Reindeer Hunters at Howburn Farm, South Lanarkshire by Torben Bjarke Ballin, Alan Saville, Richard Tipping, Tam Ward, Rupert Housley, Lucy Verrill, Matthew Bradley, Clare Wilson, Paul Lincoln and Alison MacLeod, Archaeopress: Oxford, 2018. Hardback. 124 pages, 47 illustrations, 25 tables (13 plates in colour). ISBN 9781784919016. E-publication ISBN 9781784919023. Reviewed by Caroline Wickham-Jones.
Many people have been keen to author the first book on Palaeolithic Scotland. How nice, therefore to see a consortium of expertise, including some very well- known figures, on the title page of this handsome volume. While the site at Howburn Farm, near Biggar, is a relatively recent entry into archaeological consciousness, it is one that has raised considerable excitement, coinciding, as it did, with the increasing recognition that human activity in Scotland could be pushed back several millennia into the period preceding the establishment of the Holocene. Previous publications, nevertheless, have focussed on smaller assemblages of stone tools and isolated finds, including finds of uncertain association and re-interpreted affinity. This is the first full length book, and the first publication of a dedicated excavation in which Palaeolithic material predominated. As such it occupies a significant strategic position. To what extent does it live up to this?
Counter to the adage, I’d like to start by commenting on the wonderful cover and clear, comprehensive layout. Without a human in sight, the cover says it all; it sets the scene admirably: this is a book about a time when Scotland was a very different place. Inside, in relatively clear English, you will find all you need to know: a brief overview of the project; current location; excavation techniques; stratigraphy; finds; palaeoenvironmental analysis and discussion. There are plentiful clear illustrations, and numerous tables to back up the assertions of the authors (though the present writer was a little confused by the use of the terms ‘Figure’ for small line drawings and photographs, and ‘Plate’ for full page line drawings).
The excavation detail is succinct but comprehensive, as might be expected of relatively shallow stratigraphy. The locations of the trenches are set out, there is detail of soils and taphonomy, and a discussion of the development of the project. Given the unfamiliar nature of the Late Upper Palaeolithic for the average archaeological reader in Scotland, the explanation of chronological terms and framework, together with constant referral to relevant Continental material is particularly useful. In this regard, the use of cal BC dates throughout the volume is interesting: it works well, although the publication of Palaeolithic material elsewhere tends to use cal BP. As an aside, the involvement of the local community group (Biggar Archaeology Group) in the discovery and excavation of the site is particularly good to note. Palaeolithic sites are often regarded as delicate and challenging to excavate, so that community participation can be limited, mistakenly.
There follow in-depth sections on the raw materials, characterisation and technology of the lithic assemblages. Given that lithics provide the dominant archaeological evidence, this is important information, though some readers may (initially?) prefer to skim-read the detail. It is, nevertheless, worth familiarising yourself with the terminology, and content, all of which is carefully explained and illustrated with wonderfully clear line drawings. Consideration of the spatial distribution of material across the trenches is used to differentiate between separate activity episodes and suggest the presence of at least two possible structures dating to the Havelte period (immediately prior to 12,000 cal BC) as well as a slightly later Federmesser-Gruppen site (12,000–10,800 cal BC).
In contrast to most excavation reports, the dating section considers only one radiocarbon date and focusses on discussions of typology and raw materials. While typological considerations are, perhaps, anticipated (and well explained), the examination of raw materials is more innovative and brings into question the role of Doggerland as a source of good quality flint nodules for highly mobile groups coming into Britain, such as a Havelte-period pioneer population with an extensive territory. By the later period, it is suggested, increased knowledge of local resources, and perhaps smaller territories, led to the use of different types of chert, supplemented by some flint. Interpretations such as this may be regarded as speculative, and cannot, sadly, currently be proven, but it is only by putting forward this sort of hypothesis that we can look for the patterns that help to move archaeology forward. My one caveat would be to point out that an ‘exotic’ flint is hardly exotic to a mobile group who encounter it on a regular (if infrequent) basis – we need to be careful of ascribing our values to those of the past.
The penultimate chapter, the discussion, occupies a mere seven pages (in contrast to the 69 pages taken up with consideration of all aspects of the lithics), but the balance does not feel out of kilter. It is explanatory, as it must be for a period that will be relatively unfamiliar to most Scottish archaeologists, and includes a helpful summary of known Scottish Palaeolithic material to date.
This is followed by brief consideration of future perspectives focussing mainly on archaeological approaches. Given the strategic nature of this volume, the lack of a wider viewpoint here misses the opportunity to highlight the essential challenges for our understanding of Palaeolithic Scotland. These concern not only evidence relating to human activity but also that relating to the nature of the land itself: how did deglaciation proceed; when did the coasts become ice-free; what were the details of climatic amelioration; what animals and plants colonised the land over time? Multidisciplinary projects have been used with considerable success to approach the wider understanding of Palaeolithic archaeology elsewhere, and these must surely be the key to advancing the discipline in Scotland.
Having had my rant, the limitations of this volume are few. There are one or two surprising lapses in academic rigour: the references include unpublished papers that might better have been listed separately; the final figure is redrawn from the National Geographic when more accurate versions are available, but these should not detract from the overall accomplishment of the authors. They demonstrate clearly what can be done with a seemingly unprepossessing, largely disturbed site. They introduce us to some hard evidence relating to Palaeolithic Scotland and in doing so move studies on from the overreliance on tanged points that has dogged it through recent years. This is an excellent introduction to Palaeolithic Scotland that deserves a key location on archaeological bookshelves.
It is a fitting tribute to the work of the late Alan Saville, one of the co-authors, and to whom the volume is dedicated. No one working on Palaeolithic Scotland can do so without touching on the foundations laid by his enthusiasm and rigorous analysis.
Caroline Wickham-Jones is a research archaeologist living in Orkney. She is a Fellow of the Society and is affiliated as an Honorary Research Assistant to the University of Aberdeen. She has long experience working on the early post-glacial settlement of Scotland. She is the author of many books and papers and publishes a blog at www.mesolithic.co.uk