Dark-Age and Viking-Age pottery in the Hebrides, with special reference to the Udal, North Uist

Abstract

This thesis is an examination of the evidence for \nDark-age and Viking-age pottery in the Hebrides. A \nbrief discussion of current knowledge of Hebridean ceramics \nshows how unusually ceramic-rich this area is in comparison \nwith the rest of Scotland and much of the British Isles. \nBut the Dark Age and Viking Age in the Hebrides and the \npottery of those periods are very poorly known. The \nexcavation of one major settlement site, the TJdal on \nNorth Uist, by I.A. Crawford, has allowed examination of \nstratified pottery groups of the period from c. 400 AD. \nto c. 1100 A.D. The stratigraphy, structures and chronology \nof this site are described briefly. The problems and \nmethods involved in analysing a large handmade pottery \nassemblage are discussed in some detail. The stratified \npottery from the Udal is described and the characteristic \nfeatures of both Dark-age and Viking-age pottery assemblages \nare defined. Pottery from other sites in the Hebrides is \nthen discussed and a series of sites with similar Dark-age \npottery is listed. No close parallels have been found \nfor this pottery outside the area. The Hebridean sites \nwith Viking-age pottery are then described and pottery \nfrom other areas is examined in order to define the \ngeographic range of this style. Close similarities can \nbe seen with Souterrain Ware assemblages in northern \nIreland and possibly with assemblages in the Faroes. \nThis evidence suggests that the Dark-age \nstyle developed from the local Iron-age ceramics. \nThe Viking-age style may indicate influence from Ireland \nand the interaction of Norse and native peoples in \nScotland or Ireland. Further research, systematic \nfieldwork and excavation are now required to examine \nthese hypotheses.

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