Earliest houses, Bronze Age cremations and tools found by archaeologists in Scotland

Culture24 ^ | 16 May 2014 | Ben Miller

[SunkenCiv]

A Neolithic home which is south-west Scotland’s earliest known house, two cemeteries carrying 20 Bronze Age cremations, a pair of rare jet necklaces and thousands of flint tools used in Mesolithic coastal industries have been discovered during the creation of a bypass in Dumfries and Galloway.

Work on the new Dunragit intersection has uncovered a huge variety of artefacts from 7,000 years of Scottish history. Criss-crossing palaeochannels on the edge of a former estuary obscured a house which is thought to date from 6000 BC, accompanied by a perforated stone adze used to work wood...

No bone survived in either of the cists the necklaces were found in, although archaeologists are planning chemical tests to deduce whether the bodies had been removed from graves or ritually deposited during the late third and second millennia BC.

They say the necklaces are of “exceptional” quality, originating from Yorkshire in the first examples of their kind to be found in Scotland during recent times.

Of the 20 cremations, the remains of an adult were carried by one wholly intact urn...

Six Iron Age roundhouses point to only the second Iron Age village ever found in Galloway, dating from around 2,000 years ago and containing evidence of metalworking and a Romano-British Iron Age brooch. Experts observed uncertainty over the impact the Romans had on the community, having used a Roman road which passes close to the site.

In other discoveries, knapping waste and more than 13,500 flint microliths were attributed to a “core focus” of Mesolithic activity by occupants likely to have exploited the nearby resources of fish, shellfish and hunting grounds. Beaker pottery could also be linked to European immigration.

The new bypass route, the A75, was chosen to avoid disturbing archaeology and cropmarks. The remains were discovered during the removal of topsoil.

[SunkenCiv]

Neolithic/Bronze Age Jet Necklace recovered from one of the cemetery burials at Dunragit [© GUARD Archaeology Ltd]

[SunkenCiv]

[gorush]

If a New York/New Jersey accent doesn’t drive you nuts (”right?”), I heartily endorse this series of 48 lectures.
http://www.audible.com/pd/History/The-History-of-Ancient-Egypt-Audiobook/B00DICD9BE

[Beowulf9]

I would be thrilled to find that beaker pot.

“The remains of Neolithic dwellers are thought to come from a nearby ceremonial complex excavated by Manchester University diggers more than a decade ago, unearthing three concentric rings of timber posts initially spotted through aerial photography.”

Makes me think of ‘Woodhenge’.

[Beowulf9]

Also, I wonder if they will find any indication of Pictish origins?

[Sawdring]

You might like the Ancient World podcast by Scott Chesworth.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks, I’ll check it out.

[Pharmboy]

I listened to a bit of it and was expecting someone who sounded like Michael Savage, but this guy doesn’t sound that bad (he does speak fast, though). You must have sensitive ears—LOL!

[gorush]

I’m the only guy I know who doesn’t have an accent.

[gorush]

Thanks, I’ll look it up.

[gorush]

He keeps throwing “right?” into the middle of sentences...or he’ll make a statement and then repeat that statement verbatim, right? I almost turned it off, but the couldn’t. I’ve read many histories of Egypt, many that the author himself suggests be read. This series was most excellent.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Thanks for the tip on The History of Ancient Egypt. I just created a 30 day trial account and got the four audio files for free.

I listen to politics, history, and anthropology courses when I’m on long weekend hikes and commuting. I really enjoy the various series put out by Hillsdale College (Free Market Forum, Free Market Economics, Introduction to the Constitution, et al) and The Hoover Institution. Listen to Rush and Levin a lot as well, but they get a bit tedious and repetitious at times.

[Pharmboy]

Yep...that’s NY/NJ. Savage that hurts my ears.

[oh8eleven]

Your link leads to an Audible Audiobooks webpage offering the The History of Ancient Egypt course for $52.95, clearly stating it's from "The Great Courses."
But when I go to The Great Courses website, they're charging $249.95 for (what appears to be) the same course!
Quite a difference.

[gorush]

As an audible subscriber you basically pay $10/book, no matter what the “listed” price.

[oh8eleven]

That makes the pricing difference even bigger.

[gorush]

I’ve gotten four books per month for the last twelve years...I drive a lot in my quest.

[colorado tanker]

Makes me wonder what attracted people to settle that far north that long ago when there was land available to the south.

It was the scotch whiskey, I suppose.

[trisham]

I’m the only guy I know who doesn’t have an accent.

****************************

No suh!

[SunkenCiv]

Yeah, that would be a great find. Of course, when you turn 91 the feds will break in every door and window brandishing firearms to seize it...