Excavations at Cill Donnain: A Bronze Age Settlement and Iron Age Wheelhouse in South Uist (Sheffield Environmental and Archaeol,Used

The SEARCH (Sheffield Environmental and Archaeological Research Campaign in the Hebrides) project began in 1987 and covers the Scotlands Outer Hebrides. The aim of the project is to investigate how human societies adapted in the longterm to the isolated environment of the Outer Hebrides.The first major excavation on South Uist discovered that what was thought to be a shell midden at Cill Donnain was in fact a wheelhouse, a type of dwelling used in the period c.300 BC AD 500; under which lay the remains of a Bronze Age settlement. This settlement was partly investigated by Marik Zvelebil in 1991 and then later by Mike Parker Pearson and Kate MacDonald in 2003. The site itself is situated at the foot of a high steepsided dune on the eastern edge of a large sand valley, close to the western shore of Loch Cill Donnain.The archaeological report of the excavation at the Cill Donnain wheelhouse shows that, in comparison with contemporary neighbouring settlements, it was unlikely that each was an independent unit and that they were linked by social and economic interdependency. The wheelhouse thus provides striking new evidence that contributes to developing theories about the social, material and economic life in the period.This volume presents the extensive archaeological evidence found at the site, including pottery, faunal remains and a variety of bone and metal tools, illustrating that the Cill Donnain landscape is rich in archaeological sites of all periods from the Beaker to the postMedieval.Oxbow Books gratefully acknowledges the financial support of Historic Scotland towards the publication costs.Table of ContentsContents:LIST OF FIGURESLIST OF TABLESCONTRIBUTORSPREFACEChapter 1: IntroductionMike Parker Pearson and Helen SmithChapter 2: The excavationsMarek Zvelebil and Mike Parker PearsonChapter 3: EarlyMiddle Bronze Age (phase 1): a Cordoned Urn settlementMike Parker Pearson with Kate MacDonaldOptically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating (JeanLuc Schwenninger)Pottery Chris Cumberpatch and (Mike Parker Pearson)Bone and stone tools (Mike Parker Pearson)The faunal remains (John HamshawThomas, Kim Vickers and Mike Parker Pearson)Chapter 4: Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age occupation (phase 2): eighthearly sixth centuries BCMike Parker PearsonChapter 5: Before construction of the wheelhouse (phase 3)Mike Parker PearsonChapter 6: Construction and initial use of the wheelhouse (phases 4 and 5)Mike Parker Pearson and Marek ZvelebilChapter 7: Modification and abandonment of the wheelhouse (phases 68)Mike Parker Pearson and Marek ZvelebilChapter 8: The midden overlying the wheelhouse (phase 9)Mike Parker PearsonChapter 9: The potteryChris CumberpatchCeramic artefacts (Mike Parker Pearson)Chapter 10: The metal finds and industrial debrisThe copperalloy artefacts ( Martin Dearne)The lead object (Mike Parker Pearson)The iron objects (Martin Dearne)Bronzecasting clay refractories (Mike Parker Pearson)The crucible (Mike Parker Pearson)The metalworking slag (Martin Dearne and Mike Parker Pearson)Fuel ash slag (Mike Parker Pearson)Chapter 11: The stone toolsMike Parker PearsonChapter 12: Bone, ivory and antler tools and ornamentsMike Parker Pearsonwith species identification by John HamshawThomas and Kim VickersChapter 13: The faunal remainsKim Vickers with Saleem ul Haq and John HamshawThomasChapter 14: The carbonised plant remainsPam Grinter and SoultanaMaria ValamotiChapter 15: Marine molluscaSean Bell and Karen GoddenChapter 16: Radiocarbon datingPeter Marshall and Gordon CookChapter 17: Conclusion: Cill Donnains prehistoric landscapeThe evolution of settlement on Cill Donnains machair (Mike Parker Pearson)Occupation and activity at Cill Donnain in the Iron Age (Mike Parker Pearson with Marek Zvelebil)The Cill Donnain III wheelhouse in the context of the Hebridean Iron Age (Mike Parker Pearson)Conclusion (Mike Parker Pearson)Appendix: Con