Inhabiting the Inner Hebrides: exploring settlement and marginality on the Isle of Islay, Scotland
Keywords:
medieval, Islay, Hebrides, ScotlandAbstract
The concept of marginality within archaeological research has been much debated over recent years, with current thought placing a greater emphasis on the inter-relationship of environmental, economic and social systems. This article explores two former medieval and later settlements and their farming-districts on the Isle of Islay, Scotland, UK, both occupying landscapes that could today be considered marginal. It uses new archaeological data to look at how these farming communities adapted and changed over time in response to evolving political, socio-economic and environmental circumstances. It reaches the conclusion that marginality is inherently fluid, with landscapes not viewed as marginal by one group becoming marginal to another as environmental and economic systems change, and political and cultural practices evolve.
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