Scotland's intertidal prehistory: Lub Dubh Aird, a raw material and knapping site in Upper Loch Torridon

Hardy, K. , Benjamin, J., Bicket, A., McCarthy, J. and Ballin, T. (2016) Scotland's intertidal prehistory: Lub Dubh Aird, a raw material and knapping site in Upper Loch Torridon. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 145, pp. 17-39. (doi: 10.9750/PSAS.145.17.39)

Abstract

Sea-level rise and coastal change have impacted on the visibility of early to mid-Holocene sites worldwide. Due to the combination of eustatic and isostatic effects, modern coastal landscapes rarely reflect those occupied and exploited by prehistoric people. This suggests that intertidal and marine archaeology is set to become increasingly important in future studies of the coastal populations of prehistoric Britain. Though Scotland’s west coast is renowned for its abundance of evidence for the Mesolithic, the potential for intertidal sites has barely been investigated. We report on a newly discovered raw material source and primary knapping location on the beach and across the intertidal zone at Lub Dubh Aird, Upper Loch Torridon. Our results suggest that a multi-disciplinary approach to investigation into early prehistoric human occupation of the west Scottish coastline – that incorporates survey of intertidal zones together with the upper beach and nearby areas – is essential to fully appreciate the range of sites present and to allow these to be integrated into a better understanding of coastal landscape use at this time.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Hardy, Professor Karen
• Authors: Hardy, K., Benjamin, J., Bicket, A., McCarthy, J., and Ballin, T.
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > Archaeology
• Journal Name: Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
• Publisher: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
• ISSN: 0081-1564
• ISSN (Online): 2056-743X