Priority 1: The comprehensive application of more robust radiocarbon dating strategies, which incorporate Bayesian statistical modelling, are therefore needed to add clarity to site and landscape chronologies. A historical reliance on the perceived chronological security associated with the Roman presence combined with radiocarbon plateaux (800–400 BC, 400–200 BC and AD 150–350) present an ongoing challenge for building Iron Age chronologies, detecting social, economic and environmental change and understanding the transitions into and out of this important period.
Priority 2: Nationally, the first few centuries of the Iron Age are poorly understood and although this region is no exception, recent projects, such as Living on Water, evidence the potential with the application of new techniques for understanding in this region to be improved and at the same time to make a contribution to outstanding national questions. Accurate dating of archaeological evidence to 800–600 BC is of great importance for understanding the transition of lifeways, architectural traditions and technology from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age.
Research Questions
PKARF Qu 5.15: How can more robust dating methods be applied to achieve greater chronological precision for known major changes and transitions in Iron Age society as well as to identify new ones?
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PKARF Qu 5.16: To what extent can periods of Iron Age upland abandonment/reoccupation be identified in Perth and Kinross and if present, what was the driving force behind them?
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PKARF Qu 5.17: What activity can be positively dated to 800–600 BC ?
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PKARF Qu 5.19: Where and when do we have the earliest evidence for the adoption of iron and ironworking technology?
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PKARF Qu 5.20: Can indirect evidence, such as palaeoenvironmental signals, shed light on where and when iron and iron working was adopted?
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PKARF Qu 5.21: What is the timing and tempo of construction, reuse, reoccupation and remodelling of large domestic architecture?
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PKARF Qu 5.22: To what extent can analysis and synthesis of well-dated contexts with faunal assemblages give greater insight into animal husbandry practices/pastoral activity?
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PKARF Qu 5.23: How transformational was the presence of Roman military activity for local communities?
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PKARF Qu 5.24: Beyond the immediate environs of Roman military installations and transport infrastructure, how far does the influence of Rome extend across Perth and Kinross?
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PKARF Qu 5.25: What evidence is there in Perth and Kinross for the emergence of Pictish identity in the 3rd century AD as identified from coastal Aberdeenshire and Fife (Noble et al 2018)?
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PKARF Qu 5.26: How do we ensure the continuous inclusion of existing museum collections and their evaluation in the light of new ideas and techniques?
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PKARF Qu 5.27: Can we identify a distinct Middle Iron Age in Perth and Kinross?
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