Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T03:59:04.313Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Origin and Development of the Broch and Wheelhouse Building Cultures of the Scottish Iron Age

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 May 2014

Euan W. MacKie
Affiliation:
Hunterian Museum, University of Glasgow

Extract

The first account of the Scottish Iron Age which attempted to set its monuments and material cultures in their British and North European context was that published by V. G. Childe in 1935. Childe suggested that the brochs, which had hitherto been at best discussed in a purely local context, might be understood better if regarded as only one aspect of the more widespread phenomenon of the hundreds of tiny stone fortlets, or duns, of the highlands and islands, termed by him the Castle Complex to distinguish them from the larger forts of the lowlands. He also suggested that parallels between the bone weaving equipment found on broch sites and in the Glastonbury lake village provided a clue to the origins of their immigrant builders.

Eighteen years ago Sir Lindsay Scott, following Childe's lead, published in these Proceedings two long papers on the brochs and wheelhouses of the Scottish Atlantic Iron Age and the fact that subsequent discoveries have disproved some of his ideas does not detract from the great service that he rendered with them to British archaeology. He was the first to undertake a comprehensive and detailed survey of the available evidence—both excavated and from surface fieldwork—about two classes of drystone structures which had previously all too frequently been treated as a peculiarly Scottish phenomenon having few clear relationships with Iron Age cultures further south.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Prehistoric Society 1965

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

REFERENCES

Anderson, Joseph. 1877. ‘Notes on the Structure, Distribution and Contents of the Brochs, with special reference to their Celtic or Norwegian Origin’, PSAS, vol. 12 (1876–8), pp. 314–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anderson, Joseph. 1883. Scotland in Pagan Times: the Iron Age.Google Scholar
Anderson, Joseph. 1890. ‘Notice of the Excavation of the Brochs of Yarhouse, Brounaban, Bowermadden, Old Stirkoke and Dunbeath in Caithness …’, Arch. Scot., vol. 5, pp. 131–98.Google Scholar
Anderson, Joseph. 1901. ‘Notice of nine brochs along the Caithness coast from Keiss Bay to Skirza Head …’, PSAS, vol. 35 (1900–1), pp. 112–48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Apling, H. 1932. ‘A Hallstatt Settlement at West Harling, Norfolk’, PPSEA, vol. 2, pt. 1, pp. 111–22.Google Scholar
Barbour, James. 1907. ‘Notice of a Stone Fort near Kirkandrews … Kirkcudbrightshire …’ (Castle Haven), PSAS, vol. 41 (1906–7), pp. 6880.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Benton, Sylvia. 1931. ‘The Excavation of the Sculptor's Cave, Covesea, Morayshire’, PSAS, vol. 65 (1930–1), pp. 177216.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bersu, G. 1938. ‘The Excavations at Woodbury, Wiltshire, during 1938’, PPS, vol. 4, pp. 308–13.Google Scholar
Bersu, G. 1940. ‘Excavations at Little Woodbury, Wiltshire. Part I: the Settlement as revealed by excavation’, PPS, vol. 6, pp. 30111.Google Scholar
Beveridge, Erskine. 1903. Coll and Tiree.Google Scholar
Beveridge, Erskine. 1911. North Uist.Google Scholar
Beveridge, Erskine. 1931. ‘Excavation of an Earth-house at Foshigarry and a Fort, Dun Thomaidh, in North Uist’, PSAS, vol. 65 (1930–1), pp. 299322.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beveridge, Erskine and Callander, J. Graham. 1932. ‘Earth-houses at Garry Iochdrach and Bac Mhic Connain, in North Uist’, PSAS, vol. 66 (1932–3), pp. 3266.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brailsford, John. 1948. ‘Excavations at Little Woodbury, Wiltshire (1938–9); Pt. II’, PPS, vol. 14, pp. 123.Google Scholar
Brewster, T. C. M. 1963. The Excavation of Staple Howe.Google Scholar
British Museum. 1953. Later Prehistoric Antiquities of the British Isles.Google Scholar
Bruce, John. 1906. ‘Notice of the Excavation of a Broch at Jarlshof, Sumburgh, Shetland’, PSAS, vol. 41 (1905–6), pp. 1133.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Calder, Charles T. 1937. ‘A Neolithic Double-Chambered Cairn … and Later Structures on the Calf of Eday, Orkney’, PSAS, vol. 71 (1936–7), pp. 115–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Calder, Charles T. 1939. ‘Excavations of Iron Age Dwellings on the Calf of Eday in Orkney’, PSAS, vol. 73 (1938–9), pp. 167–85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Calder, Charles T. 1948. ‘Report on the Excavation of a Broch at Skitten, in the Kilmster District of Caithness’, PSAS, vol. 82 (1947–8), pp. 124–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Calder, Charles T. 1952. ‘Report on the Partial Excavation of a Broch at Sae Breck, Esha Ness, Shetland’, PSAS, vol. 86 (1951–2), pp. 178–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Calder, Charles T. 1956. ‘Report on the Discovery of numerous Stone Age House Sites in Shetland’, PSAS, vol. 89 (1955–6), pp. 340–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Calder, Charles T. and Steer, K. A. 1949. ‘Dun Lagaidh and four other Prehistoric Monuments near Ullapool, Ross and Cromarty’, PSAS, vol. 83 (1948–9), pp. 6876.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Callander, J. Graham. 1921. ‘Report on the Excavation of Dun Beag, a Broch near Struan, Skye’, PSAS, vol. 55 (1920–1), pp. 110–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Callander, J. Graham and Grant, Walter G. 1934. ‘The Broch of Midhowe, Rousay, Orkney’, PSAS, vol. 68 (1933–4), pp. 444516.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Callander, J. Graham and Graham, Angus. 1943. ‘Some Notable Prehistoric and Medieval Monuments recently examined by the Royal Commission … of Scotland’, PSAS, vol. 77 (1942–3), pp. 3149.Google Scholar
Childe, V. G. 1934. ‘Final Report on the Excavation of the Stone Circle at Old Keig, Aberdeenshire’, PSAS, vol. 68 (1933–4), pp. 372–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Childe, V. G. 1935. The Prehistory of Scotland.Google Scholar
Childe, V. G. 1935a. ‘Notes on Some Duns in Islay’, PSAS, vol. 69 (1934–5), pp. 81–4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Childe, V. G. 1946. Scotland before the Scots.Google Scholar
Childe, V. G.Christison, David. 1905. ‘Report on the Society's Excavations of Forts on the Poltalloch Estate, Argyll, in 1904–5’, PSAS, vol. 39 (1904–5), pp. 259322.Google Scholar
Clark, J. G. D. 1947. ‘Whales as an Economic Factor in Prehistoric Europe’, Ant., vol. 21, pp. 84104.Google Scholar
Clark, J. G. D. and Fell, C. I. 1953. ‘The Early Iron Age Site at Micklemoor Hill, West Harling, Norfolk, and its Pottery’, PPS, vol. 19, pp. 140.Google Scholar
Curle, Alexander O. 1916. ‘An Account of the Ruins of the Broch of Dun Telve, near Glenelg …’, PSAS, vol. 50 (1915–16), pp. 241–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Curle, Alexander O. 1921. ‘The Broch of Dun Troddan, Gleann Beag, Glenelg, Inverness-shire’, PSAS, vol. 55 (1920–1), pp. 8394.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Curle, Alexander O. 1936. ‘Account of the Excavation of an Iron Smeltery, and of an Associated Dwelling and Tumuli, at Wiltrow … Dunrossness, Shetland’, PSAS, vol. 70 (1935–6), pp. 153–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Curle, Alexander O. 1941. ‘An Account of the Partial Excavation of a “Wag” or Galleried Building at Forse, in the Parish of Latheron, Caithness’, PSAS, vol. 75 (1940–1), pp. 2339.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Curle, Alexander O. 1948. ‘The Excavation of the “Wag” or Prehistoric Cattlefold at Forse, Caithness …’, PSAS, vol. 80 (1945–6), pp. 1125.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Curle, James. 1892. ‘Notice on two Brochs recently discovered at Bow, Midlothian, and Torwoodlee, Selkirkshire’, PSAS, vol. 26 (1891–2), pp. 6884.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Curle, James. 1932. ‘An Inventory of Objects of Roman and provincial Roman origin found on Sites in Scotland, not definitely associated with Roman Constructions’, PSAS, vol. 66 (1931–2), pp. 277397.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sir.Dryden, Henry 1890. ‘Notes of the Brochs or “Pictish Towers” of Mousa, Clickhimin, etc., in Shetland …’, Arch. Scot., vol. 5, pp. 199214.Google Scholar
Dundas, Joseph. 1866. ‘Notes on the Excavation of an Ancient Building at Tapock, in the Torwood Parish of Dunipace, County of Stirling’, PSAS, vol. 6 (1864–6), pp. 259–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dunning, G. C. 1934. ‘The Swan's Neck and Ring-Headed Pins of the Early Iron Age in Britain’, Arch, Journ., vol. 91, pp. 269–95.Google Scholar
Fairhurst, Horace. 1939. ‘The Galleried Dun at Kildonan Bay, Kintyre’, PSAS, vol. 73 (1938–9), pp. 185228.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fairhurst, Horace. 1962. ‘An Caisteal: an Iron Age Fortification in Mull’, PSAS, vol. 95 (1961–2), pp. 199207.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Feachem, R. W. 1957. ‘Castlehill Wood Dun, Stirlingshire’, PSAS, vol. 90 (1956–7), pp. 2451.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Feachem, R. W. 1963. A Guide to Prehistoric Scotland. Batsford.Google Scholar
Fowler, Elizabeth. 1960. ‘The Origin and Development of the Penannular Brooch in Europe’, PPS, vol. 26, pp. 149–79.Google Scholar
Goudie, Gilbert. 1872. ‘Notice of Excavations in a Broch and adjacent Tumuli near Levenwick … Dunrossness, Shetland’, PSAS, vol. 9 (1870–2), pp. 212–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goudie, Gilbert. 1889. ‘Notice of some recent Brough Excavations in Shetland’, PSAS, vol. 23 (1888–9), pp. 246–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Graeme, A. Sutherland. 1914. ‘An Account of the Excavation of the Broch of Ayre, St. Mary's Holm, Orkney’, PSAS, vol. 48 (1913–14), pp. 3151.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Graham, A. 1947. ‘Some Observations on the Brochs,’ PSAS, vol. 81 (1946–7), pp. 4899.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Graham, A. 1948. ‘Some Antiquities in the Parish of Craignish’, PSAS, vol. 82 (1947–8), pp. 5260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Graham, A. 1949. ‘Notes on some Brochs and Forts visited in 1949’, PSAS, vol. 83 (1948–9), pp. 1224.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Graham, A. 1951. ‘Archaeological Gleanings from Dark Age Records’, PSAS, vol. 85 (1950–1), pp. 6491.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hamilton, J. R. C. 1956. Excavations at Jarlshof, Shetland. H.M.S.O.Google Scholar
Hamilton, J. R. C. 1957. ‘From Stone Age to the Broch Builders in Shetland’, Ill. Lond. News (25th May), pp. 850–1.Google Scholar
Hamilton, J. R. C. 1962. ‘Brochs and Broch Builders’, in The Northern Isles, ed. Wainwright, , pp. 5390.Google Scholar
Hawkes, C. F. C. 1959. ‘The ABC of the British Iron Age’, Univ. Lond. Inst. Arch. Occ. Paper, no. 11, pp. 116.Google Scholar
Hawkes, C. F. C. and Smith, M. A. 1957. ‘On some Buckets and Cauldrons of the Bronze and Early Iron Ages …’, Ant. Journ., vol. 37, pp. 131–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hencken, H. O'N. 1933. ‘An Excavation by H.M. Office of Works at Chysauster, Cornwall, 1931’, Archaeologia, vol. 83, pp. 237–84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hibbert, S. 1882. A Description of the Shetland Islands. Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Hodson, F. R. 1964. ‘Cultural Grouping within the British Pre-Roman Iron Age’, PPS, vol. 30, pp. 99110.Google Scholar
Jervise, Andrew. 1865. ‘Account of Excavations at Hurley Hawkin’, PSAS, vol. 6 (1864–6), pp. 210–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Joass, J. Maxwell. 1864. ‘Notes of various Objects of Antiquity in Strathnaver’, PSAS, vol. 5 (1862–4), pp. 357–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Joass, J. Maxwell. 1890. ‘The Brochs or “Pictish Towers” of Cinn-Trolla, Cam Liath, and Craig-Carril in Sutherland …’, Arch. Scot., vol. 5, pp. 95130.Google Scholar
Kilbride-Jones, H. E. 1935. ‘An Account of the Excavation of the Stone Circle at Loanhead of Daviot… Aberdeens.’, PSAS, vol. 69 (1934–5), pp. 168223.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lethbridge, T. C. 1952. ‘Excavations at Kilpheder, South Uist, and the Problem of the Brochs and Wheelhouses’, PPS, vol. 18, pp. 176–93.Google Scholar
Mackay, James. 1892. ‘Notice of the Excavation of the Broch at Ousedale, Caithness’, PSAS, vol. 26 (1891–2), pp. 351–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacKie, Euan W. 1965a. ‘The Broch of Dun Mor Vaul, Tiree, and the Cultural Components of the Hebridean Iron Age’, Antiquity, vol. 39, no. 156 (December).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacKie, Euan W. 1965b. ‘A Dwelling Site of the Earlier Iron Age at Balevullin, Tiree, excavated in 1912 by A. Henderson Bishop’, PSAS, vol. 96 (1962–3), pp. 155–83.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacLaren, Alastair. 1960. ‘Stanhope Dun, Peebles-shire’, PSAS, vol. 93 (1959–60), pp. 192201.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacLeod, F. T. 1915. ‘Notes on Dun an Iardhard, a Broch near Dunvegan … Skye’, PSAS, vol. 49 (1914–15), pp. 5770.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marwick, H. 1924. ‘Two Sculptured Stones recently found in Orkney’, PSAS, vol. 58 (1923–4), pp. 295–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mitchell, A. 1881. ‘Notice of Buildings designed for Defence on an Island in a Loch at Hogsetter, in Whalsay, Shetland’, PSAS, vol. 15 (1880–1), pp. 303–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MissMowbray, Cecil L. 1936. ‘Excavation at the Ness of Burgi, Shetland’, PSAS, vol. 70 (1935–6), pp. 381–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Munro, Robert. 1882. Scottish Lake Dwellings.Google Scholar
Neish, James. 1860. ‘Reference Notes to Plan and Views of Ancient Remains on the Summit of the Laws, Forfarshire’, PSAS, vol. 3 (1857–60), pp. 440–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paterson, J. Wilson. 1922. ‘The Broch of Mousa: a Survey by H.M. Office of Works’, PSAS, vol. 56 (1921–2), pp. 172–83.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Petrie, George. 1890. ‘Notice of the Brochs … of Orkney …’, Arch. Scot., vol. 5, pp. 7194.Google Scholar
Piggott, C. M. 1948. ‘The Excavation of Hownam Rings, Roxburghshire, 1948’, PSAS, vol. 82 (1947–8), pp. 193225.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Piggott, C. M. 1950. ‘The Excavations at Bonchester Hill, 1950’, PSAS, vol. 84 (1949–50), pp. 113–37.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Piggott, S. 1951. ‘Excavations in the Broch and Hillfort of Torwoodlee, Selkirkshire, 1950’, PSAS, vol. 85 (1950–1), pp. 92117.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Piggott, S. 1955. British Prehistory. H.U.L.Google Scholar
Piggott, S. (ed.). 1962. The Prehistoric Peoples of Scotland.Google Scholar
Piggott, S. and Piggott, C. M. 1946. ‘Fieldwork on Islay and Colonsay 1944–5’, PSAS, vol. 80 (1945–6), pp. 83103.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richardson, J. S. 1948. The Broch ofGurness, Aikerness, West Mainland, Orkney. M.o.W. pamphlet.Google Scholar
Rivet, A. L. F. 1962. ‘The Iron Age in Northern Britain’, Antiquity, vol. 36, no. 141 (March), pp. 2431.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
R.C.A.M.S. 1909. First Report and Inventory of Monuments and Constructions in the County of Berwick.Google Scholar
R.C.A.M.S. 1911. Third Report and Inventory of Monuments and Constructions in the County of Caithness.Google Scholar
R.C.A.M.S. 1911a. Second Report and Inventory of Monuments and Constructions in the County of Sutherland.Google Scholar
R.C.A.M.S. 1912. Fourth Report and Inventory of Monuments and Constructions in Galloway, vol. 1, County of Wigtown.Google Scholar
R.C.A.M.S. 1928. Ninth Report with Inventory of Monuments and Constructions in The Outer Hebrides, Skye and the Small Isles.Google Scholar
R.C.A.M.S. 1929. Tenth Report with Inventory of Monuments and Constructions in the Counties of Midlothian and West Lothian.Google Scholar
R.C.A.M.S. 1946. welfth Report with an Inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Orkney and Shetland, vol. 1, ‘Report and Introduction’; vol. 2, ‘Inventory of Orkney’; vol. 3, ‘Inventory of Shetland’.Google Scholar
R.C.A.M.S. 1957. An Inventory of the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Selkirkshire with the Fifteenth Report of the Commission.Google Scholar
R.C.A.M.S. 1963. Stirlingshire: an Inventory of the Ancient Monuments.Google Scholar
Savory, H. N. 1937. ‘An Early Iron Age Site at Long Wittenham, Berks’, Oxoniensia, vol. 2, pp. 111.Google Scholar
Scott, Lindsay. 1947. ‘The Problem of the Brochs’, PPS, vol. 13, pp. 136.Google Scholar
Scott, Lindsay. 1948. ‘Gallo-British Colonies: the Aisled Round-House Culture in the North’, PPS, vol. 14, pp. 46125.Google Scholar
Simpson, W. Douglas (ed.). 1954. The Viking Congress. Aberdeen UP.Google Scholar
Smith, Reginald A. 1927. ‘Pre-Roman Remains at Scarborough’, Archaeologia, vol. 77, pp. 179200.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Steer, K. A. 1956. ‘An Early Iron Age Homestead at West Plean, Stirlingshire’, PSAS, vol. 89 (1955–6), pp. 227–49.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stevenson, R. B. K. 1955. ‘Pins and the Chronology of Brochs’, PPS, vol. 21, pp. 282–94.Google Scholar
Stuart, John. 1860. ‘Remarks on the Ancient Structures called Picts' Houses and Burghs, with especial reference to the Burgh of Mousa in Shetland’, PSAS, vol. 3 (1857–60), pp. 187–95.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stuart, John. 1872. ‘On the Round Castles and Ancient Dwellings of the Valley of the Forth and its Tributary the Teith’, PSAS, vol. 9 (1870–2), pp. 2944.Google Scholar
Thomas, Charles. 1963. ‘The Animal Art of the Scottish Iron Age and its Origins’, Arch. Journ., vol. 118, pp. 1464.Google Scholar
Thomas, F. W. L. 1890. ‘On the Duns of the Outer Hebrides’, Arch. Scot., vol. 5, pp. 365415.Google Scholar
Traill, William. 1884. ‘Notice of Excavations at Stenabreck and Howmae, on North Ronaldsay, Orkney’, PSAS, vol. 19 (1883–4), pp. 1433.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Traill, William. 1890. ‘Results of Excavations at the Broch of Burrian, North Ronaldsay, Orkney …’, Arch. Scot., vol. 5, pp. 341–64.Google Scholar
Watt, William G. T. 1882. ‘Notice of the Broch known as Borwick … Sandwick, Orkney’, PSAS, vol. 16 (1881–2), pp. 442–50.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wheeler, R. E. M. 1943. ‘Maiden Castle, Dorset’, Report of the Res. Comm. of the Soc. of Ant. of Lond., 12th.Google Scholar
Wilson, Daniel. 1863. Prehistoric Annals of Scotland.Google Scholar
Young, Alison. 1953. ‘An Aisled Farmhouse at the Allasdale, Isle of Barra’, PSAS, vol. 87 (1952–3), pp. 80105.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Young, Alison. 1956. ‘Excavations at Dun Cuier, Isle of Barra, Outer Hebrides’, PSAS, vol. 89 (1955–6), pp. 290328.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Young, Alison. 1962. ‘Brochs and Duns’, PSAS, vol. 95 (1961–2), pp. 171–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Young, Alison and Richardson, K. M. 1960. ‘A Cheardach Mhor, Drimore, South Uist’, PSAS, vol. 93 (1959–60), pp. 135–73.CrossRefGoogle Scholar