The Border of Farming and the Cultural Markers - Nordlige Verdener

48
eral dykes among which was a smaller
circular dyke. The house is somewhat
dilapidated with many boulders tumbled
in and the site could be of a somewhat
younger date. Further to the West at
Ness of Nounsbrough and down to Gruni
Gill, by Ini Fiord and exposed to the
South we mapped two house structures,
a circular dyke and other dykes indicating
that the two houses could be contemporary.
Fig. 9
These few examples give a picture of a
variation in settlement structures: Single
house structures lying alone; small
communities consisting of two or more
house holds with field systems; and finally
clusters of houses such as the one at
Pin houlland consisting of five to six structures.
As far as I know the house cluster
at Pinhoulland stands alone on Shetland,
but further surveys and mapping will undoubtedly
reveal that this kind of settlement
type is more widespread.
Conclusion
I have concentrated my work on West
Mainland, Shetland and I am thus unable
to say whether the above sketched
picture is representative for the settlement
structure on Shetland as a whole
during the Neolithic Period or Older
Bronze Age. It looks as if Shetland has a
much more complicated settlement structure
during the Neolithic Period than
earlier observed. It is also suggestive
that the nearest parallel to the cluster of
houses at Pinhoulland – as far as the
surveys indicate – is Skara Brae and
other of the clusters/villages of Late Neolithic
or Older Bronze Age origins from
Orkney. This also implies that we have
to reconsider the cultural connections
between the North Atlantic islands,
which challenge the idea of isolation
during this period. We should all be well
aware that all these indications are
based on surveys and therefore are built
on peaty ground – so to say in “Shetlandic”
terms.
Orkney has a rich and varied Neolithic
Period, which among other factors is
caused by the intense interest from antiquarians
and archaeologists in Orkney
prehistory over a considerable span of
time. Shetland on the other hand has
lacked the same magnetism seen from a
19 th and 20 th Century view, which is no
critique of the archaeological investigations
in Orkney, but may be more an indication
of where the prestige has been
placed. The last 15-20 years has changed
much both concerning published excavations
(Turner 1998; Fojut 2006; Dockrill
et al. 1998: 61; AOC Archaeology
Group), excavations especially of Iron
Age – Viking Age structures and exhibitions
among other things thanks to the
investments in Hay’s Dock.