Orkney : A Historical Guide

by Wickham-Jones, Caroline

• ISBN13: 9781841585963
• ISBN10: 1841585963
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-01-01
• Publisher: Interlink Pub Group Inc

Summary

Orkney lies only twenty miles north of mainland Scotland, yet for many centuries its culture was more Scandanavian than Scottish. Strong westerly winds account for the scarcity of trees on Orkney and also for the tradition of well-constructed buildings out of stone. As a result, exceptionally well-preserved remains are to be found in the islands, providing a rounded view of society through the ages. Sites and remains to be explored include settlements from the stone age, stone circles and burials from the bronze age, iron age brochs, Viking castles and more.

Table of Contents

The natural background	p. 3
The first settlers : Mesolithic Orkney	p. 13
Early farmers : Neolithic Orkney	p. 19
The first metalworkers : Bronze Age Orkney	p. 67
Fighting farmers : Iron Age Orkney	p. 81
The coming of the missionaries : Pictish Orkney	p. 99
Foreign settlers : the Norse in Orkney	p. 111
Transfer to Scotland : Scottish Earls in Orkney	p. 147
The improving years : Orkney in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries	p. 173
War and peace : Orkney in the twentieth century	p. 199
Endnote : new work since the first edition	p. 211
Museums	p. 215
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.