Pollen and related studies at Kinloch, Isle of Rhum, Scotland, with particular reference to possible early human impacts on vegetation

Abstract

SUMMARYThe Inner Hebridean island of Rhum lies between the once wooded mainland of north-west Scotland and the now largely treeless islands of the Outer Hebrides. Rhum is more exposed than the nearby larger islands and is of particular interest since it has been occupied by humans for at least 8500 years. Pollen, charcoal and radiocarbon studies were carried out on a peat profile from Kinloch in the most sheltered eastern part of the island, some 300 m from the site of the earliest known Mesolithic occupation site in Scotland.From an estimated 7800 BP, the local mire surface was open with some hazel and willow scrub. Alder replaced willow at c. 6500 BP and with hazel, remained the dominant woody vegetation until c. 4000 BP when both were reduced and by which time evidence for agriculture is discernible. A period of reduced Alnus and Corylus between 5950 and 5700 BP, with high concentrations of charcoal, may result from human infiuence. An Alnus reduction dated to between 5250 and 4950 BP may have been caused by changes in mire hydrology. The woodland was more open than that at nearby mainland sites but it was comparable to well-wooded sites on Skye and Mull. Birch was notably less significant at the Rhum site and the preponderance of Alnus along with persistently high Osmunda values may indicate that adaptation to exposure and salt tolerance were important factors in determining the character of the early postglacial vegetation.

Firewood, food and human niche construction: the potential role of Mesolithic hunter–gatherers in actively structuring Scotland's woodlands

“…Such phases (e.g. Hirons and Edwards, 1990;Tipping, 1995b;Simmons, 1996;Edwards, 2004) are typically recognised by the decline in tree taxa, together with an increase in microcharcoal, grasses (Poaceae), sedges (Cyperaceae), heather (Calluna sp.) and/or other open ground indicator species such as docks (Rumex sp.)…”

“…Edwards and Ralston, 1984;Bohncke, 1988;Hirons and Edwards, 1990;Tipping, 1995aTipping, , 1995bEdwards, 1996aEdwards, , 2000bEdwards, , 2004Edwards, , 2009Edwards and Sugden, 2003), evidence for Mesolithic coppicing in Scotland is currently lacking owing to a rarity of waterlogged sites and an absence of charcoal assemblages with analysed age and size distributions. As can be seen from Table 2, there are several assemblages with more than 50 charcoal fragments of the same species, which would be amenable to age/size analysis (cf.…”

“…In Scotland, there has been considerable discussion of the pollen evidence for potential small-scale, human-woodland manipulation in the Mesolithic (e.g. Edwards and Ralston, 1984;Bohncke, 1988;Hirons and Edwards, 1990;Tipping, 1995aTipping, , 1995bEdwards, 1996aEdwards, , 2000aEdwards, , 2004Edwards, , 2009Edwards and Sugden, 2003) and some debate about the potential importance of plants within Scottish Mesolithic economies (see Bishop et al, 2013). However, the archaeobotanical evidence for anthropogenic firewood and food selection in Early-Mid post-glacial woodlands has not been discussed in this context.…”

Fire in the Moor: Mesolithic Carbonised Remains in Riverine Deposits at Gleann Mor Barabhais, Lewis, Western Isles of Scotland

“…Warren et al 2014 on the Irish evidence). Mesolithic-age human impact on the environment in terms of vegetation disturbance has also been recorded within the islands of the Inner Hebrides, such as Kinloch, Rum (Hirons and Edwards 1990); Loch a'Bhogaidh, Islay (Edwards and Berridge 1994); and Auchareoch, Arran (Affleck et al 1988), during periods of archaeologically corroborated Mesolithic occupation of these islands. In such instances, this evidence is interpreted as deliberate land management strategies by hunter-gatherers.…”

Palaeoecological perspectives on Holocene environmental change in Scotland

“…Thus, archaeological excavations at Kinloch, Rum, produced dates on carbonised hazelnut shells extending back to 9,890–9,430 cal yr BP (2σ; Wickham-Jones 1990). Pollen data from a mire 300 m from the excavations reveal sharp and sustained changes in the Mesolithic age pollen of alder, hazel, grasses and willow, together with peaks in microscopic charcoal (Hirons & Edwards 1990). At Loch an t-Sìl, South Uist, close sampling of Mesolithic age sediments reveals two phases of reduction in birch and hazel at c .8,900 cal yr BP and 8,690 cal yr BP, lasting 130 and 70 years respectively (Edwards 1996).…”