Vikings in Scotland 1
Contents 4
List of Illustrations 9
Abbreviations 13
Acknowledgements 14
Photographic Acknowledgements 16
Introduction 17
The Viking Period 17
Viking Period and Late Norse Scotland 18
Chapter 1 Scotland before the Vikings 20
Scotland's Topography and the Natural Background 20
Scotland on the Eve of the Vikings 21
The Picts 21
Birsay in the Pictish Period 27
The Scots 30
Iona 30
The Britons and Northumbrians 34
Aspects of the Pre-Norse Economy 34
Pastoral Farming 36
Arable Farming 37
Marine Exploitation 38
Seashore and Cliff Exploitation 38
The Earliest Contacts between the Picts and the Norse 39
The Raids Begin 39
Chapter 2 The Norwegian Background 41
Society 41
Economy 41
Settlement Sites 43
The Evidence of Ohthere 44
Ships 45
Religion 46
The Thing 49
Runes 49
Viking Art 50
Dress and Weaponry 51
Chapter 3 Sources for Scandinavian Scotland 53
Language 53
Place-Names 53
Runic Inscriptions 57
Documentary Sources 59
Oral Tradition 62
Archaeology 63
Environmental 66
The People 66
Chapter 4 Regional Survey Part I: Northern Scotland 70
Orkney 70
Shetland 79
Caithness and Sutherland—To the Moray Firth 83
Chapter 5 Regional Survey Part II: The West Highlands and Islands 87
The Northern Region 90
The Central Region 95
The Southern Region 100
The Southern Inner Hebrides 105
Kintyre 107
Chapter 6 Regional Survey Part III: South-West, Central, Eastern and Southern Scotland 109
The North of Ireland 109
The Firth of Clyde 111
The Central Lowlands 116
The East Midlands 118
North-Eastern Scotland 120
South-Eastern Scotland 121
South-West Scotland 122
The Irish Sea and the Isle of Man 125
Chapter 7 Pagan Norse Graves Part I: Case Studies 129
Càrn A' Bharraich, Oronsay 129
Kiloran Bay, Colonsay 134
Ballinaby, Islay 138
Reay, Caithness 141
Broch of Gurness, Mainland, Orkney 143
Pierowall, Westray, Orkney 145
Westness, Rousay, Orkney 151
Scar, Sanday, Orkney 154
Balnakeil, Durness, Sutherland 156
Chapter 8 Pagan Norse Graves Part II: Interpretation 159
The After-Life 159
Burial Rites 159
Grave-Goods 165
Regional Comparisons 167
Chronology 168
Chapter 9 Viking Period Settlements 171
Shetland 171
Jarlshof 171
Orkney 176
Buckquoy 176
The Brough of Birsay 180
Brough Road, Birsay 183
Saevar Howe, West Mainland 183
Skaill, Deerness 184
Pool, Sanday 187
Western Isles 189
The Udal, North Uist 189
Drimore Machair, South Uist 191
Chapter 10 Late Norse Settlements 195
Shetland 196
Jarlshof 196
Underhoull, Unst 197
Sandwick, Unst 200
The Biggings, Papa Stour 201
Orkney 204
The Brough of Birsay 204
Beachview, Birsay 206
Earl's Bu, Orphir 207
Skaill, Deerness 210
Westness, Rousay 211
Tuquoy, Westray 211
Caithness 212
Freswick Links 212
Robert's Haven 217
Western Isles 218
The Udal, North Uist 218
South-West Scotland 218
Whithorn 218
Chapter 11 The Norse Economy 222
Agriculture 223
Livestock 223
Cereals 225
Other Crops 227
Flax 229
Textile Production 229
Exploitation of Marine Resources 230
Fish 230
The Rocky Foreshore 234
Seaweed 235
Seabirds 235
Other Natural Resources 236
Hunting 236
Wood 236
Iron 237
Trade Links 238
Antler Combs 238
Stone 239
Pottery 239
Chapter 12 Silver and Gold 242
Native Silver 242
Pagan Norse Grave-Goods 244
Viking Period Hoards 244
Coins 248
Rings 250
'Ring-money' 254
Brooches and Pins 255
Ingots 257
Hack-silver 259
Metallurgical Analysis 260
Circulation and Deposition 261
Chapter 13 Earls and Bishops 264
Stone Sculpture 264
Chapels and Churches 268
Castles and Strongholds 273
Bishops and Cathedrals 277
The Lewis Chessmen: A Coda 279
Sources and Further Reading 281
The Viking Age 281
Viking/Late Norse Period Scotland 281
Chapter 1: Scotland before the Vikings 282
Chapter 2: The Norwegian Background 283
Chapter 3: Sources for Scandinavian Scotland 283
Language, Personal and Place-names 284
Runic Inscriptions 284
Documentary Sources 284
Oral Tradition 285
Archaeology, Environment and Physical Anthropology 285
Chapters 4-6: Regional Surveys, Parts I-III 285
Chapter 4: Northern Scotland 285
Chapter 5: The West Highlands and Islands 286
Chapter 6: South-west, Central, Eastern and Southern Scotland 287
Ireland 287
Isle of Man 287
Chapters 7 and 8: Pagan Norse Graves 288
Recent regional reviews include: 288
Càrn a' Bharraich, Oronsay 288
Kiloran Bay, Colonsay 288
Ballinaby, Islay 289
Reay, Caithness 289
Gurness, Orkney 289
Pierowall, Westray 289
Westness, Rousay 289
Scar, Sanday 289
Balnakeil, Sutherland 289
Additional quotations in Chapter 8 are from: 289
Chapters 9 and 10: Viking/Late Norse Period Settlements 290
Shetland 290
Jarlshof 290
Underhoull, Unst 290
The Biggings, Papa Stour 290
Sandwick, Unst 290
Orkney 290
Buckquoy, Birsay 290
Birsay (including Beachview) 290
Saevar Howe 291
Skaill, Deerness 291
Pool, Sanday 291
Orphir 291
Westness, Rousay 292
Tuquoy, Westray 292
Caithness 292
Freswick Links 292
Robert's Haven 292
Western Isles 292
The Udal, North Uist 292
South- West 293
Chapter 11: The Norse Economy 293
General 293
Methodology 293
Ecofactual Aspects 293
Artefactual 294
Chapter 12: Silver and Gold 294
Chapter 13: Earls and Bishops 295
Sculpture 295
Chapels, Churches and Cathedrals 295
Castles and Strongholds 296
The Lewis Chessmen 296
Index 297
A 297
B 297
C 300
D 301
E 302
F 302
G 303
H 303
I 304
J 304
K 305
L 305
M 306
N 306
O 307
P 307
Q 308
R 308
S 308
T 310
U 311
V 311
W 311
Y 312
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