Dating the Scottish bronze age: "There is clearly much that the material can still tell us"

Abstract

Results from a current National Museums of Scotland (NMS) radiocarbon dating initiative, the Dating Cremated Bones Project, are presented. The project takes advantage of a recent development in radiocarbon dating that enables reliable dates to be obtained from cremated bone. The results indicate that Collared Urns were in use in Scotland between 2000/1950 BC and 1600/1550 BC. The radiocarbon-established sequence does not map neatly onto Burgess' 'Early', Middle' and 'Late' typochronological scheme, other than by confirming that two typologically 'Early' examples fall within the first half of this date range. Results for other cinerary urn types in Scotland and for some other kinds of Early Bronze Age grave good are also discussed.