Shetland’s geographical location has long been considered remote or isolated from a centralised Scottish perspective. However, as an island group situated between the neighbouring landmasses of Scotland and Norway, Shetland is directly situated on the maritime highway of the North Atlantic Rim. The mobilising quality of the maritime highway created a path of entry into the islands, allowing the development of locational narratives, but has also resulted in the loss of some of these narratives. This investigation addresses the dynamics of cultural interchange by formulating a theoretical model of the exchange of ‘cultural products’; with particular regard for practices of recording and displaying visual narratives. The ancient capital of Shetland, Scalloway, provides the background for a microcosmic account of Shetland’s wider history and cultural composition and forms the main focus of the thesis. Within this setting the process of cultural interchange can be seen to have been formative in the development of island identity; particularly in traditional practices, occupational forms, dialect, place-names and cultural expressions. The historical account of Scalloway provides material culture evidence for human occupation reaching back to the Bronze Age. Successive ‘layers’ in the archaeological record and officially recorded histories indicate distinct periods pertinent in the development of a local identity; Iron Age, Norse Era, Stewart Earldom and World War Two. Collectively, these periods represent a consecutive process of ‘imprinting’ characteristics upon the local population; including geographical positioning, dialect, political control and shared narrative histories with Norway during the Second World War. However, it can be seen that there is an over-determination of the Norse element of island identity, which finds a greater degree of replication in visual accounts. It is argued in this investigation that this over-determination is a deliberate cultural construct of island identity that is maintained in opposition to Scottish control.

This thesis engages with the social worlds of Shetlanders through active personal participation in the local music scene. I explore how locals articulate personal and social perspectives on the distinctiveness of Shetland's music scene by reflecting on their own social experiences. The spree is explored ethnographically as the key local practice that manifests the principles of an epistemological tradition – a way of knowing and being that is shared across multiple generations. I explore the evidence for existing interconnected epistemological principles, including horizontality (supporting people of all ages, genders, socioeconomic classes, cultural backgrounds and musical skill level), interpersonal and intergenerational knowledge, resourcefulness and nuance of character appreciation. Individuals know, describe and manifest these principles in their own characteristic, personal and changing ways. The appreciation of individual idiosyncrasies, life stories and skills in Shetland is not necessarily aligned with a model of competitive individualism of neoliberal capitalism, but with a local principle of equality and horizontality, founded on spree practices. Based on open principles, this epistemological tradition supports engagement with past, current and novel forms of musical expression, remaining open to outside influences. As a fluid, living form, understanding it requires a leap beyond static models of tradition that seek the preservation of idealised authentic forms, canonical-aesthetic orthodoxies, and social boundaries. The spree remains stable and resilient as a principled way of being, providing a model for interactions with locals and outsiders, and affording the growth of a closely-knit social support network.

Making use of knowledge from a wide range of disciplines, this thesis analyses the interactions of culture and economy, particularly regarding the influence of nineteenthcentury historiography, on Shetland’s present-day economic development. Shetland’s local identity concept is strongly influenced by this North Sea archipelago’s Norse history. This is in part the result of the islands’ late nineteenth- and early twentiethcentury national romantic literature, which was inspired by Continental and mainland British trends in anthropology and philology. The theories of fairy origins proposed in the 1890s by the Edinburgh anthropologist David MacRitchie exerted a great influence on Shetland writers. His theories – since shown to be incorrect – led to the historiographic dehumanisation of the islands’ pre-Norse population and permitted the complete valorisation of the Vikings, most notably in the work of the Shetland author Jessie Saxby. Since the 1930s, a variation of MacRitchie’s theory has been repeated in nearly every local book concerning Shetland folk belief. These conceptions of history continue to inform the sense of local identity felt by many Shetlanders. This has come into conflict with the local government’s efforts at place brand, tourism, heritage, and economic development, all of which tie into a broader struggle between fostering Shetland’s national awareness and expanding Shetland’s jurisdictional capacity. Particular attention is paid to how history is used variously by the community to express exclusivity and by the local government to promote inclusivity.

This thesis addresses the nature of play, its relationships with the world, and the relationships between people and objects. The study is exploratory; rather than confining itself too strictly to a particular time or place it has followed the evidence as new areas of interest have unfolded. Throughout all this it has remained grounded in an interest in the archaeology of the Scottish Northern Isles, and in a desire to better understand the archaeological evidence for play from an anthropological viewpoint. It begins with an account of ethnographic fieldwork among chess players (in Edinburgh and Orkney) and players of euchre (a card game played on the Orcadian island of Westray) and moves on to consider the findings in the light of archaeological sources. As the study progresses several key themes emerge. The work carried out amongst chess and card players leads towards a more cognitive appreciation of these activities: how can the relationship between player and pieces be understood? It becomes clear that players use their pieces as proxy forms for their own actions or intentions: can the pieces, then, be said to possess agency, or is some other factor at play? Also, do the movements of chess pieces and cards represent a simple form of notation, or is this a more active engagement, one where person and thing are involved in something more complex? It is suggested here that these relationships can best be understood as an example of 'active externalism', where cognition is not contained but distributed in the immediate environment. Consideration of the role of gaming pieces leads towards an examination of the ways in which the manipulation of objects during play brings new and unexpected discoveries to the participants. The discussion addresses this theme in terms of bricolage and considers the placement of things singly and in sets. Turning then to a review of the archaeology, a major impediment is immediately encountered, which lies in the difficulty Turning then to a review of the archaeology, a major impediment is immediately encountered, which lies in the difficulty of identifying play in the archaeological record prior to a certain point in time. This initially leads to a focus on the archaeology of the first millennium AD before returning to a reconsideration of the nature of the evidence, and of our expectations of where play should be found. A consideration of ritual, for example, brings the role of play into sharp focus and points out how these divisions are not so clear cut. This thesis is a critical appraisal of the archaeological evidence for play and a reappraisal of the relationship between play — an activity which is most often understood as 'set apart' — and everyday life; leading to the conclusion that play is not in fact so separate. The focus on archaeology and game playing gives this thesis an object-centred orientation, together with a certain time-depth, however the discussion demonstrates how the findings are also reflexive: whether in the chess club or on the archaeological site, it also finds play-like or ludic ways of dealing with the world in everyday life.

This study analyses the impact of oil-related developments on output, incomes and employment in Shetland. An Input-Output approach is adopted based on a Shetland transactions table constructed by the author. Using this, the pre-oil Shetland economy is analysed as base for assessing oil impact. Three major oil activities are identified and their local effects estimated: Supply Bases, the Sullom Voe Tanker Terminal, and Oil-related Construction. Estimates of the impact of these on local activity are given in aggregate and on an individual industry basis. Appropriate oil sector 'multipliers' are derived. Attempts are made to modify the basic estimates by allowing for 'negative multiplier' effects, induced investment and other elements of impact excluded in the basic model. Finally, the possibility of oil-induced changes in local technology is considered and its implications for the preceding impact estimates discussed. In the conclusions the results of the previous analysis are drawn together and some policy implications suggested by them are considered briefly.

Autecological and demographic studies on Cerastium nigrescens and Arenaria norvegica subsp. norvegica on the Keen of Hamar and Nikkavord, two ultramafic outcrops on Unst, are reported. The fluctuations in numbers of the two species on the Keen showed differences within the site but in general were related to low spring rainfall, and to number of day degrees above 5.6 DC. Individuals of the two species were monitored on the Keen from June 1994 to November 1996. Plants of Cerastium showed Deevey type two curves and mature plants had a half life of 3.8 years. Most of the seeds germinated from July to November. Plants of Arenaria showed a Deevey type one curve with high mortality after flowering in the second year. Many Arenaria seedlings were recorded throughout the spring, summer and autumn. Seed bank measurements ranged from 12 - 13 m-2 for Cerastium and from 24 - 43 m-2 for Arenaria. On Nikkavord, Cerastium plants occurred on wetter areas than the Keen plants but showed similar population dynamics to them. Arenaria plants sampled on Nikkavord showed bigger fluctuations in numbers and flowering frequencies than Keen plants. Cerastium seeds were sown on Sobul, an ultramafic outcrop, about 6 km SW of the Keen, where the species did not occur naturally. There was germination and establishment after two years. Pilot studies on the Keen revealed the importance of soil surface microtopography for the establishment of Cerastium and Arenaria. Keen and Nikkavord Cerastium leaves were more densely glandular pubescent than leaves of Faroese Cerastium arcticum. The glands produced fats, pectins and other polysaccharides and may be part of an adaptation to drought. A nickel-rich fully vegetated area on the northern slopes of the Keen suggested that the lower nickel concentrations in the barest soils are not important in retarding successional processes.

This thesis provides detailed studies of settlement on four Faroese islands and in four districts of Shetland in order to isolate and explain differences and similarities between the two island groups. These studies examine topography, place-names, relationships with previous settlements, church distribution, settlement expansion, inter-relationship of settlements and land assessments. The range of sources and methods are set out in the Introduction. The first Regional Study presents two districts of Western Norway, Fjaler and Gaular, which are discussed to illustrate some of the major trends of settlement in the homeland. Detailed studies are then made of settlements on the four Faroese islands of Fugloy, Streymoy, Sandoy and Suduroy and in the four Shetland districts of Fetlar, Delting, Walls and Sandness, and Tingwall. A section arranged thematically follows, bringing together results from the Regional Studies and referring more generally to the whole of Shetland and Faroe. This section examines three themes: firstly, the relationship between the Norse settlers and pre-Norse populations; secondly, the development of the Scattalds and bygdir; -and thirdly, naming patterns. Despite very great differences in the extent of settlement prior to the arrival of the Norse in Faroe and Shetland, primary settlement patterns are essentially similar. The Scattalds and bygdir represent comparable settlement districts and reflect similar agricultural requirements and responses to the landscape while primary settlement sites in both island groups generally feature good harbours and extensive cultivable land with topographical names descriptive of their coastal location. Secondary settlement expansion takes different forms in Faroe and Shetland, however, and this is reflected in nomenclature, in particular the absence of the habitative elements stadir, bolstadr and setr from Faroe. It is concluded that the absence or presence of habitative place-name elements is dependent on the nature of settlement expansion.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Glasgow, 2008. / Ph.D. thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts, Departments of Archaeology and History, University of Glasgow, 2008. Includes bibliographical references. Print version also available.

The Northern Isles are strongly influenced by changes in the North Atlantic Ocean atmosphere system and, as they project northwards from the British Isles, provide an ideal geographical opportunity to study changing climatic gradients during the last glacial/interglacial transition along with the detection of regime shifts. Three proxies, diatoms, pollen, and micro-XRF sediment chemistry, have been employed to explore the nature and timing of environmental changes within the water columns and the wider catchments of Loch of Sabiston, Orkney, and Loch of Clumlie and Loch of Grimsetter, Shetland to better understand the nature and timing of environmental change within and among the island groups. The records are constrained by radiocarbon dating, supported by tephrochronology, and the Greenland ice core chronology to enable the comparison of the records produced by this study with previous research in the North Atlantic region. The diatom and lithological results from Loch of Sabiston suggest early deglaciation at c. 23,000 cal BP followed by gradual warming (GI-1e) punctuated by the cooling events coeval with GS-1 and GI-1b. However, the pollen record reflects a lagged response in the development from colonising cold tolerant vegetation to more temperate shrub and woodland communities. The Oracadian signal is dominated by the switching on and off of the accumulation of marl which serves as a supporting indicator of warmer conditions. The Shetland landscape appears to have been deglaciated later at c. 16,400 cal BP, but also has clear representation of GI-1e and the cooling events of GI-1b and GS-1. Both the Shetland and Orkney records record the dramatic cooling of the Younger Dryas but also suggest a two stage change from colder and drier to colder and wetter conditions before the onset of the Holocene. Shetland appears to have experienced less extreme climatic changes in comparison to Orkney despite being in the same present phytogeographical region. This is likely due to the former persisting in the arctic domain and the latter being closer to the latitudinal shifts in the warmer ocean circulation of the North Atlantic during the LGIT. Comparison of the three proxies demonstrates that they may differ by several hundred years in their response to dramatic climatic changes and, therefore, highlights the strength of multi-proxy approaches to reconstructing Quaternary environments. Combining proxies such as diatom and μ-XRF scanning techniques will provide a greater understanding of the processes occurring during environmental change in this region.

Traditionally archaeology has referred to the anthropic sediments accumulated around prehistoric settlements with the blanket term ‘midden’. This is now recognised as an inadequate term to describe the complex formation processes and functions represented in these sediments. This thesis reviewed the body of evidence accumulated over the past century of research into Neolithic and Bronze Age settlements on the islands of the Scottish North Atlantic seaboard and extrapolated the many occurrences of ‘midden’. Several contexts emerged for these sediments including interior floors, hearths, exterior occupational surfaces, dumped deposits, building construction materials and abandonment infill. In addition, ‘midden’ is described added to cultivated soils to form fertile anthrosols. The way in which prehistoric communities exploited this material for agriculture and construction has been described through geoarchaeological research which implied that to past communities ‘midden’ was a valuable resource. This led to the formation of a model based upon a human ecodynamics framework to hypothesise sediment formation pathways. Rescue excavation at the Links of Noltland, Westray provided an opportunity to conduct a holistic landscape and fine resolution based study of Neolithic and Bronze Age settlement to test this model. The research incorporated auger survey, archaeological and geoarchaeological excavation, thin section micromorphology and SEM EDX analyses. Sediments identified in literature review and recovered from the field site were described using this toolkit and set within a cultural and environmental context. Results demonstrate that anthropic materials were incorporated into all contexts examined. Discrete burning and maintenance activities were found to have taken place during the gradual accumulation of open-air anthropic sediments whilst incorporation of fuel residues and hearth waste into floors lead to the gradual formation of ‘living floors’ inside structures. An unexpected discovery was evidence of animal penning within late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age settlement and the in situ burning of stabling waste. Three types iv | P a g e of land management strategy which relied upon the input of anthropic sediments were evidenced and the range and extent of anthropic inclusions in the landscape recorded. Spatial interpolation of auger survey data utilised a new sub-surface modelling technique being developed by the British Geological Survey to explore soil stratigraphic relationships in 3D. SEM EDX analysis supported micromorphological analysis providing chemical data for discrete inclusions and assisting in the identification of herbivore dun ash and the Orcadian funerary product ‘cramp’. SEM EDX analysis was also applied to fine organo-mineral material for statistical testing of nutrient loadings across context groups. It was found that anthropic sediments were enriched in macro and intermediate plant nutrients Mg, P, K, S and Ca compared to geological controls, and the application of anthropic material to cultivated soils improved soil fertility for the three observed land management practices. The versatility of anthropic sediments was explored through discussion of context groups based upon the results of this research and the potential significance of this material to prehistoric communities is explored.