Overview

Archaeologists show us how the Neolithic human lived in mainland Scotland What was life like in Scotland between 4000 and 2000BC? Where were people living? How did they treat their dead? Why did they spend so much time building extravagant ritual monuments? What was special about the relationship people had with trees and holes in the ground? What can we say about how people lived in the Neolithic and early Bronze Age of mainland Scotland where much of the evidence we have lies beneath the ploughsoil, or survives as slumped banks and ditches, or ruinous megaliths? Each contribution to this volume presents fresh research and radical new interpretations of the pits, postholes, ditches, rubbish dumps, human remains and broken potsherds left behind by our Neolithic forebears. From the APF What was life like in Scotland between 4000 and 2000BC? Where were people living? How did they treat their dead? Why did they spend so much time building extravagant ritual monuments? What was special about the relationship people had with trees? Why was so much time and effort spent digging holes and filling them back up again? What can we say about how people lived in the Neolithic and early Bronze Age of mainland Scotland where much of the evidence we have lies beneath the plough soil, or survives as slumped banks and filled ditches, or ruinous megaliths? This book will draw together leading experts and young researchers to present fresh research and outline radical new interpretations of the pits, postholes, ditches, rubbish dumps, human remains and broken potsherds left behind by our Neolithic forebears. Much of this evidence has come to light in the past few decades, putting the emphasis very much lowland, mainland Scotland as opposed to more famous Orcadian Neolithic sites. Inspired by the work of Gordon Barclay, the leading scholars of Scotland's Neolithic in the last 40 years, the chapters in this book offer a wide-ranging analysis of the evidence we have for the first farmers in Scotland.

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9780748685738

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As well as showcasing the wealth of information recently obtained from developer-funded excavations, aerial survey, and radiocarbon dating, the book highlights the many questions that remain to be answered - and underlines the huge contribution made by Gordon Barclay in framing and addressing those questions in his own work. -- Alison Sheridan, Current Archaeology

"'An interesting and useful contribution to the literature on the Neolithic. All the papers are worth reading, and the volume as a whole is nicely produced and well-illustrated. The important contributions inside deserve to be read and discussed in depth, as well as ordered for both libraries and (at this very fair price!) personal collections as well.'--Oliver J. T. Harris ""Scottish Archaeological Journal"" 'As well as showcasing the wealth of information recently obtained from developer-funded excavations, aerial survey, and radiocarbon dating, the book highlights the many questions that remain to be answered - and underlines the huge contribution made by Gordon Barclay in framing and addressing those questions in his own work.' --Alison Sheridan ""Current Archaeology"" 'The editors have succeeded in providing a sound platform for consideration of the archaeological evidence. Many valuable approaches are presented, as well as tangible strategies for future work to uncover and give voice to a hitherto under-explored region.' --Jessica Smyth ""Antiquity"""

Author Information

The Editors: Kenneth Brophy is Senior Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Glasgow. Gavin MacGregor is a heritage professional at the independent body Northlight Heritage. Ian B. M. Ralston is Abercromby Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology and Head of the Archaeology School at the University of Edinburgh.

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