This thesis explores changes in dietary and economic behaviour through time in the North Atlantic Islands of Scotland, from the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition through to the Norse period. Traditional zooarchaeological techniques are used alongside human and faunal stable isotope analysis to explore past diet of humans and animals. The challenges of integrating these two different datasets and methodologies for enhancing interpretations of these lines of evidence are explored. A suite of faunal isotopic values though time were generated to characterise animal diets, past husbandry strategies, to provide a baseline to interpret human values, and to understand temporal and geographical variations in isotopic values. Faunal isotopic values indicate that shore front resources were used by past populations, and highlight temporal and geographical differences in management practices and foddering strategies. Results demonstrated that marine species were not a major aspect of diet in the Neolithic, supporting Schulting and Richards (2002a). In the Bronze Age there is an increase in the quantity of fish bones present within the faunal assemblages in the Western Isles, however they were not being consumed in sufficient quantities to affect the human bone collagen isotopic values. During the Iron Age there is a further increase in the quantity of fish bones present in assemblages in the Western Isles, and evidence of fish consumption in human and pigs. In contrast evidence of marine food consumption in Iron Age Orkney is minimal, indicating divergent dietary and economic practices in place between these regions. During the Norse period fish bones account for high proportions of the zooarchaeological assemblages in both Orkney and the Western Isles, with different species being exploited. Finally comparisons are drawn with island and inland sites in Britain and Europe, exploring how far these dietary and economic practices observed are influenced by localised environmental conditions, and wider social factors.

This thesis is an exploration of the nature of archaeological sites presented to the public in Scotland through an analysis of five case studies. The project utilises qualitative in-depth interviews, an approach that, although well recognised in other social sciences, has been little-used in archaeology. For this project, semi-structured recorded interviews were undertaken with participants at the sites, which were subsequently transcribed and analysed using QSR NVivo software. This approach, the rationales behind using it, and benefits for research in public archaeology, will be discussed in detail. This will be followed by an in-depth analysis of the roles and significances of archaeology, the ways it influences and is influenced by perceptions of the past, and the values placed upon it. The essence of the thesis will then focus on the in-depth analysis of the case studies. Backgrounds will be given to each of the sites, providing a framework from which extracts of interviews will be used to elucidate on themes and ideas of participant discussions. This approach allows for the real, lived experiences of respondents to be relayed, and direct quotations will be used to provide a greater context for discussions. This will reflect a number of recurring themes, which developed during interviews, both within sites and across sites. The interviews will also reflect the individual roles and functions of archaeological sites for the public, and the often idiosyncratic nature of participant engagements with archaeology. The information and insights gained from this research will then be considered with regard to potential impacts on the presentation of archaeological sites to the public in general. Themes and ideas which are developed in the case study chapters will be discussed in more detail, before suggestions for changes to the ways archaeological sites are presented are made. Finally, specific suggestions for changing approaches to the case study sites will be considered.

This thesis discusses the adaptation of the wiggle-match dating technique and Bayesian chronological models to the practicalities of dating timbers from Iron Age Scottish wetland sites, with a focus on the area between the firths of the rivers Clyde and Solway. Wiggle-match dating technique relies on taking measurements from a sequence with an estimated, or known deposition rate, such as timbers, and fitting the resultant time series to an established calibration curve. Bayesian modelling entails combining various forms of information about the material dated to obtain a more comprehensive chronological understanding. These techniques are relevant to Iron Age wetland settlement in Scotland due to the lack of other methods that could produce high-precision dates on a routine basis; too few timbers from Scottish wetlands produce absolute dendrochronological dates and ordinary radiocarbon calibrations tend to have low precision during the period 750-200 BC, which covers the formative stages of both the Scottish Iron Age and wetland settlement tradition. Effective use of the wiggle-match dating technique requires attention to aspects of technique, its practical implementation and suitable research design. As far as technical aspects are concerned, the work conducted within this thesis demonstrated the need to match the length of sample blocks of wood with the length of the measurements underpinning the calibration curve. Furthermore, presence of small offsets between the calibration curve and the actual past trend of radiocarbon has been identified; while these offsets have minimal impact on most radiocarbon applications, the wiggle-match dating technique is sensitive to them and hence conscious decisions need to be made at the stage of research design to avoid systematic bias in the results. Aspects of practical implementation have been explored through wiggle-match dating studies at four sites: Black Loch of Myrton, Cults Loch 3, Dumbuck and Erskine Crannog. Results demonstrate that even on the most challenging parts of the calibration curve wiggle-match dating can succeed in producing modelled date ranges of less than 100 years and that, on more favourable parts of the curve, it can be used to aid the resolution of questions regarding site formation processes. Moreover, these case studies highlighted a number of practical issues such as propensity of decayed rings to produce radiocarbon results biased towards older ages. Efficient use of wiggle-match dating in archaeological contexts requires not only the technical and practical capacity, but also a strategic framework within which the methodology is to be employed. While the nature of this framework depends on the interpretations the researcher is interested in, this thesis suggests a focus on developing linkage between different sites, both wetland and terrestrial, so that the well-preserved deposits become informative of not only a single site, but also shed light on the local and regional developments.

The extensive collection of Iron Age pottery from antiquarian investigations of Atlantic Roundhouse sites in Caithness, Sutherland and the Small Isles (Inner Hebrides) provided an ideal opportunity to address several gaps in the academic understanding of pottery sequences outwith the Western Isles (Outer Hebrides). Until now no work of this kind for Caithness or Sutherland has been conducted, and the material culture of Skye and the Inner Hebrides has been subsumed largely into the broader sequences of their more westerly neighbours. The aim of the thesis is twofold. Firstly, to establish pottery sequences for three sub-regions of Atlantic Scotland; Northern Mainland, Western Mainland and Skye and Small Isles, using both antiquarian material and pottery from recent excavations. This comprises the first five chapters of the thesis. And secondly, within the following three chapters, utilizing two pieces of experimental research and a series of case studies, the author explores the social narrative of the ceramic assemblage, ultimately to better understand technological and cultural aspects of pot making and use.

This thesis presents a contextual analysis of Neolithic art and architecture in Orkney. Focussing upon the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site, it details the results of original fieldwork at three sites with in situ dressed and decorated stonework: Maeshowe, Skara Brae and the Ness of Brodgar. It combines the re-interpretation of known architecturally-situated carvings with primary data from new survey and excavation work, and reports the discovery of many previously unrecorded examples. This study reveals a diversity of stoneworking practices at these three sites which contradicts a broad catch-all term of 'art', demanding a more nuanced investigation. Previous studies have discussed the in situ decoration at Maeshowe and Skara Brae, but these have never been compared in detail, and the long histories of attention at these sites have led to questions over the authenticity of their carvings. The discovery of hundreds of comparable, in situ decorated stones from sealed Neolithic deposits during excavations at the Ness of Brodgar demolishes these doubts. The insight that this fieldwork has allowed is crucial. Excavation exposes aspects of the architecture which normally remain hidden, and allows the recording of decoration and stoneworking in situ, and as it is first revealed. This takes the discussion beyond the surface to allow an understanding of how stones were worked and decorated as part of the processes of construction and occupation. This challenges many narratives of Neolithic art and architecture, which have tended to focus upon superficial aspects of visual form, overlooking the ways in which buildings and stones came to be worked, carved, built and appreciated. It allows an exploration of how buildings and carvings emerge though process, and how the temporality of the working, decoration and appreciation of particular stones relates to the wider context of art and architecture in Neolithic Orkney.