A Lake Dwelling in Its Landscape : Iron Age Settlement at Cults Loch, Castle Kennedy, Dumfries & Galloway

"Cults Loch, at Castle Kennedy in Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland, loch lies within a landscape rich in prehistoric cropmark sites and within the loch itself are two crannogs, one of which has been the focus of this study. A palisaded enclosure and a promontory fort on the shores of the loch have also been excavated. The Cults Loch crannog is only the second prehistoric site in Scotland to be dated by dendrochronology and analysis has revealed the very short duration of activity on the crannog in the middle of the 5th century BC. Bayesian analysis of the dating evidence from all the excavated sites has yielded a chronological sequence which suggests a dynamic and sequential settlement pattern across the landscape. The implications of this sequence for later prehistoric settlement throughout south-west Scotland are explored. The Cults Loch Landscape Project arose out of the Scottish Wetland Archaeology Programme (SWAP), the objective of which is to fully integrate the wetland archaeological resource of Scotland into the more mainstream narratives of 'dryland' archaeology. The Cults Loch project has sought to bridge this apparent divide between 'wetland' and 'dryland' by focusing on a wetland site, the crannog, which lies at the centre of a prehistoric landscape, rather than being peripheral to it. Thus, the wealth of well-preserved evidence from the crannog, particularly the rich ecofactual assemblages, as well as the higher chronological resolution possible through the dendro-dating of waterlogged timbers, are brought to bear on our understanding of the evidence from the cropmark sites around the loch. The role and function of crannogs are also explored via the relationship between the crannog in Cults Loch and its social and physical landscape"-- Provided by publisher Cover -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Acknowledgements -- 1 Introduction -- The research framework -- The landscape setting -- geology and hydrology -- A history of previous archaeological investigations at Cults Loch -- Methodology -- The community initiative -- Note on site labels -- 2 Cults Loch 3 -- the promontory crannog -- 2a The structural sequence -- Phase 1 -- construction of the crannog mound -- Phase 2 -- structure 1 -- Phase 3 -- structure 2 -- Phase 3 -- deposits and structures in the N quadrant -- Phase 4 -- structure 3 -- Phase 5 -- the decay horizon -- Access onto the crannog -- A trackway across the crannog -- The final act -- 2b Chronology, by Anne Crone -- Introduction -- Radiocarbon dating -- Dendrochronological studies -- 14C wiggle-match dating and the structural sequence at Cults Loch 3, by Piotr Jacobsson, Derek Hamilton & Gordon Cook -- Comment, by Anne Crone & Graeme Cavers -- 2c Ecofact analyses -- Introduction -- Phase 1 -- the crannog mound -- Phase 2 -- structure 1 -- Phase 3 -- structure 2 -- Phase 3 -- deposits in the N quadrant -- Phase 4 -- structure 3 -- Phase 5 -- the decay horizon -- Deposits off the crannog mound -- The macroplant assemblage, by Jackaline Robertson -- Insect remains, by Enid Allison -- Micromorphology, by Lynne Roy -- 2d The artefact assemblage -- The wooden artefacts, by Anne Crone -- The shale, by Fraser Hunter -- The glass bead, by Fraser Hunter -- The coarse stone, by Dawn McLaren -- The chipped stone assemblage, by Rob Engl -- The burnt clay by Dawn McLaren -- Synthesis of the material culture from Cults Loch 3 by Dawn McLaren -- 2e The structural timbers -- Introduction -- Vertical components -- Horizontal components -- Woodworking debris -- Charred timbers -- Discussion -- Wood use on the crannog -- 2f Summary of evidence for construction and occupation on Cults Loch 3 "Cults Loch, at Castle Kennedy in Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland, lies within a landscape rich in prehistoric cropmark sites and within the loch itself are two crannogs, one of which has been the focus of this study. A palisaded enclosure and a promontory fort on the shores of the loch have also been excavated. The Cults Loch crannog is only the second prehistoric site in Scotland to be dated by dendrochronology and analysis has revealed the very short duration of activity on the crannog in the middle of the 5th century BC. Bayesian analysis of the dating evidence from all the excavated sites has yielded a chronological sequence which suggests a dynamic and sequential settlement pattern across the landscape. The implications of this sequence for later prehistoric settlement throughout south-west Scotland are explored. The Cults Loch Landscape Project arose out of the Scottish Wetland Archaeology Programme (SWAP), the objective of which is to fully integrate the wetland archaeological resource of Scotland into the more mainstream narratives of 'dryland' archaeology. The Cults Loch project has sought to bridge this apparent divide between 'wetland' and 'dryland' by focusing on a wetland site, the crannog, which lies at the centre of a prehistoric landscape, rather than being peripheral to it. Thus, the wealth of well-preserved evidence from the crannog, particularly the rich ecofactual assemblages, as well as the higher chronological resolution possible through the dendro-dating of waterlogged timbers, are brought to bear on our understanding of the evidence from the cropmark sites around the loch. The role and function of crannogs are also explored via the relationship between the crannog in Cults Loch and its social and physical landscape"--Back cover Cults Loch, at Castle Kennedy in Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland, loch lies within a landscape rich in prehistoric cropmark sites and within the loch itself are two crannogs, one of which has been the focus of this study. A palisaded enclosure and a promontory fort on the shores of the loch have also been excavated. The Cults Loch crannog is only the second prehistoric site in Scotland to be dated by dendrochronology and analysis has revealed the very short duration of activity on the crannog in the middle of the 5th century BC. Bayesian analysis of the dating evidence from all the excavated sites has yielded a chronological sequence which suggests a dynamic and sequential settlement pattern across the landscape. The implications of this sequence for later prehistoric settlement throughout southwest Scotland are explored. The Cults Loch Landscape Project arose out of the Scottish Wetland Archaeology Programme (SWAP), the objective of which is to fully integrate the wetland archaeological resource of Scotland into the more mainstream narratives of ‘dryland’ archaeology. The Cults Loch project has sought to bridge this apparent divide between ‘wetland’ and ‘dryland’ by focusing on a wetland site, the crannog, which lies at the center of a prehistoric landscape, rather than being peripheral to it. Thus, the wealth of well-preserved evidence from the crannog, particularly the rich ecofactual assemblages, as well as the higher chronological resolution possible through the dendro-dating of waterlogged timbers, are brought to bear on our understanding of the evidence from the cropmark sites around the loch. The role and function of crannogs are also explored via the relationship between the crannog in Cults Loch and its social and physical landscape. About the Author: Anne Crone is a Project Manager for AOC Archaeology Group, responsible for the management of post-excavation programmes through to publication. She specialises in the study of all aspects of ancient wood, both structural and artefactual, and has been instrumental in developing dendrochronology in Scotland. She is a leading expert in the study of Scottish crannogs and has undertaken excavation and research on these sites for many decades. HISTORY / Europe / General