- To date, no Upper Palaeolithic (12,500 to 9800 BC) or Early Mesolithic (9800 to 8400 BC) settlement site has been identified within the region. All evidence is residual, occurring only as isolated artefacts or small assemblages amongst larger collections of predominantly Late Mesolithic material, such as from Girvan, West Challoch, Shewalton, Auchrocher Moss and Ayr Academy. Many of these are surface collections and there are no known contemporary features identified to date. Their co-location with Late Mesolithic assemblages may suggest that the choices made regarding the suitability of settlement sites were similar across these periods.
- Late Mesolithic (8400 to 4000 BC) sites with stratified deposits often within cut features have steadily grown in number since the 1960s. There are currently fourteen absolute-dated sites that have been published (or draft publications are available), three more published that were unable to secure absolute dates (Irish Street, Monkton and Low Clone) and another three awaiting publication (Kirkhill Farm, Monamore Bridge and Dunure Road). This does not consider lithic scatters that did not have contemporary stratified deposits.
- Finding an appropriate definition of a settlement site is difficult for the Late Mesolithic. Does a site which shows evidence of Mesolithic activity, however ephemeral these traces are, count as ‘settlement’? Or do we reserve the term only for those locations where evidence for a more substantial structure suggests durable occupation? Where fragmentary traces of structures are identified, we often cannot be sure of the form of superstructure, internal layout or the overall method of construction. In terms of the duration of occupation, the length of time during which such sites were occupied is unknown. Given the scarcity of evidence, we will seek to encompass all sites with dated stratified deposits.
- Turning to our known, absolute dated sites, we do not have any settlement from the late ninth or early to mid eighth millennium BC. Our earliest sites are from the late eighth and seventh millennium BC:
- Auchareoch (7300 to 6000 BC)
- Barassie (7300 to 7000BC)
- Redkirk Point (7100 to 6500 BC)
- West Challoch (7000 to 6000BC)
- Laigh Newton (6400 to 6200BC)
- Littlehill Bridge (6400 to 6000 BC)
- Auchareoch and Barassie are active at the start of this period, both having hearths, pit clusters and charred hazelnut shells. Auchareoch also has a significant lithic assemblage, less so for Barassie. Both are coastal, or near-inland, in the Clyde, and neither has evidence for structures.
- Redkirk Point and West Challoch are both early in this period, and again, both coastal though on the Solway. After this their character could not be more different. Redkirk Point is an artefact-free hearth on the shore, while West Challoch has remains of up to three structures, pit clusters, hearths (both evident and latent), gullies and the largest lithic assemblage analysed from the region. As such, West Challoch is our earliest, durable settlement – this does not suggest permanent settlement, rather a site that saw repeated use and investment in earth-fast construction of dwellings.
- Towards the end of this initial period there is the scooped settlement at Littlehill Bridge, again coastal on the Clyde and associated with a pit cluster. Overall, a range of site types are in use, including apparently structure-free activity sites, even artefact-free sites, simple scooped settlement sites as well as one of our most complex and intensively used sites with multiple earthfast timber structures.
- The distinct pattern from these sites is a lack of known inland sites from the late eighth and seventh millennium BC period. However, this observation should be treated with care given the 6400 to 6200 BC date range for residual charcoal from Laigh Newton, toward the top of the River Irvine valley.
- The number of sites known increases slightly in the sixth and fifth millennium BC:
- Evan Road (6000 to 5800 BC)
- Ayr Cemetery (5900 to 5700 BC)
- Starr (5500 to 5000 BC)
- Smittons (5500 to 4100 BC)
- Ayr Academy (5200 to 5000 BC)
- Barsalloch (5200 to 4600 BC)
- Hunterston (5000 to 4800 BC)
- Gallow Hill (4800 to 4500 BC)
- Ayr Cemetery (4500 to 4300 BC)
- Our upland sites arrive with Starr and Smittons, both marked by lithic assemblages, hearths and stakeholes. These stakeholes may not have revealed coherent floor plans, but they do evidence light structures. The artefact-free hearth from Evan Road is deep in the upland portion of our region, showing the use of Annandale, with the site comparable to the much earlier Redkirk Point.
- Coastal site continue to emerge in this period with Barsalloch evidencing hearths, stakeholes and pits. Pit clusters with associated activity are known at Ayr Academy, Ayr Cemetery and Gallow Hill; neither has evidence for structures. The hazelnut shell from Hunterston is associated with a hollow that was postulated as early occupation, but this is highly speculative. The research literature typically groups the Low Clone settlement of two scoops with Barsalloch and so would fall in this period, but this is not evidenced by absolute dating.
- It is also notable that this period is from when the two antler harpoons date: Cumstoun (5700 to 5500 BC) and Shewalton (4900 to 4500 BC).
- Models for the pattern of the Mesolithic landscape have predominantly been driven by ethnography – envisaging home bases from where hunter-gatherer groups operated from seasonally, using other logistical or residential foraging camps within a defined range. With an increase in excavated sites, there was a move for an archaeology-driven framework in the ‘model of Mesolithic settlement based on modes of residency’ (Waddington 2007).
- Waddington posited six settlement types based on a family group: permanent settlement used continuously use over several generations; semi-permanent settlement for continuous use for up to decade; periodic semi-permanent settlement for episodic year round use; seasonal settlement occupied once or repeatedly; short-stay settlement for a few nights to a few weeks; and lastly aggregated settlement where three or more family groups would occupy a site at the same time either seasonally or in a semi-permanent way.
- Single hearths like Evan Road and Redkirk Point appear ideally suited to be considered as short-stay settlements. The undated post-built wind break or drying rack at Irish Street and the pit cluster, including hearths, at Ayr Cemetery may also sit within this type. Further, Affleck suggests that Auchareoch could have been visited for very short periods by those based at a more durable settlement located much closer to the coast, via a short journey which would only have taken a couple of hours. On this basis, we should probably consider Auchareoch, Barassie, Ayr Academy and Gallow Hill as also short-stay settlements, though they may have had purely an activity focus.
- Low Clone, Littlehill Bridge, Barsalloch and possibly Hunterston fall within a group of settlement sites which typically comprise a natural or modified hollow. This varies in size, but it is invariably circular, oval or sub-oval on plan. Often, there is evidence for an external structural element. This may be defined in several ways, either through the use of stake- or postholes, through defining turf or earthen banks, or even through slots, in a manner suggestive of an associated structural element. This is usually interpreted as a windbreak, rather than a formal enclosed structure, and may be horseshoe-shaped shape open at one side. Hearths are located close, but outwith the structure. Smittons and Starr though having unclear floor plans, may also be considered as fragmentary examples of these lighter structures.
- The main post-built structure at West Challoch consisted of a sub-circular arc of six post-holes on the southwest, with the possible return on the northeast of two post-holes. The area within the structure appeared to be approximately 3m in diameter, creating an internal space of approximately 7m². The postholes appeared to be set in four pairs, with each pair of posts set approximately 0.4 m apart. This effectively formed a horseshoe shape, maintaining the consistent form to the architectural space created. Unlike all other examples, West Challoch is more substantial despite broadly conforming to a common architecture. While there were no occupation layers, the structure was associated with a substantial lithic scatter (over 15,000 lithics) and two hearths were located to the west of the structure. In combination. There are also two additional arcs of posts that may be screens or shelters, illustrating the complexity of this site that experienced repeated use.
- All these scoop cum horseshoe-shaped settlement sites detailed above seem suitable for consideration as seasonal settlements.
- Of those settlement sites awaiting publication, Monamore Bridge should provide the first site with structures on Arran. This will start to provide the seasonal settlement tier of structures currently missing from the island. The excavations at Kirkhill Farm revealed three sub-rectangular structures by construction slots associated with Mesolithic lithic assemblages. Publication may move these descriptions of form closer to the commoner horseshoe shape; certainly placing seasonal settlement tier structures higher up Annandale would be comparable to the known sites at Starr and Smittons.
- The three circular house structures at Dunure Road sealed by occupation deposits are at a different scale to anything excavated to date in South West Scotland. All three are formed of massive post-holes that define almost an annular form, though two have defined entrances to the southeast. These structures are reminiscent of the late 9th millennium BC structure at East Barns in East Lothian (Engl and Gooder 2021) and Howick in Northumberland (Waddington 2007). Should these prove to be of comparable date, they would also become the earliest settlement site in the region. Located on slightly higher ground at the southern end of Irvine Bay close to the outfall of the River Doon this site seems worthy of consideration as a periodic semi-permanent settlement.
Comments 1
Is this the place to mention sea level changes and the potential settlement/exploitation of areas of the Solway and Ayrshire coast that are now inundated?Reference