Palynological studies in northeast Skye and Raasay

Fraser Green, Kevin Edwards

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

Pollen, microscopic charcoal and radiocarbon studies at four sites on Skye and Raasay provide environmental contexts for the archaeological investigations of Scotland’s First Settlers around the Inner Sound. One coring site, from a loch in northern Trotternish, Skye, provides a regional summary of environmental change. Other sites closer to the rockshelter at An Corran, Trotternish, furnish more localised pictures of landscape change, some of which may be associated with human intervention of Mesolithic age. Intertidal organic deposits from Raasay assist in reconstructing the early Holocene environment of the area. General date ranges have been presented as uncalibrated, radiocarbon years BP. AMS radiocarbon dates were obtained on bulk sediments and these appear at the sides of the pollen diagrams as calibrated years BP. Calibration was undertaken via the program CALIB v. 5.0.1 (Stuiver & Reimer 2005). Dating estimates are based on straight-line extrapolations with the dates rounded to the nearest ten years and by-passing dates which are out of time sequence (as at Loch Cleat; Edwards & Whittington 2001).
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationMesolithic and later sites around the Inner Sound, Scotland
Subtitle of host publicationThe work of the Scotland’s First Settlers project 1998-2004
EditorsKaren Hardy, Caroline Wickham-Jones
Place of PublicationEdinburgh, United Kingdom
PublisherSociety of Antiquaries of Scotland
Chapter8.1
Pages481-490
Number of pages10
Volume31
ISBN (Electronic)978-0903903615
Publication statusPublished - 2009

Publication series

NameScottish Archaeological Internet Reports
PublisherThe Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
Number31
ISSN (Electronic)1473-3803

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Palynological studies in northeast Skye and Raasay'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this