Islands of Stone: Neolithic Crannogs in the Outer Hebrides

石岛：外赫布里底群岛新石器时代的克兰诺格群岛

• 批准号: AH/S010157/1
• 负责人: Fraser Sturt
• 金额: $ 97.07万
• 依托单位: University of Southampton
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2020 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=AH%2FS010157%2F1
• 关键词: Islands; Stone; Neolithic; Crannogs; Outer

This project focuses on Neolithic 'crannogs' - artificially-constructed islands - in the Outer Hebrides. Until recently, crannogs in Scotland were thought to have been constructed from the Early Iron Age (c. 800 BC) onwards. Discoveries made since 2012 have demonstrated conclusively that multiple sites in the Outer Hebrides are in fact 2500 years earlier, with artificial islets a potentially widespread feature of the Neolithic there. Our work has now identified six sites associated with large collections of Neolithic pottery (with four of these radiocarbon dated to c. 3640-3360 cal BC). In some cases, these assemblages have included near-complete vessels deposited directly into the lochs, possibly as a result of 'ritual' deposition and/or feasting; the inertia of the loch bed sediments has ensured amazingly well-preserved ceramics, with levels of completeness unprecedented in Neolithic Britain.These 'islands of stone' were created simply by piling up large rocks on the loch bed - impressive constructions 25m in diameter and 4m high. On the sites investigated in Lewis so far, no buildings have been identified. However, in one case - this project's showcase site at Loch Bhorgastail - waterlogged worked timbers suggest complex wooden architecture, and impressive levels of organic preservation for a site of this date in Britain. It is possible that some of these crannogs may have been settlement-related, but others are too small to have housed buildings. Their monumental, cairn-like forms echo the contemporary funerary monuments known across the region. Given the deposition of artefacts into the loch around them, it is possible that they may have been special purpose 'ritual' locations. These are enigmatic sites whose function is, at present, hard to understand. They require significant further investigation. Neolithic crannogs essentially represent a new site type for the period. However, almost all of those identified so far are located within central Lewis - the only area that has been searched intensively. Eilean Domhnuill, N. Uist remains the only definite site known elsewhere. Its presence there suggests, tantalisingly, that many more Neolithic crannogs may lie undiscovered across the Outer Hebrides. This project seeks to address this situation by identifying and then ground-truthing other sites with potential across the islands. We also plan to carry out two seasons of excavation in order to characterise one highly promising site (Bhorgastail). Using cutting-edge scientific analyses, we will investigate what happened at the site and how it related to activity in the wider landscape, leading to properly informed, new interpretations. These new sites have the potential to transform existing narratives of the British and wider European Neolithic. In order to communicate our results to the academic community, we will produce an open access monograph and additional papers focused on key issues. We will also organise an international conference in order to gather together researchers working on lake settlements across the world. Beyond academia, the project will have impact in a variety of spheres: enhancing tourism in the region through development of an augmented reality heritage app and pop-up exhibitions; improving knowledge of the archaeological resource for heritage management professionals; collaborating with and empowering local archaeology groups; and disseminating knowledge through open days, public talks, school visits and teaching information packs. Ultimately, the Islands of Stone project will establish a clear interpretation of these new sites, transforming our understandings of the Neolithic and of the enigmatic, multi-period site type of 'crannog' in general. Site categories are rarely pushed back 2500 years in date. New kinds of Neolithic site are almost never found. Waterlogged deposits of this date are extremely rare. The promise that these new sites hold is enormous.

这个项目的重点是新石器时代的“crannogs”-人工建造的岛屿-在外赫布里底群岛。直到最近，苏格兰的crannogs被认为是从早期铁器时代（c。公元前800年）。自2012年以来的发现最终证明，外赫布里底群岛的多个地点实际上早于2500年，人工岛屿是新石器时代的一个潜在的普遍特征。我们的工作现在已经确定了六个与新石器时代陶器大量收藏有关的地点（其中四个放射性碳年代为c。3640-3360 cal BC）。在某些情况下，这些组合包括直接沉积在洛克斯湖中的近乎完整的船只，可能是“仪式”沉积和/或宴会的结果;洛赫湖床沉积物的惰性确保了令人惊讶的保存完好的陶瓷，在新石器时代的英国，这些“石头岛”的完整程度是前所未有的。这些“石头岛”只是通过在洛赫床上堆积大石头而形成的。令人印象深刻的建筑，直径25米，高4米。到目前为止，在刘易斯调查的地点，没有发现任何建筑物。然而，在一个案例中--这个项目在洛赫博尔加斯泰尔的展示场地--被水淹没的木材表明了复杂的木制建筑，以及英国这个时期的遗址令人印象深刻的有机保护水平。其中一些可能与定居点有关，但其他人太小，无法容纳建筑物。他们的纪念碑，石墩状的形式呼应了该地区的当代殡葬纪念碑。考虑到周围洛赫中沉积的人工制品，它们可能是特殊用途的“仪式”地点。这些都是神秘的网站，其功能是，目前，很难理解。它们需要大量的进一步调查。新石器时代的Crannogs本质上代表了该时期的一种新遗址类型。然而，到目前为止，几乎所有被确认的都位于刘易斯中部--这是唯一一个被密集搜索的地区。Eilean Domhnuill，N. Uist仍然是其他地方唯一已知的确切地点。它的存在表明，在外赫布里底群岛上可能还有更多的新石器时代的裂缝未被发现。该项目旨在通过确定并实地考察全岛其他有潜力的地点来解决这一问题。我们还计划进行两个季节的挖掘，以挖掘一个非常有前途的地点（Bhorgastail）。使用尖端的科学分析，我们将调查现场发生了什么，以及它如何与更广泛的景观活动相关，从而获得适当的信息，新的解释。这些新遗址有可能改变英国和更广泛的欧洲新石器时代的现有叙述。为了向学术界传达我们的结果，我们将制作一本开放获取的专著和其他专注于关键问题的论文。我们还将组织一次国际会议，以聚集在世界各地的湖泊定居点工作的研究人员。除了学术界，该项目还将在各个领域产生影响：通过开发增强现实遗产应用程序和弹出式展览来加强该地区的旅游业;提高遗产管理专业人员对考古资源的了解;与当地考古团体合作并赋予其权力;通过开放日，公开讲座，学校参观和教学信息包传播知识。最终，石头岛项目将对这些新遗址做出明确的解释，改变我们对新石器时代和神秘的多时期遗址类型“crannog”的理解。遗址类别很少被追溯到2500年前。新的新石器时代遗址几乎从未被发现过，这一时期的水浸沉积物也极为罕见。这些新网站的前景是巨大的。

项目成果

Neolithic culinary traditions revealed by cereal, milk and meat lipids in pottery from Scottish crannogs.

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32286-0
• 发表时间: 2022-09-06
• 期刊: Nature communications
• 影响因子: 16.6

Observations of postglacial sea-level rise in northwest European traditions

欧洲西北部传统对冰河后海平面上升的观察

• DOI: 10.1002/gea.21898
• 发表时间: 2021
• 期刊: Geoarchaeology
• 影响因子: 1.7
• 作者: Nunn P

Neolithic Crannogs in the Outer Hebrides (and Beyond?): Synthesis, Survey, and Dating

外赫布里底群岛（以及更远的地方？）的新石器时代的克兰诺格人：综合、调查和年代测定

• DOI: 10.1017/ppr.2023.10
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society
• 作者: BLANKSHEIN S