The Archaeology of Britain: An introduction from ... - waughfamily.ca

• 44 • Steven Mithen
from work carried out here in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The two best-recorded
skeletons were found in a crushed state in 1924, associated with beads made from pig and red
deer incisors, and red ochre. Fragments of bone have been dated to 9,000 BP—surprisingly early
as continental Postglacial cemeteries generally date after 6,500 BP. The only complete skeleton
comes from Gough’s Cave, also in the Mendips. These remains, of a young male, are dated to the
Early Mesolithic or possibly a little earlier. Bryan Sykes of Oxford University believes that ancient
mtDNA (see Chapter 2) from this skeleton shows a remarkable degree of similarity to modern
humans, suggesting direct descent.
Elsewhere, human remains are extremely sparse and fragmentary. A small collection of skeletal
elements was recovered from the Oronsay middens (Mellars 1987), mostly from Cnoc Coig.
These are dominated by head and foot bones which were found dispersed throughout the midden.
They seem to indicate mainly adults, with one adolescent and one child represented, and do not
appear to derive from intentional burials.
Environmental evidence
Environmental evidence for Mesolithic activity comes directly from archaeological sites but also
from early Postglacial sediments, including those from areas where no Mesolithic sites are currently
known (Edwards in Pollard and Morrison 1996). Thus at Loch Lang (South Uist), charcoal, likely
to derive from campfires, appears in sediments after 9,000 years ago. Throughout the Western
Isles, sediments reveal increased levels of microscopic charcoal after 8,000 BP. This may reflect
rising human populations and perhaps deliberate burning of vegetation—although until habitation
sites are found, the possibility remains that the fires were natural occurrences during a more arid
period (Tipping in Pollard and Morrison 1996). Changes in vegetation visible in the pollen record
may also indicate a human presence. At Dallican Water (Shetland), for example, a marked reduction
in ferns and tall herbs during the Mesolithic may have resulted from grazing. If so, the likely
culprits are red deer: it seems improbable that they could have colonized the Shetland Islands
without having been transported in boats.
Missing evidence
Perhaps the most challenging feature of the record is what is known to be missing. Much of the
Early Mesolithic coastline has been inundated by the sea and consequently the role of coastal
resources during this period remains unclear. Is the earliest date for the Oronsay middens of c.
6,300 years ago simply a reflection of their survival, or is a major economic change indicated at
that time? Similarly there are areas where archaeologists can be confident that Mesolithic sites
exist, but in highland zones these are deeply buried below peat, or in coastal areas below blown
sand.
The rarity of well-preserved sites inhibits the interpretation of surviving artefacts. Microliths
must have been fixed in wooden or bone armatures, but only a possible pine arrowshaft from
Seamer Carr (North Yorkshire) has survived. Consequently there is limited information on the
types of tools they were used for. Offshore islands were reached, although evidence for boats is
lacking. A possible paddle was found at Star Carr, but elsewhere in Europe large canoes are
known. It must be assumed that similar craft were made here.
Other gaps in the record are more debatable. In the continental Later Mesolithic (Mithen
1994), numerous cemeteries in coastal locations provide evidence for complex burial rituals.
Were such cemeteries created in Britain? Aveline’s Hole is the only candidate. Similarly, art objects
are almost non-existent, yet are plentiful in Europe. It is difficult to believe that Mesolithic societies
in Britain did not engrave bone and antler or carve on stone. The extreme rarity of direct evidence
frustrates consideration of the non-material aspects of Mesolithic lifestyles.