The early historic landscape of Strathearn: the archaeology of a Pictish kingdom

This study concerns the social and political organization of the early medieval kingdom of Fortiu which occupied present day Strathearn in eastern Scotland. Archaeological and historical sources are used to examine the develoent of the administrative structure at the root of the Medieval state of Scotland. There are three main aspects to this study. First, the historical evidence bearing on social organization in early medieval Britain and Ireland is used in conjunction with archaeological evidence for economic activity to produce a generalized model of early medieval society suitable for Pictland. Second, the archaeological evidence of settleent in Strathearn, both upstanding sites and cropmark sites revealed by aerial photography, is examined as a means of assessing the character of Pictish settlement systems, their agricultural practices and, ultimately, Pictish social organization. The third line of enquiry is to compare the archaeological evidence with the details of docinentary evidence. This is done at two levels: the archaeology around specific ll documented sites is discussed in relation to that evidence and then a broader assessment is made of the evidence with respect to the pre-feudal administrative structures. It is argued that during the Pictish and early Scottish periods as the polities in the east grew more state-like the importance of kin-based social relations diminished and protofeudal social bonds became increasingly important. However, throughout the period land tenure and agricultural production retained central to the maintenance and reproduction of social and political relations . Archaeological evidence is essential for an historically sound study of these develoents.

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

PhD

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Glasgow

Year dc:date.issued

1987

Author dc:creator

• Driscoll, Stephen Taffe

• CC Archaeology

Language dc:language

en