Gesture politics and the art of ambiguity: the Iron Age statue from Hirschlanden

NoThe discovery of the extraordinary Hirschlanden figure was reported in this journal in 1964. Since then the statue has featured in numerous discussions of Iron Age art and society, to the extent that it has become one of the iconic images of the European Iron Age. It has become almost taken for granted that the Hirschlanden figure is an `intensely masculine¿ warrior statue representing the heroised dead. However, certain aspects of the figure suggest a rather deeper, more ambiguous symbolism. The authors use their up-to-date critique to raise questions about the eclectic character of Iron Age spirituality

Le Castellan (Istres, Bouches-du-Rhône) : resultats de prospections géophysique

YesTwo seasons of geophysical prospection (magnetic, resistance and ground-penetrating radar) were conducted at the Iron Age oppidum of Le Castellan, Istres, Bouches-du-Rhône, in order to determine the utility of these techniques for sites in this region. The survey revealed numerous strong anomalies, of which many ran parallel or perpendicular to one another. These are the sorts of responses one might expect from the remains of buried stone wall foundations; this interpretation is supported by the presence, on the west side of the site, of exposed walls on the same alignment as certain of the geophysical anomalies. Overall, the evidence suggests a network of buried buildings and road-ways across the oppidum. One particularly substantial building was identified towards the centre of the site, through the presence of a strong resistance anomaly of distinctly rectilinear form. It appears to represent the remains of a buried stone building with three rooms. In conclusion, the results provide strong encouragement for the further application of geophysical survey in this regio

Death and Display in the North Atlantic: The Bronze and Iron Age Human Remains from Cnip, Lewis, Outer Hebrides

YesThis paper revisits the series of disarticulated human remains discovered during the 1980s excavations of the Cnip wheelhouse complex in Lewis. Four fragments of human bone, including two worked cranial fragments, were originally dated to the 1st centuries BC/AD based on stratigraphic association. Osteoarchaeological reanalysis and AMS dating now provide a broader cultural context for these remains and indicate that at least one adult cranium was brought to the site more than a thousand years after the death of the individual to whom it had belonged

Later prehistoric settlement in the Western Isles of Scotland

This study aims to establish an understanding of the nature of settlement development in the Western Isles in the period from c. 1000 BC - 800 AD. A new classification of the sites is formulated to deal with the specific Hebridean context and with the restrictions of the available evidence. This provides a framework for analysis and replaces previous schemes, imported from elsewhere in Scotland, which have tended to confuse the settlement patterns and the settlement development of the area. The large number of older excavations are reassessed in the light of both new approaches to classification and interpretation, and the evidence of recent survey and excavation. A coherent settlement sequence can be seen to emerge, showing a development of monumental architecture in the mid-lst millennium BC from a background of non-monumental domestic settlement: this monumentality persists for several centuries in the form of the atlantic roundhouses and wheelhouses before being gradually replaced by non-monumental, cellular and linear structures in the 1st millennium AD. Structural, locational and spatial analyses combine to demonstrate patterns of settlement development which show the progressive adaptation of Hebridean populations to the changing socio¬ economic context. The development of architecture is shown to be linked to contemporary social and economic processes. The environmental context of settlement development is shown to be of great significance in shaping broad trends of settlement development, while the specific responses of human groups indicate the importance of social factors. The final part of the study proposes possible models for the interpretation of settlement change. Material culture, including architecture, can be seen to be used actively in the negotiation of social relationships, both within the islands and between the islanders and the emerging states of Scotland in the 1st millennium AD

Istres – Le Castellan

Identifiant de l'opération archéologique : 8341 Date de l'opération : 2007 (PR) Inventeur(s) : Armit Ian (SUP) ; Horsley Tim (SUP) ; Marty Frédéric (COL) Une campagne de prospection géophysique a été conduite sur l’habitat gaulois du Castellan à Istres 1 afin de déterminer la validité des méthodes mises en œuvre pour les habitats groupés de l’âge du Fer, dans la région (Fig. n°1 : Plan du site du Castellan avec localisation de la campagne de prospection géophysique). La prospection électriqu..

The return of the Beaker Folk? : Rethinking migration and population change in British prehistory

Recent aDNA analysis has demonstrated that the centuries surrounding the arrival of the Beaker Complex in Britain witnessed a massive turnover in the genetic make-up of the population. Here we consider the archaeological implications of this finding, and propose two hypotheses - Beaker Colonisation and Steppe Drift - that might help us understand the underlying social processes, and propose directions for future research

Istres – Le Castellan

Identifiant de l'opération archéologique : 8341 Date de l'opération : 2007 (PR) Inventeur(s) : Armit Ian (SUP) ; Horsley Tim (SUP) ; Marty Frédéric (COL) Une campagne de prospection géophysique a été conduite sur l’habitat gaulois du Castellan à Istres 1 afin de déterminer la validité des méthodes mises en œuvre pour les habitats groupés de l’âge du Fer, dans la région (Fig. n°1 : Plan du site du Castellan avec localisation de la campagne de prospection géophysique). La prospection électriqu..