Excavation of a shell midden site at Carding Mill Bay near Oban, Scotland

Abstract

Summary Rescue excavation of a shell midden was undertaken after its discovery during construction work. The site showed evidence of disturbance prior to excavation but it clearly consisted of two main elements, a shell midden containing ‘Obanian’ artefacts and, at the top of this, a fragmentary second millennium cist burial. The main significance of the site lies in the late date it provided for the ‘Obanian’ material. The site was excavated by the Lorn Archaeological Society and the post-excavation work was funded and organised by Historic Scotland.

Did Late Neolithic farming fail or flourish? A Scottish perspective on the evidence for Late Neolithic arable cultivation in the British Isles

“…It is possible that some groups maintained an essentially huntergatherer life-style, only obtaining cereals through trade with neighbouring farmers. This possibility is supported by evidence for the continued use of 'Mesolithic' shell middens into the Neolithic period in Scotland (Armit andFinlayson 1992, 516-7, 1996;Mithen et al 2007;Sharples 1992, 327;Telford 2002, 300) and the existence of Neolithic shell middens, such as at Nether Kinneil (Sloan 1982) in the Forth Estuary, and at Carding Mill Bay near Oban (Connock et al 1992). In fact, continuity with hunter-gatherer subsistence practices seems a reasonable interpretation for some of the more ephemeral settlement sites with small numbers of cereal grains and an absence of evidence for the use of domestic animals, such as the small Late Neolithic stake-built structures at Beckton Farm (Pollard 1997).…”

Using Stable Isotopes and a Bayesian Mixing Model (FRUITS) to Investigate Diet at the Early Neolithic Site of Carding Mill Bay, Scotland

“…Currently, the bulk bone collagen isotopic evidence of diet in the Neolithic in Scotland appears at odds with the archaeological evidence. δ 13 C and δ 15 N isotope measurements on human bone collagen have been interpreted as indicating an almost complete abandonment of marine resources (Richards et al 2003;Richards and Schulting 2006), yet Neolithic middens contain evidence of shellfish and fish consumption (Connock et al 1991). We must therefore seek to reconcile the isotopic and archaeological evidence.…”

“…The midden was excavated by Lorn Archaeological Society and finds analysis was carried out by Historic Environment Scotland. Finds included bones of birds, terrestrial mammals (wild herbivores and pig) and marine fish, together with a range of lithic and bone artifacts (Connock et al 1991). Disarticulated human remains were recovered from several contexts of the midden (IV, VII, X, XIV, XV, and XXIII) and from a cist burial in contexts II and III (Connock et al 1991).…”

“…Radiocarbon dating places the midden in the period between 4000 and 3500 cal. BC (Connock et al 1991;Bronk Ramsey et al 2000). The midden was excavated by Lorn Archaeological Society and finds analysis was carried out by Historic Environment Scotland.…”

“…Finds included bones of birds, terrestrial mammals (wild herbivores and pig) and marine fish, together with a range of lithic and bone artifacts (Connock et al 1991). Disarticulated human remains were recovered from several contexts of the midden (IV, VII, X, XIV, XV, and XXIII) and from a cist burial in contexts II and III (Connock et al 1991). The site has been the subject of several later studies investigating the Scottish Neolithic because of the presence of both human and animal remains as well as "Obanian" artifacts, which are characteristic bevel ended antler or bone tools, often found in the absence of retouched stone tools (Schulting and Richards 2002;Bartosiewicz et al 2010).…”