Revisiting Glenelg a century after Alexander O Curle: Reconstructing brochs in treeless landscapes

Tanja Romankiewicz; Ian Ralston

doi:10.17863/CAM.81505

Revisiting Glenelg a century after Alexander O Curle: Reconstructing brochs in treeless landscapes

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Abstract / Description of output

Field visits to the broch of Dun Troddan in Glenelg in northwest Scotland in 2010 and 2012 resulted in a critical re-assessment of that site and widened to consider current understandings and reconstructions of brochs, and in particular of the assumed substantial consumption of large timbers for such building projects. Following a re-appraisal of A O Curle’s excavation at Dun Troddan in the light of this new fieldwork and based on recent research into the architecture of brochs (Romankiewicz 2011), evidence for postrings within brochs more generally is considered, as are the quantities of timber available to and required by the builders. A few concluding speculations explore the implications of timber requirements for more general interpretations of Atlantic Scottish Iron Age societies.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Gardening time
Subtitle of host publication	Monuments and landscape from Sardinia, Scotland and Central Europe in the very long Iron Age
Editors	Simon Stoddart, Ethan D. Aines, Caroline Malone
Place of Publication	Cambridge
Publisher	McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research
Chapter	8
Pages	65-74
ISBN (Electronic)	9781913344047
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.81505
Publication status	Published - 31 Dec 2021
Event	Gardening Time - Magdalen College, Cambridge and McDonald Institute, Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom Duration: 21 Sept 2012 → 23 Sept 2012

Publication series

Name	McDonald Institute Monographs: Conversations

Conference

Conference	Gardening Time
Country/Territory	United Kingdom
City	Cambridge
Period	21/09/12 → 23/09/12

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

brochs
reconstructions
Atlantic Iron Age
later prehistoric climate and environment in Scotland
Alexander O Curle

Access to Document

10.17863/CAM.81505Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND)

RomankiewiczTRalstonI2021RevisitingGlenelgFinal published version, 2.93 MBLicence: Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND)

1 Article
1 Other contribution

Land, stone, trees, identity, ambition: The building blocks of brochs
Romankiewicz, T., 18 Dec 2015, In: The Archaeological Journal. 173 , 1, p. 1-29 29 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Open Access
File
Dun Troddan: Non-invasive survey
Romankiewicz, T. & Ralston, I., 2013, 2 p. Archaeology Scotland.
Research output: Other contribution

2 Participation in conference
1 Public Engagement – Media article or participation
1 Public Engagement – Public lecture/debate/seminar

Radio Participation: BBC Radio Shetland: A History of Shetland - The Story of Brochs
Tanja Romankiewicz (Speaker)
1 Feb 2017
Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Public Engagement – Media article or participation
Public talk: 'Towers of the North...only? Castle Craig and Iron Age brochs as a Scotland-wide phenomenon', Cradle of Scotland exhibition, The Hunterian Art Gallery
Tanja Romankiewicz (Speaker)
25 Nov 2015
Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Public Engagement – Public lecture/debate/seminar
EAA Glasgow: 21st Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists
Tanja Romankiewicz (Speaker)
3 Sept 2015
Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference

Cite this

Romankiewicz, T., & Ralston, I. (2021). Revisiting Glenelg a century after Alexander O Curle: Reconstructing brochs in treeless landscapes. In S. Stoddart, E. D. Aines, & C. Malone (Eds.), Gardening time: Monuments and landscape from Sardinia, Scotland and Central Europe in the very long Iron Age (pp. 65-74). (McDonald Institute Monographs: Conversations). McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.81505

Romankiewicz, Tanja ; Ralston, Ian. / Revisiting Glenelg a century after Alexander O Curle : Reconstructing brochs in treeless landscapes. Gardening time: Monuments and landscape from Sardinia, Scotland and Central Europe in the very long Iron Age. editor / Simon Stoddart ; Ethan D. Aines ; Caroline Malone. Cambridge : McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, 2021. pp. 65-74 (McDonald Institute Monographs: Conversations).

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title = "Revisiting Glenelg a century after Alexander O Curle: Reconstructing brochs in treeless landscapes",

abstract = "Field visits to the broch of Dun Troddan in Glenelg in northwest Scotland in 2010 and 2012 resulted in a critical re-assessment of that site and widened to consider current understandings and reconstructions of brochs, and in particular of the assumed substantial consumption of large timbers for such building projects. Following a re-appraisal of A O Curle{\textquoteright}s excavation at Dun Troddan in the light of this new fieldwork and based on recent research into the architecture of brochs (Romankiewicz 2011), evidence for postrings within brochs more generally is considered, as are the quantities of timber available to and required by the builders. A few concluding speculations explore the implications of timber requirements for more general interpretations of Atlantic Scottish Iron Age societies.",

keywords = "brochs, reconstructions, Atlantic Iron Age, later prehistoric climate and environment in Scotland, Alexander O Curle",

author = "Tanja Romankiewicz and Ian Ralston",

year = "2021",

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doi = "10.17863/CAM.81505",

language = "English",

series = "McDonald Institute Monographs: Conversations",

publisher = "McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research",

pages = "65--74",

editor = "Simon Stoddart and Aines, {Ethan D.} and Caroline Malone",

booktitle = "Gardening time",

note = "Gardening Time ; Conference date: 21-09-2012 Through 23-09-2012",

}

Romankiewicz, T & Ralston, I 2021, Revisiting Glenelg a century after Alexander O Curle: Reconstructing brochs in treeless landscapes. in S Stoddart, ED Aines & C Malone (eds), Gardening time: Monuments and landscape from Sardinia, Scotland and Central Europe in the very long Iron Age. McDonald Institute Monographs: Conversations, McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, Cambridge, pp. 65-74, Gardening Time, Cambridge, United Kingdom, 21/09/12. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.81505

Revisiting Glenelg a century after Alexander O Curle: Reconstructing brochs in treeless landscapes. / Romankiewicz, Tanja; Ralston, Ian.
Gardening time: Monuments and landscape from Sardinia, Scotland and Central Europe in the very long Iron Age. ed. / Simon Stoddart; Ethan D. Aines; Caroline Malone. Cambridge: McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, 2021. p. 65-74 (McDonald Institute Monographs: Conversations).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

TY - GEN

T1 - Revisiting Glenelg a century after Alexander O Curle

T2 - Gardening Time

AU - Romankiewicz, Tanja

AU - Ralston, Ian

PY - 2021/12/31

Y1 - 2021/12/31

N2 - Field visits to the broch of Dun Troddan in Glenelg in northwest Scotland in 2010 and 2012 resulted in a critical re-assessment of that site and widened to consider current understandings and reconstructions of brochs, and in particular of the assumed substantial consumption of large timbers for such building projects. Following a re-appraisal of A O Curle’s excavation at Dun Troddan in the light of this new fieldwork and based on recent research into the architecture of brochs (Romankiewicz 2011), evidence for postrings within brochs more generally is considered, as are the quantities of timber available to and required by the builders. A few concluding speculations explore the implications of timber requirements for more general interpretations of Atlantic Scottish Iron Age societies.

AB - Field visits to the broch of Dun Troddan in Glenelg in northwest Scotland in 2010 and 2012 resulted in a critical re-assessment of that site and widened to consider current understandings and reconstructions of brochs, and in particular of the assumed substantial consumption of large timbers for such building projects. Following a re-appraisal of A O Curle’s excavation at Dun Troddan in the light of this new fieldwork and based on recent research into the architecture of brochs (Romankiewicz 2011), evidence for postrings within brochs more generally is considered, as are the quantities of timber available to and required by the builders. A few concluding speculations explore the implications of timber requirements for more general interpretations of Atlantic Scottish Iron Age societies.

KW - brochs

KW - reconstructions

KW - Atlantic Iron Age

KW - later prehistoric climate and environment in Scotland

KW - Alexander O Curle

U2 - 10.17863/CAM.81505

DO - 10.17863/CAM.81505

M3 - Conference contribution

T3 - McDonald Institute Monographs: Conversations

SP - 65

EP - 74

BT - Gardening time

A2 - Stoddart, Simon

A2 - Aines, Ethan D.

A2 - Malone, Caroline

PB - McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research

CY - Cambridge

Y2 - 21 September 2012 through 23 September 2012

ER -

Romankiewicz T, Ralston I. Revisiting Glenelg a century after Alexander O Curle: Reconstructing brochs in treeless landscapes. In Stoddart S, Aines ED, Malone C, editors, Gardening time: Monuments and landscape from Sardinia, Scotland and Central Europe in the very long Iron Age. Cambridge: McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research. 2021. p. 65-74. (McDonald Institute Monographs: Conversations). doi: 10.17863/CAM.81505

Revisiting Glenelg a century after Alexander O Curle: Reconstructing brochs in treeless landscapes

Abstract / Description of output

Publication series

Conference

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Research output

Land, stone, trees, identity, ambition: The building blocks of brochs

Dun Troddan: Non-invasive survey

Activities

Radio Participation: BBC Radio Shetland: A History of Shetland - The Story of Brochs

Public talk: 'Towers of the North...only? Castle Craig and Iron Age brochs as a Scotland-wide phenomenon', Cradle of Scotland exhibition, The Hunterian Art Gallery

EAA Glasgow: 21st Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists

Cite this