Waterland–People: On Structure and Origin of Crannogs ...

3.2. SITES CHAPTER 3. SITES ASSESSMENT
4. Active human contribution
Persistent woodland is found at Burn of Rusht in the west Mainland hills until peat
initiation around 3400 BP (3700 cal BP) but the arboreal pollen percentages remain at
twice the modern level on Rousay after the decline which indicates the persistence of few
trees until the late Neolithic. Heathland and blanket peat developed in West Mainland
from 3400–3000 BP (3700–3200 cal BP), sometimes preceeded by an increase in grazing
indicators with a possible increase of shrubby taxa at Lesliedale Moss and spread of
heath taxa samples, showing a decrease of human activity in the ditch fill at Maes Howe
chambered cairn, while at Loch of Skaill human activity slightly increased at that time.
Iron Age evidence is scant and suggests that the major impact of human activity occured
shortly after the decline of woodland. Subsequent changes in the palaeoecological record
are sparse, suggesting that landuse patterns remained constant while other aspects of
human activity altered. There is no direct evidence of climatic changes although it was
suggested (Keatinge and Dickinson 1979) to have been the reason for the blanket peat
development (Bunting 1996, 20-9).
3.2 Sites
The following represents all information that was available during this work. The order
roughly follows a NS axis, starting NW on Rousay as in table 1 with the exception of
the sites in Shetland and North Ronaldsay. General information about the maps can be
obtained where they first appear.
Loch of Brow, Shetland
One island is indicated in the Loch of Brow in Dunrossness in Shetland (RCAHMS
1892).
Loch of St. ’Tredwall’
There is one island, a chapel site in the Loch of St. Tredwell in Papa Westray (RCAHMS
1892).
Loch of Wasbister
The geological O. S. map of 1932 indicates the loch’s area as overlying Boulder Clay
and Rousay Flags, stretching from Scapa Taing in the West to Nousty Sand/Rough of
Wasbister in the East (Wilson 1932).
Blaeu’s atlas of Orkney and Shetland (Blaeu and Jansson 1654) shows one island
(probably Burrian) in the Loch of Wasbister in North Rousay (Roousoy). The map
symbol suggests a massive structure with no ecclesiastical attributes and there is no
indication of a promontory, which is Bretta Ness.
A map sheet from 1753 shows both, the islet and the promontory in the Loch of Wasbister
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