Post-medieval & modern

Post-medieval and modern archaeological research highlights a structural shift across Shetland from a rural society shaped by Norse cultural systems to a frontier integrated into global trading and industrial networks. This transformation is manifested in elite Scottish architecture, which was introduced to Shetland during the late 16th and early 17th centuries to enforce legal and economic hegemony over the islands. Fortified coastal sites, such as Muness Castle (c AD 1598) and Scalloway Castle (c AD 1600), represent the sudden dominance of the new Scottish elite during this period (Fawcett 1994).

The excavation of the 16th century Kebister Tithe Barn revealed the physical infrastructure needed to systematically extract local agricultural and fishing wealth under this new system (Owen and Lowe 1999). At this time, Shetland’s strategic location in the North Atlantic transformed it into a key mercantile station. Marine surveys and material evidence from early modern Dutch and Scandinavian shipwrecks, such as the Kennemerland (c AD 1664) and Wrangles Palais (c AD 1687), have provided rich assemblages of foreign currency, trade goods, and continental wares. The evidence from these sites highlights the density of global shipping routes (Dobbs and Price 1991, Bound and Sharpe 1995, 1996).

On land, this trade network is visible at sites like Gunnister Voe, where excavations have unearthed böds (small seasonal trading booths) used by German merchants from the Hanseatic League. These merchants established shore bases to trade European goods, imported pottery, clothing, and spirits for dried Shetland cod caught during the intensive ‘haaf’ (deep-sea) fishing seasons (Gardiner and Mehler 2010).

Multi-period coastal settlements illustrate the economic evolution. For example, at Jarlshof, a 17th century laird’s house was built directly on top of older prehistoric and Norse settlements (Hamilton 1956, Strachan 2008). Rural domestic life adapted alongside these shifting networks. 18th and 19th century crofts exhibit complex phases of architectural modification, relying on a lifestyle which combined small-scale farming and commercial fishing. This era also left a distinct landscape of small-scale industrial production, including hundreds of horizontal stone watermills and soapstone (steatite) quarries used for crafting hearths and domestic utensils (Forster and Turner 2009, Turner et al 2009).

One of the most prominent coastal sites from this period is Fort Charlotte, an artillery fort with angled bastions overlooking Bressay Sound. Originally constructed in 1652 during the Anglo-Dutch War, Fort Charlotte was burned down in 1673. A century later, the site was extensively rebuilt and updated from 1781 onward to counter American privateers and French naval threats. The significance of the fort extended well into the modern period, where it served as a Royal Naval Reserve base, town jail, courthouse, coastguard station and drill hall (Ewart 2007).

Shetland’s 20th century archaeological research has focused largely on the expansion of modern militarisation. Geopolitical conflicts left an extensive concrete footprint across the islands, notably the World War II coastal artillery batteries at Calback Ness, as well as anti-aircraft installations and early radar stations (Redfern 1998). This strategic military frontier transitioned into an industrial landscape in the late 20th century. The 1970s construction of the Sullom Voe Oil Terminal fundamentally reshaped the topography, economy, and archaeological record of north Mainland (Gifford 1992, 510).

You can download the datasheet for more information on the post-medieval & modern sites and c14 dates from Shetland.

Post-medieval & modern Research Questions