5.4 Key Priorities for Future Research

As this overview of the early prehistory of Argyll and its environmental context has indicated there are a large number of research themes that require on-going exploration, being of relevance not only to Argyll but also to national and international debates about early prehistoric settlement and society. While on-going fieldwork to simply discover and excavate further Mesolithic and ideally Palaeolithic sites along with palaeoenvironmental research is desirable, the following can be identified as the five priorities for the region, three concerning fieldwork, one desk-based research and one heritage management.

5.4.1 The Late Glacial: excavation at Rubha Port an t-Seilich and its environmental context

5.4.2 The appearance of the Neolithic and the demise of the Mesolithic: targeted excavation, dating and environmental reconstruction

5.4.3 Establishing the Mesolithic chronology: A programme of radiocarbon dating and Bayesian analysis: testing the 8.2 Ka model and reaching out to the Neolithic

5.4.4 Heritage management of early prehistoric sites

5.4.5 Writing the history of archaeology in Argyll