation had been completed and the site reinstated, two groups of cists were consolid- atelefd dtan visible becaus hige th hf eo leve f publie o cistlo th tw n si c e interes th site e t th bu , n i t garde n) wer 2 (Cist e& eventuall1 s ownerw e housene th f e o s;th y seve y filleb n ni d cists were displayed in the park (illus 6). DOCUMENTARY BACKGROUND The history of the early church at St Andrews, Cennrigmonaid, is confused, in part because informa- firs e Pictishe th tio(i t n no ) churcinterpretee b n sparss hi ca d varioun dei an arrivae th s waysn lca s a , PROUDFOOT: EXCAVATIONS, LONG CIST CEMETERY, HALLOW HILL ANDREWST S , , FIFE, 1975- I 739 1 ILLU S3 Aeria lHalloe vieth f wo w Hill from Nowak-Solinski)nortZ © h( of the relics of St Andrew (Anderson 1974, 1-13; 1976, 1-10).
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Neolithic and Earlier Bronze Age Key Sites Southeast Wales – Neolithic
    A Research Framework for the Archaeology of Wales Key Sites, Southeast Wales, 22/12/2003 Neolithic and earlier Bronze Age Key Sites Southeast Wales – Neolithic and early Bronze Age 22/12/2003 Neolithic Domestic COED-Y-CWMDDA Enclosure with evidence for flint-working Owen-John 1988 CEFN GLAS (SN932024) Late Neolithic hut floor dated to 4110-70 BP. Late Neolithic flints have been found at this site. Excavated 1973 Unpublished: see Grimes 1984 PEN-Y-BONT, OGMORE (SS863756) Pottery, hearth and flints Hamilton and Aldhouse-Green 1998; 1999; Gibson 1998 MOUNT PLEASANT, NEWTON NOTTAGE (SS83387985) Hut, hearth, pottery Savory 1952; RCAHMW 1976a CEFN CILSANWS HUT SITE (SO02480995) Hut consisting of 46 stake holes found under cairn. The hut contained fragments of Mortlake style Peterborough Ware and flint flakes Webley 1958; RCAHMW 1997 CEFN BRYN 10 (GREAT CARN) SAM Gml96 (SS49029055) Trench, pit, posthole and hearth associated with Peterborough ware and worked flint; found under cairn. Ward 1987 Funerary and ritual CEFN BRYN BURIAL CHAMBER (NICHOLASTON) SAM Gml67 (SS50758881) Partly excavated chambered tomb, with an orthostatic chamber surviving in a roughly central position in what remains of a long mound. The mound was made up peaty soil and stone fragments, and no trace of an entrance passage was found. The chamber had been robbed at some time before the excavation. Williams 1940, 178-81 CEFN DRUM CHAMBERED TOMB (SN61360453,) Discovered during the course of the excavation of a deserted medieval settlement on Cefn Drum. A pear-shaped chamber of coursed rubble construction, with an attached orthostatic passage ending in a pit in the mouth of a hornwork and containing cremated bone and charcoal, were identified within the remains of a mound with some stone kerbing.
    [Show full text]
  • How to Tell a Cromlech from a Quoit ©
    How to tell a cromlech from a quoit © As you might have guessed from the title, this article looks at different types of Neolithic or early Bronze Age megaliths and burial mounds, with particular reference to some well-known examples in the UK. It’s also a quick overview of some of the terms used when describing certain types of megaliths, standing stones and tombs. The definitions below serve to illustrate that there is little general agreement over what we could classify as burial mounds. Burial mounds, cairns, tumuli and barrows can all refer to man- made hills of earth or stone, are located globally and may include all types of standing stones. A barrow is a mound of earth that covers a burial. Sometimes, burials were dug into the original ground surface, but some are found placed in the mound itself. The term, barrow, can be used for British burial mounds of any period. However, round barrows can be dated to either the Early Bronze Age or the Saxon period before the conversion to Christianity, whereas long barrows are usually Neolithic in origin. So, what is a megalith? A megalith is a large stone structure or a group of standing stones - the term, megalith means great stone, from two Greek words, megas (meaning: great) and lithos (meaning: stone). However, the general meaning of megaliths includes any structure composed of large stones, which include tombs and circular standing structures. Such structures have been found in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, North and South America and may have had religious significance. Megaliths tend to be put into two general categories, ie dolmens or menhirs.
    [Show full text]
  • Stone-Cist Grave at Kaseküla, Western Estonia, in the Light of Ams Dates of the Human Bones
    Estonian Journal of Archaeology, 2012, 16, 2, 91–117 doi: 10.3176/arch.2012.2.01 Margot Laneman STONE-CIST GRAVE AT KASEKÜLA, WESTERN ESTONIA, IN THE LIGHT OF AMS DATES OF THE HUMAN BONES The article discusses new AMS dates of the human bones at stone-cist grave I at Kaseküla, western Estonia, in the context of previously existent radiocarbon dates, artefact finds and osteological studies. There are altogether 12 radiocarbon dates for 10 inhumations (i.e. roughly a third of all burials) of the grave, provided by two laboratories. The dates suggest three temporally separated periods in the use life of the grave(s): the Late Bronze Age, the Pre-Roman Iron Age and the Late Iron Age. In the latter period, the grave was probably reserved for infant burials only. Along with chronological issues, the article discusses the apparently unusual structure of the grave and compares two competing osteological studies of the grave’s bone assemblage from an archaeologist’s point of view. Margot Laneman, Institute of History and Archaeology, University of Tartu, 18 Ülikooli St., 50090 Tartu, Estonia; [email protected] Introduction The main aim of this article is to present and discuss new radiocarbon (AMS) dates of the human bones collected from stone-cist grave I at Kaseküla, western Estonia. The stone-cist grave was excavated by Mati Mandel in 1973 with the purpose of specifying the settlement history of the region (Mandel 1975). So far it has remained the only excavated stone-cist grave in mainland western Estonia (Mandel 2003, fig. 20). Excavation also uncovered a Late Neolithic settlement site beneath the grave, which was further investigated by Aivar Kriiska in 1997 (Kriiska et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Megalithic Astronomy in South India
    In Nakamura, T., Orchiston, W., Sôma, M., and Strom, R. (eds.), 2011. Mapping the Oriental Sky. Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Oriental Astronomy. Tokyo, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. Pp. xx-xx. MEGALITHIC ASTRONOMY IN SOUTH INDIA Srikumar M. MENON Faculty of Architecture, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal – 576104, Karnataka, India. E-mail: [email protected] and Mayank N. VAHIA Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India, and Manipal Advanced Research Group, Manipal University, Manipal – 576104, Karnataka, India. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract: The megalithic monuments of peninsular India, believed to have been erected in the Iron Age (1500BC – 200AD), can be broadly categorized into sepulchral and non-sepulchral in purpose. Though a lot of work has gone into the study of these monuments since Babington first reported megaliths in India in 1823, not much is understood about the knowledge systems extant in the period when these were built – in science and engineering, and especially in mathematics and astronomy. We take a brief look at the archaeological understanding of megaliths, before making a detailed assessment of a group of megaliths in the south Canara region of Karnataka State in South India that were hitherto assumed to be haphazard clusters of menhirs. Our surveys have indicated that there is a positive correlation of sight-lines with sunrise and sunset points on the horizon for both summer and winter solstices. We identify five such monuments in the region and present the survey results for one of these sites, demonstrating their astronomical implications. We also discuss the possible use of megaliths in the form of stone alignments/ avenues as calendar devices.
    [Show full text]
  • Henges in Yorkshire
    Looking south across the Thornborough Henges. SE2879/116 NMR17991/01 20/5/04. ©English Heritage. NMR Prehistoric Monuments in the A1 Corridor Information and activities for teachers, group leaders and young archaeologists about the henges, cursus, barrows and other monuments in this area Between Ferrybridge and Catterick the modern A1 carries more than 50,000 vehicles a day through West and North Yorkshire. It passes close to a number of significant but often overlooked monuments that are up to 6,000 years old. The earliest of these are the long, narrow enclosures known as cursus. These were followed by massive ditched and banked enclosures called henges and then smaller monuments, including round barrows. The A1 also passes by Iron Age settlements and Roman towns, forts and villas. This map shows the route of the A1 in Yorkshire and North of Boroughbridge the A1 the major prehistoric monuments that lie close by. follows Dere Street Roman road. Please be aware that the monuments featured in this booklet may lie on privately-owned land. 1 The Landscape Setting of the A1 Road Neolithic and Bronze Age Monuments Between Boroughbridge and Cursus monuments are very long larger fields A1 Road quarries Catterick the A1 heads north with rectangular enclosures, typically more the Pennines to the west and than 1km long. They are thought to the low lying vales of York and date from the middle to late Neolithic Mowbray to the east. This area period and were probably used for has a rural feel with a few larger ceremonies and rituals. settlements (like the cathedral city of Ripon and the market town of The western end of the Thornborough pockets of woodland cursus is rounded but some are square.
    [Show full text]
  • The Landscape Archaeology of Martin Down
    The Landscape Archaeology of Martin Down Martin Down and the surrounding area contain a variety of well‐preserved archaeological remains, largely because the area has been unaffected by modern agriculture and development. This variety of site types and the quality of their preservation are relatively unusual in the largely arable landscapes of central southern England. Bokerley Dyke, Grim's Ditch, the short section of medieval park boundary bank and the two bowl barrows west of Grim's Ditch, form the focus of the Martin Down archaeological landscape and, as such, have been the subject of part excavations and a detailed survey by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. These investigations have provided much information about the nature and development of early land division, agriculture and settlement within this area during the later prehistoric and historic periods. See attached map for locations of key sites A ritual Neolithic Landscape….. Feature 1. The Dorset Cursus The Cursus dates from 3300 BCE which makes it contemporary with the earthen long barrows on Cranborne Chase: many of these are found near, on, or within the Cursus and since they are still in existence they help trace the Cursus' course in the modern landscape. The relationship between the Cursus and the alignment of these barrows suggests that they had a common ritual significance to the Neolithic people who spent an estimated 0.5 million worker‐hours in its construction. A cursus circa 6.25 miles (10 kilometres) long which runs roughly southwest‐northeast between Thickthorn Down and Martin Down. Narrow and roughly parallel‐sided, it follows a slightly sinuous course across the chalk downland, crossing a river and several valleys.
    [Show full text]
  • The Long Barrows and Long Mounds of West Mendip
    Proc. Univ. Bristol Spelaeol. Soc., 2008, 24 (3), 187-206 THE LONG BARROWS AND LONG MOUNDS OF WEST MENDIP by JODIE LEWIS ABSTRACT This article considers the evidence for Early Neolithic long barrow construction on the West Mendip plateau, Somerset. It highlights the difficulties in assigning long mounds a classification on surface evidence alone and discusses a range of earthworks which have been confused with long barrows. Eight possible long barrows are identified and their individual and group characteristics are explored and compared with national trends. Gaps in the local distribution of these monuments are assessed and it is suggested that areas of absence might have been occupied by woodland during the Neolithic. The relationship between long barrows and later round barrows is also considered. INTRODUCTION Long barrows are amongst the earliest monuments to have been built in the Neolithic period. In Southern Britain they take two forms: non-megalithic (or “earthen”) long barrows and megalithic barrows, mostly belonging to the Cotswold-Severn tradition. Despite these differences in architectural construction, the long mounds are of the same, early 4th millennium BC, date and had a similar purpose. The chambers of the long mounds were used for the deposition of the human dead and the monuments themselves appear to have acted as a focus for ritual activities and religious observations by the living. Some long barrows show evidence of fire lighting, feasting and deposition in the forecourts and ditches of the monuments, and alignment upon solstice events has also been noted. A local example of this can be observed at Stoney Littleton, near Bath, where the entrance and passage of this chambered long barrow are aligned upon the midwinter sunrise1.
    [Show full text]
  • Winter 2015 Newsletter
    THE SCOTTISH SOCIETY OF INDIANAPOLIS-""Gach ni Albanach!" Winter Edition, December 2015 - January 2016 2016 Board of Trustees Robin Jarrett, President, [email protected] Steven Johnson, Treasurer [email protected] Elisabeth Hedges, Secretary From the desk of the President [email protected] Fellow Scots, Carson C Smith, Trustee [email protected] State of Society Address: 2015 has been an amazing year for the Scottish Society of Indianapolis. If 2014 was a year of healing, Andy Thompson, Trustee than 2015 was a year of re-building. It’s would be safe to say that [email protected] never in our history have we executed our mission in as many places and to as many people as we have in the past twelve months. I stood Samuel Lawson,Trustee before you a year ago and proclaimed the Society healthy and [email protected] solvent. I can say with great pleasure and satisfaction that we are that, and more, in 2015. Armand Hayes, Trustee [email protected] Let’s review: The year started with a radio interview on Hoosier History Live, a program produced by one of our members, Molly Head. It featured past presidents Lee Cloe and Carson Smith. Committee Chairpersons As the year progressed, we were represented by one or more of our members at IUPUI International Festival, three separate Kilt Nights at Deneice Jarrett, Games the Claddagh Irish Pub, The St Patrick’s Day Parade, The Ben Davis Committee Co-Chair [email protected] University International Festival, The International Festival at Lynnhurst Middle School, The 500 Festival Parade, The Latino Festival, The Southport Street Fair, The Fourth of July Parade in Lise Douglass, Games Carmel, Indiana, The German American Klub Oktoberfest, The Committee Co-Chair [email protected] Columbus Highland Games, Indy Irish Fest, our own Indianapolis Scottish Highland Games and Festival, and The Indy International Festival.
    [Show full text]
  • Kd Lald`Fr;K¡
    Megalithic Cultures c`gn~ik’kkf.kd laLd`fr;k¡ Dr. Anil Kumar Professor Ancient Indian History and Archaeology University of Lucknow [email protected] [email protected] Introduction According to V. Gordon Childe the term ‘Megalith’ is derived from two Greeks words, megas means large and lithos means stone and originally introduced by antiquaries to describe a fairly easily definable class of monuments in western and northern Europe, consisting of huge, undress stones. In other words, the Megaliths usually refer to the burials made of large stones in graveyard away from the habitation area. Meadows Taylor believed that resemblances of the east and west were not merely accidental and that “the actual monuments of celto-scythian tribes are found in India and being examined are found to agree in all respects with those of Europe.” James Fergusson argued that they were all “erected by partially civilized races after they had come in contact with the Romans.’ He also stated that it was difficult to comprehend “how and when intercourse could have taken place which led to their similarity.” People like Dubreuil argued an Aryan origin for the megaliths. Elliot and Perry saw the south Indian megaliths and monumental stone architecture as one of the elements reflecting a manifestation of the Egyptian archaic civilization as far back as 1923. In 1872, Fergusson brought out his excellent work entitled “Rude Stone Monuments in all Countries: their age and uses. This first attracted the attention of scholars. Types of megaliths The megaliths are, indeed, among the most widespread remains of stone both in time and space.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Date 30/09/2021 08:59:09
    Reframing the Neolithic Item Type Thesis Authors Spicer, Nigel Christopher Rights <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-nc-nd/3.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by- nc-nd/3.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />The University of Bradford theses are licenced under a <a rel="license" href="http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/">Creative Commons Licence</a>. Download date 30/09/2021 08:59:09 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10454/13481 University of Bradford eThesis This thesis is hosted in Bradford Scholars – The University of Bradford Open Access repository. Visit the repository for full metadata or to contact the repository team © University of Bradford. This work is licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence. Reframing the Neolithic Nigel Christopher SPICER Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of PhD Department of Archaeological Sciences School of Life Sciences University of Bradford 2013 Nigel Christopher SPICER – Reframing the Neolithic Abstract Keywords: post-processualism, Neolithic, metanarrative, individual, postmodernism, reflexivity, epistemology, Enlightenment, modernity, holistic. In advancing a critical examination of post-processualism, the thesis has – as its central aim – the repositioning of the Neolithic within contemporary archaeological theory. Whilst acknowledging the insights it brings to an understanding of the period, it is argued that the knowledge it produces is necessarily constrained by the emphasis it accords to the cultural. Thus, in terms of the transition, the symbolic reading of agriculture to construct a metanarrative of Mesolithic continuity is challenged through a consideration of the evidential base and the indications it gives for a corresponding movement at the level of the economy; whilst the limiting effects generated by an interpretative reading of its monuments for an understanding of the social are considered.
    [Show full text]
  • New Discoveries and Documentation of Megalithic Structes in Juffain Dolmen Archaeological Field, Jordan
    Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry, Vol. 18, No 1, (2018), pp. 175-197 Copyright © 2018 MAA Open Access. Printed in Greece. All rights reserved. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1161357 NEW DISCOVERIES AND DOCUMENTATION OF MEGALITHIC STRUCTES IN JUFFAIN DOLMEN ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD, JORDAN Atef Shiyab1, Kennett Schath, Hussein Al-jarrah, Firas Alawneh2, Wassef Al Sekheneh1 1Faculty of Archaeology and Anthropology-Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan. 2Department of Conservation Science, Queen Rania Faculty of Tourism & Heritage, Hashemite University, P.O. Box 330127 Postal Code 13115 Zarqa, Jordan Received: 02/01/2018 Accepted: 02/02/2018 Corresponding Author: Firas Alawneh ([email protected]) ABSTRACT The research presented here is about documentation, analysis and sharing new discoveries of Juffain mega- lithic field. Using Geographic information system (GIS) to produce topographical maps is the basis for the conservation and the development of a Dolmen Heritage Park. A previous survey with Perugia University, was performed in 2016, which provide insight about the high density of megalithic structures and study of structure distribution. While collecting data for a topographical map, of the structural types there are two different categories, single and centers. Single structures are those that stand alone they are, D, Dolmens; TU, Tumulus; T, Tomb; PA – Patio, W – Wall, CA – Cave, CIS - Cistern, S – Silo, P – Press, QS – Quarry Stone, C – Circle and SS – Standing Stone. Five major stunning discoveries relating to the dolmen culture is found. In rank of Importance, here are the discoveries: (1) borders and boundaries, show that each of the dolmen groups stand alone, (2) domestic meeting places point to a sedentary society, (3) quarries and cup hole cen- ters demonstrate a high scale of distribution of central places, and (4) ritualistic centers indicates a higher level of human relationship.
    [Show full text]
  • Sueno's Stone, on the Northern Outskirts of Forres, Is a 6.5M-High Cross-Slab, the Tallest Piece of Early Historic Sculpture in Scotland
    Property in Care no: 309 Designations: Scheduled Monument (90292) Taken into State care: 1923 (Guardianship) Last reviewed: 2015 HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT SCOTLAND STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE SUENO’S STONE We continually revise our Statements of Significance, so they may vary in length, format and level of detail. While every effort is made to keep them up to date, they should not be considered a definitive or final assessment of our properties Historic Environment Scotland – Scottish Charity No. SC045925 Principal Office: Longmore House, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh EH9 1SH HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT SCOTLAND STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE SUENO’S STONE CONTENTS 1 Summary 2 1.1 Introduction 2 1.2 Statement of significance 2 2 Assessment of values 3 2.1 Background 3 2.2 Evidential values 5 2.3 Historical values 5 2.4 Architectural and artistic values 6 2.5 Landscape and aesthetic values 7 2.6 Natural heritage values 8 2.7 Contemporary/use values 8 3 Major gaps in understanding 10 4 Associated properties 10 5 Keywords 10 Bibliography 10 APPENDICES Appendix 1: Timeline 11 Appendix 2: Summary of archaeological investigations 12 Historic Environment Scotland – Scottish Charity No. SC045925 Principal Office: Longmore House, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh EH9 1SH 1 1 Summary 1.1 Introduction Sueno's Stone, on the northern outskirts of Forres, is a 6.5m-high cross-slab, the tallest piece of early historic sculpture in Scotland. It probably dates to the late first millennia AD.(The name Sueno, current from around 1700 and apparently in tribute to Svein Forkbeard, an 11th-century Danish king, is entirely without foundation.) In 1991 the stone was enclosed in a glass shelter to protect it from further erosion.
    [Show full text]