Camilla Dickson & James Dickson. Plants and People in Ancient Scotland.

Camilla Dickson & James Dickson. Plants and People in Ancient Scotland. 320 pages, 172 figures. 2000. Stroud: Tempus/ Charleston (SC):Arcadia; 0-7524-1905-6 paperback 25 [pounds sterling] & $39.99. This book represents an important new synthesis on the use ofplants by humans in Scotland from the Mesolithic through to the end ofthe Medieval period. Past archaeobotanical syntheses for Scotland haveconcentrated on particular aspects, such as the presence of cereals orthe reconstruction of Holocene woodland. However, the authors haveattempted to address the full range of evidence and interpretation thatcan be gained from analysing plant micro- and macrofossils on a nationalscale, with laudable success. Essentially, the book is split into two sections: the firstcomprises a chronological narrative of the use of plants by period andthe second details 40 particularly noteworthy plants, both common andexotic. Most of the discussion is based on archaeobotanical remains fromarchaeological sites, with wider reference to the regional plantcommunities through pollen analysis Analysis of the distribution of pollen grains of various species contained in surface layer deposits, especially peat bogs and lake sediments, from which a record of past climate may be inferred. and other sources of evidence, suchas zooarchaeological assemblages, where appropriate. The structure iswell laid out and the figures, appendices and references complement thereadable and knowledgeable text. The book opens with a review of the archaeobotanical researchundertaken in Scotland prior to 1970 and the development of thepalaeoenvironmental techniques that provide the basic data discussedthereafter. This introductory chapter refers to a series of appendicesoutlining the concepts of a number of sub-disciplines, such asarchaeobotany and zooarchaeology, providing the non-specialist with thebasic understanding needed to engage with the contents. Each chapteroutlines the evidence and interpretation from the major site assemblageswithin a given period. A general synthesis is also provided, with moredetailed discussion and new insights on particular topics, such as theinterpretation of Small-leaved lime and Meadowsweet meadowsweet:see spiraea. pollen in Bronze Age Bronze Age,period in the development of technology when metals were first used regularly in the manufacture of tools and weapons. Pure copper and bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, were used indiscriminately at first; this early period is sometimes called the cists. The final chapter in this section summarizes the present state ofknowledge for each period and suggests future avenues for research. The second section details 40 case studies of significant species,explaining their formal name and outlining the plants' ecology,potential uses and presence, both chronologically and spatially, onarchaeological sites across Scotland. For many of these plants, theirpresent-day distribution and habitat across the British Isles British Isles:see Great Britain; Ireland. ispresented and discussed, highlighting the detailed palaeoecologicalreconstruction possible from both plant micro- and macrofossils. Theplants covered in this section include those that are ubiquitous on mostexcavations where appropriate sampling has been undertaken, such as thecereals and more common trees and shrubs, to the rarer plants, such asthe Cloudberry recovered from the Iron Age crannog crannog:see lake dwelling. crannogIn Scotland and Ireland, an artificially constructed site for a house or settlement, usually on an islet or in the shallows of a lake. at Oakbank, Loch Tay Loch Tay (Scottish Gaelic, Loch Tatha) is a freshwater loch in the central highlands of Scotland, in the district of Perthshire.It is a long narrow loch of around 14 miles (23 km) long, and typically around 1 to 1 1/2 miles wide, following the line of the valley . The book is a success for a number of reasons. Firstly, it isaccessible to the specialist and non-specialist, stimulating bothinitial interest, judging by the number of positive responses fromundergraduates, and more complex ideas for those more familiar with thedata set. Also, concerted attempts are made to integrate the regionalpollen spectra and the on-site archaeobotanical assemblages, a processthat can be routinely overlooked in specialist reports. This integrationdemonstrates the interpretive value of analysing charcoal and woodassemblages, from sites such as Skara Brae Skara Brae(skâr`ə brā), Stone Age village, on Mainland in the Orkney Islands, N Scotland. Dating from c.3200 to 2200 B.C., the village was preserved under a sand dune until uncovered by a storm in 1851. and the Howe on Orkney, thatallow insights into the wood and timber procurement strategies practisedin relatively open landscapes. Another important contribution of thisbook is the dissemination of unpublished material from sites awaitingpublication. Also, the detailed discussions of research problems uniqueto Scottish archaeobotany, such as the deforestation deforestationProcess of clearing forests. Rates of deforestation are particularly high in the tropics, where the poor quality of the soil has led to the practice of routine clear-cutting to make new soil available for agricultural use. of the Northern andWestern Isles, are full of new ideas. However, the intellectual scope isnot always restricted to Scotland as the excellent summary of the newplants introduced by the Romans demonstrates, through its widercomparisons to Roman/native interactions elsewhere on the frontiers ofthe Empire. The value of this book can be demonstrated by the advances inknowledge over the past 30 years summarized in the concluding chapter ofthe chronological narrative. The authors have been at the forefront ofthis research and this book serves as a testament to their contribution.Camilla Dickson, who died in 1998, inspired and helped many people todevelop interests in the archaeobotany of Scotland and this book willcontinue to do so in the future.MIKE CHURCHDepartment of ArchaeologyUniversity of Edinburghmchurch@hsy1.ssc.ed.ac.uk