Scottish Islands Explorer 44: Jul / Aug 2017

Uist - Archaeology in Focus
Uist - Archaeology in Focus
Uist - Archaeology in Focus
Tom Aston keenly anticipates a conference in early August
You can always rely on the Islands Book Trust to select,
explore and present topics that are both relevant and
of interest. Recent research has shown how the development
of British civilisation and culture has been greatly influenced
by movements originating in the islands of the north and
west. What were once seen as outlying settlements are now
shown to be innovative hubs.
In my childhood, we were accustomed to hearing almost
exclusively of southerly influences - from Greece, Rome, the
Holy Land, the Germanic tribes, the conquest from
Normandy and the Renaissance from European sources.
Now, here at St Peter’s Hall, Daliburgh, South Uist and
beyond, from Thursday 3 until Friday 5 August, there will be
something of an antidote.
Our understanding of the past has undergone something
dramatic, with technical, forensic and electronic devices
producing revolutions leading to revelations. The collecting
of fragments and their classification have been the preserve
of the archaeologist, but with increased understanding of
scientific data, more accurate connections have been possible
to an increasing number of devotees.
Strands of Knowledge
The journey from the fragmentary items to the whole
picture is an exciting one and this conference will certainly
be piecing together those strands of knowledge that provide
insight. The organisers have focused on the Western Isles and
Argyll to show the Prehistoric Context; the Norse and
Medieval influences; the Islands Dynamic; and the special
interests raised at Udal, North Uist.
There are some 30 archaeologists listed on the programme,
ensuring a variety of views and interpretations. If you were to
have a professional interest in the subject, then good
networking is guaranteed. So the focal points will be
extensive and the coverage of topics wide and it means that
those with an amateur enthusiasm will be well catered for.
Among the topics that are listed, some particularly aroused
my favourite approaches and places. The factors of isolation
and connectivity that are well enshrined in island life will be
considered. Trends depend on people identifying with and
copying others, in other words, reacting. Detachment can
lead to the leading of relatively unchanged lives with customs
and traditions being preserved.
Survive on the Shoreline
Machair is a feature of the Uists that continues to attract
visitors to the islands and to delight many who were not
expecting the sensations it produces. One topic - ‘Coasts on
the Edge’ - will examine how an evolving landscape has led
to people who had to survive on the shoreline adapting to the
demands of the soil and the vagaries of the weather.
‘Historic Shipwrecks of the Hebrides’ brings to mind those
eras - to which people long grew accustomed over millennia
- when the seaway was not just the preferred route, but the
only one. Communities flourished when landscapes and tidal
conditions were compatible, but were devastated when sailors
and boatmen were involved in accidents, often fatal.
North Uist has more fresh surface-water than any other
comparable area of Britain. Take a look at a map to see how
the colour blue dominates. The archaeology of water
management is a topic and I was interested to read of canalbuilding
in South Uist in the mid-18th Century when a link
between loch and sea became a feature that led to
enterprising ways of life.
Forces Unleashed
The incomers from the Nordic regions brought vigorous,
often violent, changes to the ways of the Gaelic people. Yet
they co-existed and to an extent thrived until crises, such as
plagues, interrupted development. However, the powerful
forces unleashed from the north became subdued and within
a comparatively short historical period power was back with
the local kindred. This is to be examined in detail.
Although St Kilda has long attracted
research, it was the establishment of the
missile range on Benbecula in the 1956
that kick-started much. Intensive archaeological
investigations, particularly on the
airfield at Ballivanich where a wheelhouse
complex was uncovere, were undertaken.
Strangely the findings were never
published in one source, but found their
way piecemeal to several authorities. This
will be addressed.
Coastal chapel-sites on Lewis will be
discussed as will the islet settlement of
Eilean Domhnvill, North Uist, where there
is evidence of residence from 3750BC.
Here were, apparently, the first farmers in
the West and evidence of a thriving
Hebridean Neolithic culture. This frame
puts time into context with a span of
almost 6,000 years between us and them.
It’s with the focus of the forensic that the
lives and deaths of two adults found at Udal,
North Uist, have been investigated and will
be presented. Detective work has revealed
much about everyday existence in remote
places where to eke was vital with the tasks
of scrimping, scraping and saving food,
while somehow preserving teeth to chew it.
When it comes to the remote, there is
little to match the east side of South Uist
where the few tracks come across the hills
rather than along the coast. ‘Walking the
Wild Side’ will show how five years of field
studies have been revived by three retired
Uist residents keen to delve into an area that
has not had full professional treatment.
Their findings will also reveal tips on how
to get around in difficult terrain.
The phrase ‘movement and transformation’
will be used to describe migrations. It
also applies to a basic concept of the
conference, where interested parties are
encouraged to move dates in their diaries
to attend in order for their awareness and
knowledge to be transformed by experts in
the field and enthusiasts on the ground. Do
take the opportunity of joining them.
Further Information
The Islands Book Trust
Laxay Hall Laxay Isle of
Lewis HS2 9PJ
Office open on weekdays
from 09:00 - 14:00
01851 830316
Range of prices for the
Conference:
From free for the Buchan
Lecture to daily rates
from £30 and up to £195
(£165 for members of
the IBT) for the full three
days, covering lectures,
refreshments, lunch,
dinner and excursions.
46 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER JULY / AUGUST 2017
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 47