View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Edinburgh Research Explorer Edinburgh Research Explorer Some observations on the Mesolithic crustacean assemblage from Ulva Cave, Inner Hebrides, Scotland. Citation for published version: Pickard, C & Bonsall, C 2009, 'Some observations on the Mesolithic crustacean assemblage from Ulva Cave, Inner Hebrides, Scotland.'. in JM Burdukiewicz, K Cyrek, P Dyczek & K Szymczak (eds), Understanding the Past: Papers Offered to Stefan K. Kozowski. University of Warsaw Center for Research on the Antiquity of Southeastern Europe, Warsaw, pp. 305-313. Link: Link to publication record in Edinburgh Research Explorer Document Version: Publisher final version (usually the publisher pdf) Published In: Understanding the Past Publisher Rights Statement: © Pickard, C., & Bonsall, C. (2009). Some observations on the Mesolithic crustacean assemblage from Ulva Cave, Inner Hebrides, Scotland.In J. M. Burdukiewicz, K. Cyrek, P. Dyczek, & K. Szymczak (Eds.), Understanding the Past. (pp. 305-313). Warsaw: University of Warsaw Center for Research on the Antiquity of Southeastern Europe. General rights Copyright for the publications made accessible via the Edinburgh Research Explorer is retained by the author(s) and / or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing these publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. Take down policy The University of Edinburgh has made every reasonable effort to ensure that Edinburgh Research Explorer content complies with UK legislation. If you believe that the public display of this file breaches copyright please contact [email protected] providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 20. Feb. 2015 Contents 7 Preface (P. DYCZEK) 115 ELLWOOD, W.J., CAMPBELL, J.B., SUSINO, G.J. 9 Bibliography of Stefan K. Kozłowski Agricultural Hunter-gatherers: Food-getting, Domestication and Farming in Pre-colonial 19 BADER, N.O., AURENCHE, O. Australia The PPNB Enclosure Wall of Tell Maghzalia (Iraq) 123 GAWLIKOWSKI, M. 29 BAR-YOSEF, O. A Lonely Hunter from Palmyra The Collapse of the Levantine PPNB and Its Aftermath 131 GRAMSCH, B. A Mesolithic Stone Macehead with Drilled 37 BORKOWSKI, W., BORKOWSKI, J. Shaft-hole from the Friesack-4 Site in North- The Conservation Zones in the Natural and Ar- ern Germany chaeological Reserve in Krzemionki Opatowskie 137 JACOBI, R.M. , HIGHAM, T.F.G. 55 BOSINSKI, G. Radiocarbon Dating of the Later Upper The Hafting of Backed Bladelets in the Late Palaeolithic Human Occupation of Kent’s Magdalenian Cavern, Devon, England: New AMS Results 59 BROGLIO, A., BERTOLA, S., DE STEFANI, M., GURIOLI, F. 155 JAKUBIAK, K. A Persian Response. The Organization of De- The Shouldered Points of the Early Epigravet- fence in Mesopotamia under the Parthians tian of the Berici Hills (Venetian Region – and Sasanians North of Italy). Materials, Blanks, Typology, Exploitation 165 KABACIŃSKI, J., TERBERGER, T. From Late Hunter-fishers to Early Farmers 69 BURDUKIEWICZ, J.M. on the Pomeranian Coast. New Research at Further Research on Amber in Palaeolithic Dąbki 9, Koszalin District Archaeology 185 KAMIŃSKA-SZYMCZAK, J., SZYMCZAK, K. 75 CAVA, A., BARANDIARÁN, I., ALDAY, A. Lithic Materials from an Archaeological Sur- The Mesolithic in the Ebro Basin (Spain) vey in Khazir River Basin, Northern Iraq 91 CYREK, K., CYREK, M. 195 KOBUSIEWICZ, M. Composite Tools in the Oldest Levels of the Gouges of Rhyolite in the Khartoum Neo- Biśnik Cave, Poland lithic. Example from Kadero (Sudan) 97 DALMERI, G., FLOR, E., NERI, S. 199 LARSSON, L. The Mesolithic Series of Pradestel Rockshelter What Can Be Found in a Hollow Rock? A Site (North-East Italy, Trento) in the Framework from the Middle Stone Age in Western Cape, of the Atesin Mesolithic South Africa 107 DOMAŃSKA, L., RZEPECKI, S. 207 LECH, J., PIOTROWSKA, D. Chlewiska 132 Site: The Linear Band Pottery Stefan Krukowski (1890–1982) – Scholar of Culture Settlement from the Sandy Areas of Prehistoric Flint Mining in Poland. A Supple- the Kuyavia Region ment to the Book by Professor Stefan Karol Kozłowski 6 CONTENTS 223 LIBERA, J., MIGAL, W. 365 URBANOWSKI, M. Klementowice – Magdalenian Core Processing Middle Palaeolithic Handaxes: The case of 239 LOZE, I.B. Wylotne Rockshelter Zvidze Mesolithic Settlement in Lake Lubāna 377 VALDE-NOWAK, P. Wetland, Latvia The Mesolithic Sites of High Tatra Mountains 253 MASOJĆ, M., DRECZKO, E., MOZGAŁA, M. 387 VALOCH, K., NERUDA, P., NERUDOVÁ, Z. The Youngest Hunter-gatherer Communities The Bohunician Technology from the Strán- in Silesia ská Skála Open-air Site (the Czech Republic) 265 OSHIBKINA, S.V. 405 VENCL, S. Ornaments, Signs and Engravings on the Ver- The Mesolithic and Neolithic in Bohemia etje Culture Tools 411 WĄS, M. 275 OTTE, M. Reseach into the Late Palaeolithic in Northern The Eastern Mesolithic Gdańsk Pomerania 289 PIASECKI, K. 425 WIŚNIEWSKI, T. The Aboriginal Inhabitants of Novaya Zemlya Professor Stefan Karol Kozłowski and the His- 305 PICKARD, C., BONSALL, C. tory of the Discovery of the Site in Klemento- Some Observations on the Mesolithic Crusta- wice cean Assemblage from Ulva Cave, Inner Heb- 429 ZALEWSKI, M. rides, Scotland About the Archaeological Collections of Zyg- 315 SCHILD, R. munt Gloger Possible Oldowan Traces in the Gebel Nabta 435 ZALEWSKI, M., SAŁACIŃSKA, B., SAŁACIŃSKI, S. Area, Egypt Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Materials from 321 STEPANCHUK, V., RIDUSH, B. Supraśl River Neporotove VI: New Lower Palaeolithic Sur- 445 ZALIZNYAK, L. face Locality at the Middle Dnister Area, Early Mesolithic of Ukraine Western Ukraine 331 SULGOSTOWSKA, Z. Afterwords The Usefulness of Stone Age Open Sandy Sites 464 GIEYSZTOR, E. as Records for the Reconstruction of the Past “Funio” SYTNYK, O. 341 465 MIŚKIEWICZ, M. Mousterian Site Yezupil I of Dnister Area, Professor Stefan Karol Kozłowski at the Cardinal Ukraine Stefan Wyszyński University 359 SZELIGA, M., ZAKOŚCIELNA, A. New Palaeolithic Materials from the Northern Frontier of the Sandomierz Upland Assemblage from Ulva Cave Some Observations on the Mesolithic Crustacean Assemblage from Ulva Cave, Inner Hebrides, Scotland CATRIONA PICKARD and CLIVE BONSALL Introduction the middens. Although the presence of crustacean remains has frequently been reported (e.g., Mellars, The existence of Mesolithic shell middens along the 1978; Connock et al., 1993), hitherto there has been west coast of Scotland has been known since the no detailed published account for any site1 – yet, nineteenth century, yet the first systematic investi- potentially, crustaceans are an important source of gations of these sites took place only in the 1970s palaeoeconomic and palaeoenvironmental data. with Paul Mellars’ work on the island of Oronsay This paper provides an account of the crusta- (Mellars, 1987). With its emphasis on chronomet- cean assemblage from the Mesolithic shell midden ric dating and the recovery of detailed information in Ulva Cave, a large sea-cut cave on the south side on economy, environment and seasonality of site of a small island that lies off the west coast of the use, the Oronsay Project set new standards for shell much larger island of Mull in the Inner Hebrides midden research in the region. – about 50 km straight line distance to the north of The west coast middens are generally small and the island of Oronsay (Figure 1). associated with rocky shorelines, yet they often contain a surprisingly wide variety of food and 1 Since this paper was written (April 2008) a study of the other remains. Much has been written about the crab remains from a Mesolithic shell midden at Sand, on the molluscan, fish, and mammalian components of west coast of Scotland, has been published (Milner, 2009). Figure 1. Location of Ulva Cave. 306 CATRIONA PICKARD and CLIVE BONSALL 7KHFUXVWDFHDQDVVHPEODJHVDPSOLQJ A maximum of eight species are represented in and analysis the Ulva assemblage (Figure 3, Table 1). Species- diagnostic elements were found to be predomi- The Ulva Cave excavation began in 1987 and, to nantly dactyl and propodus remains; cheliped date, five field seasons have been completed (Bon- dactyl tips were preferentially used to establish sall et al., 1991, 1992, 1994; Russell et al., 1995). The MNI. Closely-related species of crabs are of- shell midden in the entrance area of the cave was ten only distinguishable by pigmentation. Sandy investigated in 1989–1991 and 1999. Lacking clear swimming crab (Liocarinus depurator) and vel- stratification, the midden was excavated according vet swimming crab (Necora puber) largely differ to a 50 cm grid in horizontal unit-levels (“spits”) of only in the coloration of cheliped tips. Species- ca. 5 cm thickness – except for an initial sondage, level identification was possible only where sur- which was dug on a one-meter grid, in 10 cm spits face pigmentation was preserved. Specimens (Figure 2). All excavated material from the 1999 with abraded surfaces, particularly common in field season and control samples from five grid the lower part of the midden, were identified to squares dug in 1989–1991 (see Russell et al., 1995: family level. Both species of swimming crab were figure 4) were processed under laboratory condi- considered as a single category for the purpose of tions to maximize the recovery of palaeoenviron- quantification. Certain minor species (e.g., scor- mental and economic indicators. Faunal remains pion spider crab [Inachus dorsettensis]