Neolithic Scotland: changing perceptions, new approaches, plethora of data, and contested narratives

Abstract

• Our narrative of the past has been, and continues to be, the subject of intense debate, not least in regard to when, how and why the novel way of life appeared and became established in Scotland, and what happened to Scotland’s hunter-fisher-forager communities. This first lecture reviews our understanding, and our characterisation, of Scotland between 4,500 and 6,000 years ago and explores what is meant by the term ‘Neolithic’. It also highlights the exponential growth in information that has resulted from the application of new scientific techniques, survey methods, and research strategies in the study of people, animals, artefacts, ecofacts, structures, and the environment.