Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-x4r87 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T07:23:54.628Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

ROOM FOR IDEAS: TRACING NON-DOMESTIC ROUNDHOUSES

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 October 2018

Tanja Romankiewicz
Tanja Romankiewicz*
Affiliation:
School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, William Robertson Wing, Old Medical School, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK. Email: T.Romankiewicz@ed.ac.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Iron Age studies in Britain operate in a world populated by roundhouses. Post-ring evidence is generally interpreted in domestic contexts. However, research on later prehistoric roundhouses in north-east Scotland has identified a small yet significant number of round structures in unusual locations, with unusual architectural details and a distinct lack of domestic material. Some of these relate to Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age stone circles, for which Richard Bradley’s work in the wider region has highlighted progressive biographies of construction and reuse. This paper, rooted in architectural design theory, selects a particular case study – the multiple timber post-rings at Candle Stane (in Aberdeenshire) – to highlight the complexities in interpreting these fascinating and enigmatic buildings. The architectural approach develops alternative reconstructions that lead to new perspectives on later prehistoric architecture as event-based and concerned with process. These processes only gradually lead to an architectural end-product, which displays distinctly non-domestic connotations. The research not only highlights the usefulness of data derived from rescue work for academic study, but the advocated approach of reconstructing in alternatives also lends itself to developing innovative approaches in Higher Education to teach visual competence.

Type
Papers
Information
The Antiquaries Journal , Volume 98 , September 2018 , pp. 17 - 42
Copyright
© The Society of Antiquaries of London, 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Barber, J 1992. ‘Megalithic architecture’, in N Sharples and A Sheridan (eds), Vessels for the Ancestors, 13–32, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh Google Scholar
Barber, J 1997. The Excavation of a Stalled Cairn at the Point of Cott, Westray, Orkney, STAR Monograph Ser. 1, EdinburghGoogle Scholar
Barclay, G J, Brophy, K and MacGregor, G 2002. ‘Claish, Stirling: an Early Neolithic structure in its context’, Proc Soc Antiq Scotl, 132, 65–117 Google Scholar
Bersu, G 1977. Three Iron Age Round Houses in the Isle of Man, The Manx Museum and National Trust, Robert MacLehose & Co. Ltd, Glasgow Google Scholar
Bradley, R 2005. The Moon and the Bonfire: an investigation of three stone circles in north-east Scotland, Soc Antiq Scotl, Edinburgh Google Scholar
Bradley, R 2007. The Prehistory of Britain and Ireland, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Google Scholar
Bradley, R 2011. Stages and Screens: an investigation of four henge monuments in northern and north-east Scotland, Soc Antiq Scotl, Edinburgh Google Scholar
Bradley, R 2012. Ideas of Order, Oxford University Press, Oxford Google Scholar
Bradley, R 2016a. ‘Histories of reuse’, in Bradley and Nimura, 2016, 122–133 Google Scholar
Bradley, R 2016b. ‘After the great stone circles’, in Bradley and Nimura, 2016, 112–121 Google Scholar
Bradley, R 2016c. ‘Croftmoraig: the anatomy of a stone circle’, in Bradley and Nimura, 2016, 141–151 Google Scholar
Bradley, R 2016d. ‘Croftmoraig stone circle, Perth and Kinross: a reinterpretation in the light of fresh excavation’, in Bradley and Nimura, 2016, 56–73 Google Scholar
Bradley, R and Nimura, C (eds) 2016. The Use and Reuse of Stone Circles: fieldwork at five Scottish monuments and its implications, Oxbow Books, Oxford Google Scholar
Bradley, R and Sheridan, A 2005. ‘Croft Moraig and the chronology of stone circles’, Proc Prehist Soc, 71, 269–281 Google Scholar
Bradley, R, Haselgrove, C, van der Linden, M and Webley, L 2015. The Later Prehistory of North-West Europe: the evidence of development-led fieldwork, Oxford University Press, Oxford Google Scholar
Brophy, K 2007. ‘From big houses to cult houses: Early Neolithic timber halls in Scotland’, Proc Prehist Soc, 73, 75–96 Google Scholar
Cameron, K 1999. ‘Excavation of an Iron Age timber structure beside the Candle Stane recumbent stone circle, Aberdeenshire’, Proc Soc Antiq Scotl, 129, 359–372 Google Scholar
Cavers, G and Hudson, G 2014. Torwood and Coldoch Brochs, Stirlingshire: archaeological survey report, unpublished survey report, AOC Archaeology, LoanheadGoogle Scholar
Chadwick, A M 2012. ‘Routine magic, mundane ritual: towards a unified notion of depositional practice’, Oxford J Archaeol, 31 (3), 283–315 Google Scholar
Cook, M and Dunbar, L 2008. Rituals, Roundhouses and Romans. Excavations at Kintore, Aberdeenshire, 2000–2006: volume I, Forest Road, Scottish Trust for Archaeological Research, Edinburgh Google Scholar
Coulton, J J 1976. The Architectural Development of the Greek Stoa, Clarendon Press, Oxford Google Scholar
Dunwell, A 2007. Cist Burial and an Iron Age Settlement at Dryburn Bridge, Innerwick, East Lothian, Scottish Archaeological Internet Report 24, Soc Antiq Scotl, Edinburgh, https://doi.org/10.5284/1017938 (accessed 22 June 2018)Google Scholar
Eriksen, M H 2016. ‘Commemorating dwelling: the death and burial of houses in Iron and Viking Age Scandinavia’, Euro J Archaeol, 19 (3), 477–496 Google Scholar
Fonatti, F 1995. Elementare Gestaltungsprinzipien in der Architektur, Wiener Akademie-Reihe Band 11, Edition, Tusch, Vienna Google Scholar
Harding, D G 2009. The Iron Age Round-house: later prehistoric building in Britain and beyond, Oxford University Press, Oxford Google Scholar
Haselgrove, C and Pope, R 2007. ‘Characterising the earlier Iron Age’, in C Haselgrove and R Pope (eds), The Earlier Iron Age in Britain and the Near Continent, 1–23, Oxbow, Oxford Google Scholar
Hingley, R 1997. ‘The excavation of two later Iron Age fortified homesteads at Aldclune, Blair Atholl, Perth and Kinross’, Proc Soc Antiq Scotl, 127, 407–466 Google Scholar
Hunter, F 2001. ‘The carnyx in Iron Age Europe’, Antiq J, 81, 77–108 Google Scholar
Hunter, F 2009. Excavation at Birnie, Moray, 2008, unpublished excavation report, Department of Archaeology, National Museums of Scotland, EdinburghGoogle Scholar
Hunter, F 2011. Excavation at Birnie, Moray, 2010, unpublished excavation report, Department of Archaeology, National Museums of Scotland, EdinburghGoogle Scholar
James, S 2015. ‘“Visual competence” in archaeology: a problem hiding in plain sight’, Antiquity, 89 (347), 1, 189–202 Google Scholar
Kilbride-Jones, H E 1935. ‘An account of the excavation of the stone circle at Loanhead of Daviot, and of the standing stone of Cullerlie, Echt, both in Aberdeenshire, on behalf of HM Office of Works’, Proc Soc Antiq Scotl, 69, 168–223 Google Scholar
Kilbride-Jones, H E 1936. ‘Late Bronze Age cemetery: being an account of the excavations of 1935 at Loanhead of Daviot, Aberdeenshire, on behalf of HM Office of Works’, Proc Soc Antiq Scotl, 70, 278–314 Google Scholar
Lynn, C J (ed) 1997. Excavations at Navan Fort 1961–71 by D M Waterman, The Stationary Office, Belfast Google Scholar
Maniquet, C 2010. ‘Comment les Gaules devinrent romaines : Le dépôt d’armes, d’instruments de musique et d’objets gaulois du sanctuaire de Tintignac à Naves, Paris ’, La découverte, 2010, 21–34 Google Scholar
Mercer, R J 1981. ‘The excavation of a Late Neolithic henge-type enclosure at Balfarg, Markinch, Fife, Scotland, 1977–78’, Proc Soc Antiq Scotl, 111, 63–171 Google Scholar
Millican, K 2007. ‘Turning in circles: a new assessment of the Neolithic timber circles of Scotland’, Proc Soc Antiq Scotl, 137, 5–34 Google Scholar
Musson, C R 1971. ‘A study of possible building forms at Durrington Walls, Woodhenge and the Sanctuary’, in G J Wainwright and I H Longworth (eds), Durrington Walls: excavations 1966–1968, 363–377, Soc Antiq, London Google Scholar
Neumann, D and Weinbrenner, U 1993. Frick/Knöll Baukonstruktionslehre. Teil 2, 29th edn, B G Teubner, Stuttgart Google Scholar
Noble, G, Poller, T and Raven, J (eds) 2007. Scottish Odysseys: the archaeology of islands, Tempus, Stroud Google Scholar
Parker Pearson, M, Cleal, R, Marshall, P, Needham, S, Pollard, J, Richards, C, Ruggles, C, Sheridan, A, Thomas, J, Tilley, C, Welham, K, Chamberlain, A, Chenery, C, Evans, J, Knüsel, C, Linford, N, Martin, L, Montgomery, J, Payne, A and Richards, M 2007. ‘The age of Stonehenge’, Antiquity, 81, 617–639 Google Scholar
Phillips, T, Hampshire-Monk, I, Abramson, P 2006. ‘The excavation and reconstruction of the recumbent stone circle at Strichen, Aberdeenshire, 1979–82’, Proc Soc Antiq Scotl, 136, 111–134 Google Scholar
Piggott, S and Simpson, D 1971. ‘The excavation of a stone circle at Croft Moraig, Perthshire, Scotland’, Proc Soc Antiq Scotl, 37 (1), 1–15 Google Scholar
Pollard, J 1992. ‘The Sanctuary, Overton Hill, Wiltshire: a re-examination’, Proc Prehist Soc, 58, 213–226 Google Scholar
Pope, R 2003. Prehistoric dwelling: circular structures in north and central Britain c 2500 BC–AD 500, unpublished PhD thesis, University of DurhamGoogle Scholar
Romankiewicz, T 2011. The Complex Roundhouses of the Scottish Iron Age, volume I, BAR Brit Ser 550, Archaeopress, Oxford Google Scholar
Romankiewicz, T 2016. ‘Building (ancient) lives: new perspectives on the past for a sustainable future’, Euro Archaeol, 48 (1), 25–30 Google Scholar
Romankiewicz, T 2018. ‘The line, the void and the current: Iron Age art from a design theory perspective’, Oxford J Archaeol, 37 (1), 45–59 Google Scholar
ScARF 2012. ‘5.4 How were roundhouses used?’, in F Hunter and M Carruthers (eds), Iron Age Scotland: ScARF panel report, pp 51–3, Scottish Archaeological Research Framework, Soc Antiq Scotl, Edinburgh, http://www.scottishheritagehub.com/sites/default/files/u13/ScARF%20Iron%20Age%20June%202012.pdf (accessed 22 June 2018)Google Scholar
Ten Harkel, L, Franconi, T and Gosden, C 2017. ‘Fields, ritual and religion: holistic approaches to the rural landscape in long-term perspective (c 1500 bc–ad 1086)’, Oxford J Archaeol, 36 (4), 413–437 Google Scholar
Tipping, R, Bradley, R, Sanders, J, McCulloch, R and Wilson, R 2012. ‘Moments of crisis: climate change in Scottish prehistory’, Proc Soc Antiq Scotl, 142, 9–25 Google Scholar
Venclová, N 1993. ‘Celtic shrines in central Europe: a sceptical approach’, Oxford J Archaeol, 12 (1), 55–66 Google Scholar
Webley, L 2007. ‘Using and abandoning roundhouses: a reinterpretation of the evidence from Late Bronze Age–Early Iron Age southern England’, Oxford J Archaeol, 26 (2), 127–144 Google Scholar
Welfare, A 2011. Great Crowns of Stone: the Recumbent Stone Circles of Scotland, Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, Edinburgh Google Scholar
White, R and Richardson, P 2010. The Excavation of Bronze Age Roundhouses at Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire, Scottish Archaeological Internet Report 43, Soc Antiq Scotl, EdinburghGoogle Scholar