Abstract
The northern and western isles of Scotland have proved fertile ground for archaeological investigation over the last 100 years. However, the nature of the landscape with its rugged coastlines and irregular topography, together with rapid peat growth rates, make for challenging surveying. Commonly, an archaeological monument or series of monuments is identified but little is known about the surrounding areas and, in particular, the palaeo-landscapes within which the monuments are located. This situation is exemplified by the standing stones of Calanais in Lewis. Here, surrounding peat bogs have buried a significant portion of the landscape around which the stones were first erected. This project identifies remote sensing geophysical techniques that are effective in mapping the buried (lost) landscape and thus aid better contextualisation of the stone monuments within it. Further, the project demonstrates the most appropriate techniques for prospecting across these buried landscapes for as yet unidentified stone features associated with the lives of the people who constructed the monuments.
Highlights
IntroductionUnlike the Neolithic landscapes of Scotland’s Northern Isles, those of the western Isles remain relatively unexplored and poorly documented [1]
The Tursachan at Calanais in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland is a World Heritage site and one of the most iconic Neolithic stone monuments in the UK
The peat and Holocene rising sea levels serve to preserve the Neolithic and older, buried landscapes. Investigating these landscapes requires remote sensing technologies to map the archaeology on land and marine geophysical techniques to see through water and sediment accumulations on to preserved landscapes offshore
Summary
Unlike the Neolithic landscapes of Scotland’s Northern Isles, those of the western Isles remain relatively unexplored and poorly documented [1]. This is partially a result of a low archaeological research intensity and the widespread blanket peat and lower levels of agricultural development that lessen chance finds in the area. The peat and Holocene rising sea levels serve to preserve the Neolithic and older, buried landscapes Investigating these landscapes requires remote sensing technologies to map the archaeology on land and marine geophysical techniques to see through water and sediment accumulations on to preserved landscapes offshore
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