Ancient Lives provides new perspectives on object, people and place in early Scotland and beyond.... more Ancient Lives provides new perspectives on object, people and place in early Scotland and beyond. The 19 papers cover topics ranging from the Neolithic to the Medieval period, and from modern museum practice to ancient craft skills. The material culture of ancient lives is centre stage – how it was created and used, how it was rediscovered and thought about, and how it is displayed.
Dedicated to Professor David V Clarke, former Keeper of Archaeology in National Museums Scotland, on his 70th birthday, the book comprises three sections which reflect some of his many interests. “Presenting the past” offers perspectives on current museum practice, especially in relation to archaeological displays. “Ancient lives and multiple lives” looks at antiquarian approaches to the Scottish past and the work of a Scottish antiquary abroad, while “Pieces of the past” offers a series of authoritative case-studies on Scottish artefacts, as well as papers on the iconic site of Skara Brae and on the impact of the Roman world on Scotland.
With subjects ranging from Gordon Childe to the Govan Stones and from gaming pieces to Grooved Ware, this scholarly and accessible volume provides a show-case of new information and new perspectives on material culture linked, but not limited to, Scotland.
A study of the impact of the Romans on north-east Scotland and their role in the emergence of the... more A study of the impact of the Romans on north-east Scotland and their role in the emergence of the Picts. This is not an easy book to get hold of! But copies can be obtained from the publishers, Groam House Museum, at http://www.groamhouse.org.uk/index.asp?pageid=44848
Report of a group considering research frameworks for Roman Scotland; the project was run by the ... more Report of a group considering research frameworks for Roman Scotland; the project was run by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
Report of a group assessing research frameworks for the Scottish Iron Age; part of a project led ... more Report of a group assessing research frameworks for the Scottish Iron Age; part of a project led by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
An Early Bronze Age flat cist cemetery was excavated after it was exposed by reservoir erosion. N... more An Early Bronze Age flat cist cemetery was excavated after it was exposed by reservoir erosion. Nine surviving cists were found, containing a mixture of inhumations and cremations. Grave goods included food vessels and a unique cannel coal and lead necklace. Where skeletal remains survived, most of the deceased were sub-adult or young adults. Evidence of floral tributes was found in three burials. A number of other features, one containing Beaker sherds, may be connected to rituals taking place at the site. In addition a number of less coherent sites were excavated elsewhere around the reservoir. Discussion attempts to place the cemetery within its wider Bronze Age context, considering aspects such as the deliberate infilling of burials and the interpretation of grave goods. Includes separately authored reports on:
Glass bangles are found in southern England and Wales from the mid-first century ad and become co... more Glass bangles are found in southern England and Wales from the mid-first century ad and become common in the north of England and southern Scotland in the late first century, before their numbers decline a century later. British bangles develop at a time of change, as Roman glassmaking practices were introduced across large areas of Britain, and as blown, transparent, colourless and naturally-coloured glassware became increasingly popular. In many communities, however, there was still a demand for strongly coloured opaque glass, including for bangles, and glassworkers devised ways of extending their supplies of opaque coloured glass. This study is based on over one hundred and fifty analyses of bangle fragments from sites in Wales, northern England and southern Scotland, spanning this transitional period. The bangle makers recycled coloured glass from imported vessels, and probably beads and bangle-making waste, to supplement supplies of fresh coloured glass. The novel methods used ...
The carnyx, an animal-headed bronze horn, once echoed across Iron Age Europe. Now, after centurie... more The carnyx, an animal-headed bronze horn, once echoed across Iron Age Europe. Now, after centuries of silence, this book presents a full picture of this dramatic instrument for the first time. It considers the rare surviving fragments, with a detailed study of the Deskford carnyx from north-east Scotland, alongside depictions from Iron Age and Classical art. The carnyx is studied in the context of musical instruments, metalworking technology, Celtic art styles, hoards and sacrificial offerings, Iron Age connections across Europe, and how the Greeks and Romans used material culture to depict “barbarians” in triumphal art. Research shifts from details of a single carnyx to a European scale in order to obtain a rounded picture of this striking instrument. Often called Celtic, the carnyx was far more than this. This study questions how useful such broad terms are, and shows the instrument’s spread to other cultural groupings – German, Dacian, and as far away as India.
The provenance of two Roman bronze vessels in the collections of Marischal Museum has recently be... more The provenance of two Roman bronze vessels in the collections of Marischal Museum has recently been discovered in the journal of Rev John Skinner's 1825 Northern Tour. The reliability of this source is discussed, alongside a consideration of the antiquarian networks of the time. The vessels comprise a dipper and strainer set: unusually, the strainer is unfinished, and possible implications of this are considered. An Appendix catalogues other, mostly unpublished, Roman material from north-east Scotland in the Marischal Museum.
In 1817 a group of East Yorkshire gentry opened barrows in a large Iron Age cemetery on the Yorks... more In 1817 a group of East Yorkshire gentry opened barrows in a large Iron Age cemetery on the Yorkshire Wolds at Arras, near Market Weighton, including a remarkable burial accompanied by a chariot with two horses, which became known as the King’s Barrow. This was the third season of excavation undertaken there, producing spectacular finds including a further chariot burial and the so-called Queen’s barrow, which contained a gold ring, many glass beads and other items. These and later discoveries would lead to the naming of the Arras Culture, and the suggestion of connections with the near European continent. Since then further remarkable finds have been made in the East Yorkshire region, including 23 chariot burials, most recently at Pocklington in 2017 and 2018, where both graves contained horses, and were featured on BBC 4’s Digging for Britain series. This volume bring together papers presented by leading experts at the Royal Archaeological Institute Annual Conference, held at the ...
The main recommendations of the panel report can be summarised under five key headings: Scotlan... more The main recommendations of the panel report can be summarised under five key headings: Scotland in the Roman world: Research into Roman Scotland requires an appreciation of the wider frontier and Empire-wide perspectives, and Scottish projects must be integrated into these wider, international debates. The rich data set and chronological control that Scotland has to offer can be used to inform broader understandings of the impact of Rome. Changing worlds: Roman Scotland’s rich data set should be employed to contribute to wider theoretical perspectives on topics such as identity and ethnicity, and how these changed over time. What was the experience of daily life for the various peoples in Roman Scotland and how did interactions between incomers and local communities develop and change over the period in question, and, indeed, at and after its end? Frontier Life: Questions still remain regarding the disposition and chronology of forts and forces, as well as the logistics of su...
This volume explores the final phase of the West Roman Empire, particularly the changing interact... more This volume explores the final phase of the West Roman Empire, particularly the changing interactions between the imperial authority and external 'barbarian' groups in the northwest frontiers of the empire during the fourth and fifth centuries. The contributions present valuable overviews of recent archaeological research combined with innovative theoretical discussions. Key topics include the movement of precious metals, trajectories of imperial power, the archaeology of migration, and material culture in relation to debates about ethnicity
Late 19th and 20th-century finds of debris from shale bangle manufacture at Portpatrick in south-... more Late 19th and 20th-century finds of debris from shale bangle manufacture at Portpatrick in south-west Scotland occasioned considerable interest at the time. The early discoveries were found in grave-digging, giving rise to folk traditions of the material as ‘coal money’ placed with the departed, but these were soon dismissed by antiquaries. Surviving material is split among at least seven different museums and has seen no recent study. This paper synthesises the finds to reconstruct the chaine operatoire of the making of bangles by removing a central core, and a secondary process of reworking these cores. The extensive secondary use arose because the material was imported, and thus had an enhanced value. The technique of core removal is unusual in Scotland, and wider study identifies a regional cluster around the Firth of Clyde in the Early Medieval period. The technique is widely attested in Ireland at the same time, and it is argued the technology spread from there as part of wide...
Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 2021
Antiquarian accounts and surviving finds allow two Iron Age cist-burials found in the late 18th c... more Antiquarian accounts and surviving finds allow two Iron Age cist-burials found in the late 18th century on the Links of Pierowall on Westray, Orkney, to be reconstructed, although no details of the bodies survive (but both were most probably inhumations); the unusual finds have not previously received full attention. One burial contained a polished stone disc, used as a palette for grinding some valued substance, probably cosmetic, medical or narcotic. A review of the type emphasises its particular prevalence in northern Scotland, and places it within the wider context of an increase in artefacts linked to personal appearance and behaviour in the Roman Iron Age. The other burial contained a well-known Roman glass cup and a hitherto ignored ‘metal spoon’ which can reasonably be identified as a Roman import as well, plausibly of silver. Such spoons are rare import goods, known from rich burials beyond the frontier on continental Europe in the late 2nd and 3rd century AD. This suggests...
How did Scotland relate to wider European patterns in later prehistory? This key topic is address... more How did Scotland relate to wider European patterns in later prehistory? This key topic is addressed by the papers in this volume, which review recent work on the Scottish later Bronze Age and Iron Age in the light of its neighbours. Authors use the explosion of recent data to investigate settlements and domestic architecture, art, craft, beliefs and environmental change. Comparative studies from southern Scandinavia, the Low Countries, Atlantic France, Ireland and northern England provide perspectives which feed into much larger topics, such as the changing balance of Atlantic versus Continental connections, how societies responded to climate change, and how significant an issue this was. There are fresh insights into models of later prehistoric society, the nature of craft production, changing land use and settlement patterns.
Ancient Lives provides new perspectives on object, people and place in early Scotland and beyond.... more Ancient Lives provides new perspectives on object, people and place in early Scotland and beyond. The 19 papers cover topics ranging from the Neolithic to the Medieval period, and from modern museum practice to ancient craft skills. The material culture of ancient lives is centre stage – how it was created and used, how it was rediscovered and thought about, and how it is displayed.
Dedicated to Professor David V Clarke, former Keeper of Archaeology in National Museums Scotland, on his 70th birthday, the book comprises three sections which reflect some of his many interests. “Presenting the past” offers perspectives on current museum practice, especially in relation to archaeological displays. “Ancient lives and multiple lives” looks at antiquarian approaches to the Scottish past and the work of a Scottish antiquary abroad, while “Pieces of the past” offers a series of authoritative case-studies on Scottish artefacts, as well as papers on the iconic site of Skara Brae and on the impact of the Roman world on Scotland.
With subjects ranging from Gordon Childe to the Govan Stones and from gaming pieces to Grooved Ware, this scholarly and accessible volume provides a show-case of new information and new perspectives on material culture linked, but not limited to, Scotland.
A study of the impact of the Romans on north-east Scotland and their role in the emergence of the... more A study of the impact of the Romans on north-east Scotland and their role in the emergence of the Picts. This is not an easy book to get hold of! But copies can be obtained from the publishers, Groam House Museum, at http://www.groamhouse.org.uk/index.asp?pageid=44848
Report of a group considering research frameworks for Roman Scotland; the project was run by the ... more Report of a group considering research frameworks for Roman Scotland; the project was run by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
Report of a group assessing research frameworks for the Scottish Iron Age; part of a project led ... more Report of a group assessing research frameworks for the Scottish Iron Age; part of a project led by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
An Early Bronze Age flat cist cemetery was excavated after it was exposed by reservoir erosion. N... more An Early Bronze Age flat cist cemetery was excavated after it was exposed by reservoir erosion. Nine surviving cists were found, containing a mixture of inhumations and cremations. Grave goods included food vessels and a unique cannel coal and lead necklace. Where skeletal remains survived, most of the deceased were sub-adult or young adults. Evidence of floral tributes was found in three burials. A number of other features, one containing Beaker sherds, may be connected to rituals taking place at the site. In addition a number of less coherent sites were excavated elsewhere around the reservoir. Discussion attempts to place the cemetery within its wider Bronze Age context, considering aspects such as the deliberate infilling of burials and the interpretation of grave goods. Includes separately authored reports on:
Glass bangles are found in southern England and Wales from the mid-first century ad and become co... more Glass bangles are found in southern England and Wales from the mid-first century ad and become common in the north of England and southern Scotland in the late first century, before their numbers decline a century later. British bangles develop at a time of change, as Roman glassmaking practices were introduced across large areas of Britain, and as blown, transparent, colourless and naturally-coloured glassware became increasingly popular. In many communities, however, there was still a demand for strongly coloured opaque glass, including for bangles, and glassworkers devised ways of extending their supplies of opaque coloured glass. This study is based on over one hundred and fifty analyses of bangle fragments from sites in Wales, northern England and southern Scotland, spanning this transitional period. The bangle makers recycled coloured glass from imported vessels, and probably beads and bangle-making waste, to supplement supplies of fresh coloured glass. The novel methods used ...
The carnyx, an animal-headed bronze horn, once echoed across Iron Age Europe. Now, after centurie... more The carnyx, an animal-headed bronze horn, once echoed across Iron Age Europe. Now, after centuries of silence, this book presents a full picture of this dramatic instrument for the first time. It considers the rare surviving fragments, with a detailed study of the Deskford carnyx from north-east Scotland, alongside depictions from Iron Age and Classical art. The carnyx is studied in the context of musical instruments, metalworking technology, Celtic art styles, hoards and sacrificial offerings, Iron Age connections across Europe, and how the Greeks and Romans used material culture to depict “barbarians” in triumphal art. Research shifts from details of a single carnyx to a European scale in order to obtain a rounded picture of this striking instrument. Often called Celtic, the carnyx was far more than this. This study questions how useful such broad terms are, and shows the instrument’s spread to other cultural groupings – German, Dacian, and as far away as India.
The provenance of two Roman bronze vessels in the collections of Marischal Museum has recently be... more The provenance of two Roman bronze vessels in the collections of Marischal Museum has recently been discovered in the journal of Rev John Skinner's 1825 Northern Tour. The reliability of this source is discussed, alongside a consideration of the antiquarian networks of the time. The vessels comprise a dipper and strainer set: unusually, the strainer is unfinished, and possible implications of this are considered. An Appendix catalogues other, mostly unpublished, Roman material from north-east Scotland in the Marischal Museum.
In 1817 a group of East Yorkshire gentry opened barrows in a large Iron Age cemetery on the Yorks... more In 1817 a group of East Yorkshire gentry opened barrows in a large Iron Age cemetery on the Yorkshire Wolds at Arras, near Market Weighton, including a remarkable burial accompanied by a chariot with two horses, which became known as the King’s Barrow. This was the third season of excavation undertaken there, producing spectacular finds including a further chariot burial and the so-called Queen’s barrow, which contained a gold ring, many glass beads and other items. These and later discoveries would lead to the naming of the Arras Culture, and the suggestion of connections with the near European continent. Since then further remarkable finds have been made in the East Yorkshire region, including 23 chariot burials, most recently at Pocklington in 2017 and 2018, where both graves contained horses, and were featured on BBC 4’s Digging for Britain series. This volume bring together papers presented by leading experts at the Royal Archaeological Institute Annual Conference, held at the ...
The main recommendations of the panel report can be summarised under five key headings: Scotlan... more The main recommendations of the panel report can be summarised under five key headings: Scotland in the Roman world: Research into Roman Scotland requires an appreciation of the wider frontier and Empire-wide perspectives, and Scottish projects must be integrated into these wider, international debates. The rich data set and chronological control that Scotland has to offer can be used to inform broader understandings of the impact of Rome. Changing worlds: Roman Scotland’s rich data set should be employed to contribute to wider theoretical perspectives on topics such as identity and ethnicity, and how these changed over time. What was the experience of daily life for the various peoples in Roman Scotland and how did interactions between incomers and local communities develop and change over the period in question, and, indeed, at and after its end? Frontier Life: Questions still remain regarding the disposition and chronology of forts and forces, as well as the logistics of su...
This volume explores the final phase of the West Roman Empire, particularly the changing interact... more This volume explores the final phase of the West Roman Empire, particularly the changing interactions between the imperial authority and external 'barbarian' groups in the northwest frontiers of the empire during the fourth and fifth centuries. The contributions present valuable overviews of recent archaeological research combined with innovative theoretical discussions. Key topics include the movement of precious metals, trajectories of imperial power, the archaeology of migration, and material culture in relation to debates about ethnicity
Late 19th and 20th-century finds of debris from shale bangle manufacture at Portpatrick in south-... more Late 19th and 20th-century finds of debris from shale bangle manufacture at Portpatrick in south-west Scotland occasioned considerable interest at the time. The early discoveries were found in grave-digging, giving rise to folk traditions of the material as ‘coal money’ placed with the departed, but these were soon dismissed by antiquaries. Surviving material is split among at least seven different museums and has seen no recent study. This paper synthesises the finds to reconstruct the chaine operatoire of the making of bangles by removing a central core, and a secondary process of reworking these cores. The extensive secondary use arose because the material was imported, and thus had an enhanced value. The technique of core removal is unusual in Scotland, and wider study identifies a regional cluster around the Firth of Clyde in the Early Medieval period. The technique is widely attested in Ireland at the same time, and it is argued the technology spread from there as part of wide...
Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 2021
Antiquarian accounts and surviving finds allow two Iron Age cist-burials found in the late 18th c... more Antiquarian accounts and surviving finds allow two Iron Age cist-burials found in the late 18th century on the Links of Pierowall on Westray, Orkney, to be reconstructed, although no details of the bodies survive (but both were most probably inhumations); the unusual finds have not previously received full attention. One burial contained a polished stone disc, used as a palette for grinding some valued substance, probably cosmetic, medical or narcotic. A review of the type emphasises its particular prevalence in northern Scotland, and places it within the wider context of an increase in artefacts linked to personal appearance and behaviour in the Roman Iron Age. The other burial contained a well-known Roman glass cup and a hitherto ignored ‘metal spoon’ which can reasonably be identified as a Roman import as well, plausibly of silver. Such spoons are rare import goods, known from rich burials beyond the frontier on continental Europe in the late 2nd and 3rd century AD. This suggests...
How did Scotland relate to wider European patterns in later prehistory? This key topic is address... more How did Scotland relate to wider European patterns in later prehistory? This key topic is addressed by the papers in this volume, which review recent work on the Scottish later Bronze Age and Iron Age in the light of its neighbours. Authors use the explosion of recent data to investigate settlements and domestic architecture, art, craft, beliefs and environmental change. Comparative studies from southern Scandinavia, the Low Countries, Atlantic France, Ireland and northern England provide perspectives which feed into much larger topics, such as the changing balance of Atlantic versus Continental connections, how societies responded to climate change, and how significant an issue this was. There are fresh insights into models of later prehistoric society, the nature of craft production, changing land use and settlement patterns.
The real and imagined legacy of the ancient Celts has shaped modern identities across the British... more The real and imagined legacy of the ancient Celts has shaped modern identities across the British Isles and retains a powerful hold over the popular imagination. Furthermore, Celtic art is one of Europe’s great artistic traditions, with the skills of Celtic craftspeople standing alongside the best of the ancient and medieval worlds. But who were the Celts? Recent research and new archaeological discoveries are continuing to transform our understanding of the idea of the Celts – a subject involving much controversy and academic debate since the late 1990s. Drawing on the latest scholarship, the authors explore how the Celts have been defined differently from ancient times to the modern day, by people with different perspectives and agendas. They look, too, at what is meant by Celtic art, from its origins c.500 BC in western Europe, through its transformations and revivals in the Roman, Anglo-Saxon and medieval periods, to its rediscovery in Britain in the eighteenth and nineteenth ce...
Ancient Lives provides new perspectives on object, people and place in early Scotland and beyond.... more Ancient Lives provides new perspectives on object, people and place in early Scotland and beyond. The 19 papers cover topics ranging from the Neolithic to the Medieval period, and from modern museum practice to ancient craft skills. The material culture of ancient lives is centre stage – how it was created and used, how it was rediscovered and thought about, and how it is displayed. Dedicated to Professor David V Clarke, former Keeper of Archaeology in National Museums Scotland, on his 70th birthday, the book comprises three sections which reflect some of his many interests. “Presenting the past” offers perspectives on current museum practice, especially in relation to archaeological displays. “Ancient lives and multiple lives” looks at antiquarian approaches to the Scottish past and the work of a Scottish antiquary abroad, while “Pieces of the past” offers a series of authoritative case-studies on Scottish artefacts, as well as papers on the iconic site of Skara Brae and on the imp...
A sub-circular double-ditched enclosure, visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs, was excavat... more A sub-circular double-ditched enclosure, visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs, was excavated by CFA Archaeology Ltd in 2013. The enclosure had an inner ditch with two possible entrances and an intermittent outer ditch. The inner ditch measured up to 4.65m wide and survived to a maximum depth of 1.4m. Artefactual and ecofactual assemblages were limited, with the most significant finds being evidence of shale working. Soil micromorphological analysis indicates that both ditches silted up gradually, with their fills derived from re-deposited upcast as well as soil eroding from the surroundings. Radiocarbon dates from waterlogged wood and animal bone found within the ditch fills produced a date range of 1608–204 bc. The paucity of material makes it difficult to be certain of the date and function of the enclosure.
Hunter, F 2009 ‘Denarius hoards beyond the frontier. A Scottish case study’, in A Morillo, N Hane... more Hunter, F 2009 ‘Denarius hoards beyond the frontier. A Scottish case study’, in A Morillo, N Hanel & E Martín (ed), Limes XX: XX congreso internacional de estudios sobre la frontera romana, 1619-1630. Madrid: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Anejos de Gladius 13).
Hunter, F 2009 ‘Barbarians and their equipment on Roman provincial sculpture’ in V Gaggadis-Robin... more Hunter, F 2009 ‘Barbarians and their equipment on Roman provincial sculpture’ in V Gaggadis-Robin, A Hermary, M Reddé & C Sintes (ed), Les ateliers de sculpture régionaux: techniques, styles et iconographie (Actes du Xe Colloque Internationale sur l’art provincial romain), 793-801. Arles : Centre Camille Jullian Depictions of barbarians in Roman art differ markedly between provinces. Key traditions are the arches and tombs of Gallia Narbonensis, cavalry tombstones in Britain and Germany, and distance slabs from the Antonine Wall. Most relate to local contexts rather than official models from Rome; barbarians were depicted where there was a threat or connection to a campaign. A key problem is that the material culture attributes of barbarians changed through time – they do not have a fixed ethnic meaning. This lies at the root of many modern difficulties in interpretation.
The farm – a unit of land, its buildings and inhabitants – was the basic element of Iron Age sett... more The farm – a unit of land, its buildings and inhabitants – was the basic element of Iron Age settlement across Europe, represented by a range of excavated evidence and survey data. Their disposition, form and organisation, and how this varied through time and geographically are central to our understanding of social, economic and cultural interactions. From the individual and household to broader demographic units, this basic rural settlement unit was a constant, a familiar touchpoint within wider rural landscape organisation. Settlements vary across Iron Age Europe, in unit size and density, in settlement distribution and landscape management, but also in terms of preservation. The rich Scottish evidence, with some exceptional preservation, offers valuable comparison to continental or Scandinavian material. The longer time-frames of northern Iron Ages allow tracing of long-term developments. To exploit this, two well-established Iron Age seminar groups have come together with the settlement archaeologists at the University of Edinburgh to offer this three-day workshop. This will connect evidence and views from across Europe to inform dialogue on common themes, regional variation and the roles of rural settlements in Iron Age societies. A holistic approach is encouraged that assimilates individual buildings into the changing textures of wider landscapes, patterns of land holding, density and permanency of settlement and the variability of land use strategies.
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Books by Fraser Hunter
Dedicated to Professor David V Clarke, former Keeper of Archaeology in National Museums Scotland, on his 70th birthday, the book comprises three sections which reflect some of his many interests. “Presenting the past” offers perspectives on current museum practice, especially in relation to archaeological displays. “Ancient lives and multiple lives” looks at antiquarian approaches to the Scottish past and the work of a Scottish antiquary abroad, while “Pieces of the past” offers a series of authoritative case-studies on Scottish artefacts, as well as papers on the iconic site of Skara Brae and on the impact of the Roman world on Scotland.
With subjects ranging from Gordon Childe to the Govan Stones and from gaming pieces to Grooved Ware, this scholarly and accessible volume provides a show-case of new information and new perspectives on material culture linked, but not limited to, Scotland.
This is not an easy book to get hold of! But copies can be obtained from the publishers, Groam House Museum, at http://www.groamhouse.org.uk/index.asp?pageid=44848
Papers by Fraser Hunter
Dedicated to Professor David V Clarke, former Keeper of Archaeology in National Museums Scotland, on his 70th birthday, the book comprises three sections which reflect some of his many interests. “Presenting the past” offers perspectives on current museum practice, especially in relation to archaeological displays. “Ancient lives and multiple lives” looks at antiquarian approaches to the Scottish past and the work of a Scottish antiquary abroad, while “Pieces of the past” offers a series of authoritative case-studies on Scottish artefacts, as well as papers on the iconic site of Skara Brae and on the impact of the Roman world on Scotland.
With subjects ranging from Gordon Childe to the Govan Stones and from gaming pieces to Grooved Ware, this scholarly and accessible volume provides a show-case of new information and new perspectives on material culture linked, but not limited to, Scotland.
This is not an easy book to get hold of! But copies can be obtained from the publishers, Groam House Museum, at http://www.groamhouse.org.uk/index.asp?pageid=44848