The use of quartz in Scottish prehistory

by Torben Bjarke Ballin Lithic Research / Hon Res Fellow, Univ of Bradford

A presentation of Scottish quartz and quartz assemblages and a discussion of quartz use in prehistoric society

The different raw material provinces of prehistoric Scotland

Quartz was commonly used in the Scottish Highland region, as well as on Shetland and on the western isles

Different types of quartz 1(2)

Norwegian microblade in rock crystal Flake in milky

quartz, Kilmelfort Cave, Argyll

‘Greasy’ quartz, Shieldaig, Highland

Different types of quartz 2(2)

Fine-grained quartz core, Scord of Brouster, West Mainland

Coarse-grained quartz flake, Dalmore, Lewis

Block of quartzite, Glentaggart, South Lanarkshire

Different states of quartz

Angular wind-blown erratic quartz, various sites, Aberdeenshire

Burnt and unburnt quartz, Rosinish, Benbecula

The location of the Cnoc Dubh quartz quarry

The Cnoc Dubh quartz quarry

Various quarrying diagnostics

Circular impact points

Denticulated edges

Fabricators (Burland, Trondra – Early IA)

Flakes and blades (Kilmelfort Cave, Oban – Upper Palaeolithic)

Platform cores (Shieldaig, Highland and Bayanne, Yell – Late Meso/Middle BA)

Microblade cores, Shieldaig, Highland

Flake cores, Bayanne, Yell

Bipolar cores (Scord of Brouster, Walls, and Dalmore, Lewis – Early Neo/Early BA)

Bipolar cores, Scord of Brouster, West Mainland

Bipolar cores, Dalmore, Lewis

Microliths (Shieldaig, Highland – Late Meso)

Arrowheads (Scord, Walls; Calanais and Dalmore, Lewis – Early Neo/Early BA)

Leaf-shaped points, Scord of Brouster

Barbed-and-tanged points, Calanais, Lewis

Unfinished barbed-and-tanged points and production waste, Dalmore, Lewis

Curved knives (Scord of Brouster, Walls – Early Neo)

Small knives with pointed tips

Small knives with rounded tips

Large curved knives

Scrapers (Scord, Walls, and Bayanne, Yell – Early Neo/Middle BA)

Small scrapers, Scord of Brouster, West Mainland

Large scrapers, Bayanne, Yell

Three techniques: free-hand platform, platform on anvil, and bipolar technique

Tool ratios of a number of ‘multi-material’ assemblages

Site Quartz Flint Mylonite‘Greasy'

quartz

Calanais, Lewis 5% 20% 27%

Dalmore, Lewis 1% 8% 5%

Rosinish, Benbecula 1% 62%

Kilmelfort Cave, Argyll 2% 26%

Shieldaig, Wester Ross 1% 13% 2%

FERG, Aberdeenshire 4% 12%

Absence of quartz exchange indicated by the distribution of different quartz forms across Lewis, Western Isles

Assemblage Approximate distance Dominating quartz variety

Barvas 2Fine-grained and milky quartz,

pebble source

14.5 km

DalmoreCoarse-grained quartz, pebble

source

10.0 km

Breasclete Fine-grained and milky quartz, vein and pebble sources

2.0 km

Calanais Milky quartz, vein source

3.5 km

Cnoc Dubh Milky quartz, vein (quarry)

16.0 km

Berie Sands Fine-grained quartz, vein source