Resource Assessment

PART 2 Resource assessment History of prehistoric development of thought and interpretation research related to the WHS, and demonstrates the Nick Card pivotal rôle that Orkney sites have played, and continue to play, in wider Ever since Jo Ben’s (1529) account of archaeological theory. some of the antiquities of Orkney and their ‘excavation’, the dramatic nature of the Until the mid-19th century most of this Stones of Stenness and the Ring of work amounted to little more than rather Brodgar, together with associated standing fanciful descriptions, interpretations and stones and mounds, have attracted the accounts of unscientific investigations attention of visitors who portrayed and (Wallace 1700; Pococke 1760; Low 1879; investigated them in various ways. Gordon 1792; Barry 1805; Neill 1805; Antiquarian and archaeological Hibbert 1823; Wood, W 1826). Within investigations were undertaken to varying this period, however, two important standards, as described below (Fig 23). studies should be noted. In 1772 Sir This work both informed and was Joseph Banks, on his way to Iceland, informed by investigations that were stopped off in Orkney. Although his undertaken elsewhere in Orkney. The investigations of mounds at Skaill Bay history of research in the WHS and the (Lysaght 1974) were little better than the wider Orkney context traces the average antiquarian, his surveys of both the Skaill Bay area, and the Rings of Brodgar (‘Circle of Loda’) and Stenness, exhibit an eye for detail (Fig 24). This was 23. A romantic, early 19th-century view of the Watch Stone and the Odin Stone by Elizabeth, Marchioness of mainly due to the work of Frederick Herm Stafford. Many antiquarian views of the World Heritage Walden, a naval architect and surveyor Site exist and they can be an important source of who accompanied Banks. Shortly after information about the monuments Crown Copyright: RCAHMS. Banks in 1789, the expedition of Sir John 6 40 24. A Plan of the Thomas Stanley visited Orkney and preserve a record of their construction and Circle of Loda in the surveyed and recorded many of the sites contents’ (Wilson Collection MS). Parish of Stenhouse (West 1970-76). Both Banks’ and Add.15511 f.10 Clevely One of the important documents to arise 1772, by permission of the Stanley’s work mark a trend towards more British Library. from this era was not an excavation report scientific and systematic investigations in but another survey. In 1852 Captain F W the islands. L Thomas, the commander of the Royal Navy survey ship Woodlark, produced the It was not until the mid-19th century, topographic survey of the Brodgar/ however, that archaeology entered its Stenness peninsulas he had undertaken in ‘Golden Age’ of antiquarian investigations. 1849 (cover and Fig 42; Thomas 1852). The translation of Thomsen’s ‘Three Age In his account he not only produced the System’ by Ellesmere (1848) allowed most accurate and detailed map to date, Daniel Wilson in his Archaeology and including many of the ‘minor’ monuments Prehistoric Annals of Scotland (1851) to in the area, but also chronologically give a clearer chronological perspective to correct, detailed descriptions. His work is many of the type sites and move away even more visionary when one takes into from the ubiquitous category of ‘Picts’ account his proposals for preservation of houses’. the monuments and treasure trove. Thomas was also involved in the The impetus for this period of excavation of the large Bronze Age burial archaeological investigation in Orkney was mound at Skae Frue and the emptying of a also due to agricultural improvements chambered tomb, the Holm of Papa following the collapse of the kelp industry Westray South. Unfortunately his in Orkney in the late 1830s (Thomson excavation techniques were more in line 1983). Vast new areas were brought under with fellow antiquarians than with the cultivation and, as George Petrie noted in standards of his other work. a letter to Daniel Wilson in 1849, perhaps hundreds of sites were disappearing The heyday of antiquarian investigations ‘without any attention being given to in Orkney, from the mid- to late 19th 41 century, is dominated by three main of Skaill House, briefly revisited Skara characters: George Petrie (1818-1875), Brae in 1913 and revealed parts of House factor of the Graemeshall Estate; James 2 (Stewart and Dawkins 1914). James Farrer, the MP for Durham and friend of Cursiter (1898b; 1923) cleared several the Earl of Zetland (a major landowner in brochs. His conclusions, that they were the Orkney); and Sir Henry Dryden (1818- work of Phoenician builders from Atlantis, 1899), the famous architectural illustrator. were a definite step backwards. A major Between them they were responsible for advance, however, was the founding of the opening up numerous sites, most famously Orkney Antiquarian Society in 1922. Maeshowe in 1861 (Petrie 1861a). Under the auspices of such local Although Farrer was the instigator of many luminaries as Hugh Marwick (Dickens of the excavations, his archaeological talent 1966), its first secretary, and J Storer was limited and many of his discoveries Clouston, the society flourished until the would have disappeared without any outbreak of war in 1939. The Proceedings record had it not been for the annotated of the Society provided a vital outlet for sketches of Petrie (Petrie nd). Dryden was discoveries and research in Orkney. also responsible for recording many of the sites they investigated, but in most cases he A new period of archaeological research based his drawings on Petrie’s sketches. was stimulated by the work of the Royal Petrie was also partly responsible for Commission on Ancient Monuments in publishing the results of the early Orkney from 1928 to 1937 and the arrival excavations at Skara Brae, following its of the distinguished prehistorian Professor exposure in a storm in 1850 (Petrie 1867). V Gordon Childe. Soon after Skara Brae Perhaps Petrie’s greatest contribution, was placed under the guardianship of HM however, was his reappraisal of various Office of Works in 1924, consolidation types of monument. In a quite radical work was started to stabilise the structures. article in 1863 he questioned the all- It soon became clear that further, consuming ‘Picts’ houses’ category of site, undisturbed structures existed. Childe, as a stating that they were ‘simply chambered representative of the Society of Antiquaries tombs which have been despoiled of their of Scotland, was invited by the Ministry of original contents at an early date’ (1863a). Works to oversee the clearing of these buildings by a local Kirkwall contractor, Despite being involved in over 30 James Firth (Fig 25; Childe 1930, 1931a; excavations from 1847 till his death in 1931b). Although Childe recognised the 1875, Petrie failed to develop his site as being Neolithic in character, he excavation techniques. It was left to his initially assigned a ‘Pictish’ date to the contemporaries to develop excavation village, partly based on the correlation in methods. William Traill, the owner of the distribution of Pictish symbol stones North Ronaldsay, not only differentiated and stone balls (eg Childe and Paterson between two clear periods of occupation in 1929, 277-9). This view was supported by the excavations at the Broch of Burrian J G Callander (1931a), the Director of the (Traill 1890), but also made the first National Museum of Antiquities, but inroads into palaeobotany with his records challenged by the local historian Hugh of tree remains in island peats (Traill Marwick (1929c, 26), who correctly 1868b). R S Clouston, a local landowner, attributed the site to a ‘pre-broch period’, showed a relatively systematic approach to and Stuart Piggott (1936, 201), who his excavations at Unstan in 1884 ascribed a Neolithic date to Skara Brae on (Clouston 1885) and rightly assigned the the basis of the pottery. tomb to the Neolithic. The presence of Childe in Orkney and the For almost half a century after Petrie’s work of the Royal Commission on Rousay death the impetus created by him seems to in 1928 provided the catalyst for Walter G have been lost, with few excavations being Grant (1886-1947), the whisky magnate, recorded. Mr Balfour Stewart, the tenant to embark on a series of excavations on 42 25. Work at Skara Brae under the direction of Gordon Childe (bottom left) Thomas Kent, © Orkney Archives. Rousay, his home island (Reynolds and Initially it was attributed to the Iron Age Ritchie 1985). Initially this was in and it would be another 40 years before it collaboration with J G Callander. Together was correctly assigned to the Neolithic they excavated ten chambered tombs and (Ritchie, A 1983a). the broch of Midhowe on Rousay (Callander and Grant 1934a; 1934b; 1935; C S T Calder, an architect with the Royal 1936; 1937). Although their techniques Commission, was also active during this were still quite basic they did record the period, excavating several chambered position of artefacts and human bone. tombs and other sites on Eday and the After Callander’s death in 1937, Walter G Calf of Eday (Calder 1937; 1938; 1939). Grant continued his work. In general these Calder also produced the first latter excavations were never published comprehensive account of the Dwarfie and records for these sites relied on the Stane on Hoy (Calder and McDonald drawings of Grant’s draughtsman, David 1936). Wilson. The exception to this was Grant’s collaboration with Childe in the Many of these inter-war excavations were supervision of the excavation of the published and a move to a more systematic Neolithic settlement at Rinyo in 1938 approach to excavation was being made by (Childe and Grant 1939). The excavation refined techniques and the addition of was interrupted by the war, but the photographs, scale plans and section discovery of Beaker pottery drawings.

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