7000BC, the Middle Stone Age after the Ice Age

This was the earliest occupation of Scotland. Small hunter/gatherers groups arrived from England and Ireland, seeking food. We have evidence of life form this time.

7000-4000BC The Mesolithic Age

Any flints that are found give us evidence of human activity. Flint isn't natural in this area, so it must have been brought here by man. At this time, people moved around in extended family groups, living in temporary structures. This is why it is difficult to find evidence of their homes now. This way of life lasted 3000 years. The groups knew where to find good resources, which is why they would have settled in this area of Scotland. Indeed, the area was used for hunting up till the Middle Ages. Around 1940, a local man found a collection of 800 flints on a gravel bed on the North East shore of Woodend Loch.

4000BC The Neolithic

This was the start of farming. Long houses were built of wood, with animals kept which were imported from Europe and the Far East. They grew barley and wheat.

We now find evidence of chambered cairns from this date, where the communities buried their dead, and used the cairn to mark their claim to a certain area. However, most of these cairns have been wiped out by agricultural development. Farmers would remove them from fields when ploughing, and often used the stones to build dykes.

2000BC The Bronze Age

We have evidence of box-kist burials in this area. Urns have been found in two kists in 19th century excavations. We also have bronze-age weapons, as they survive burial well. A bronze spearhead was found in 1898 just west of Provanhall. Sometimes moulds are found also.

700BC The Iron Age

This era saw a rise in defended settlements, as population increased and the climate worsened. These settlements only survive in the upland areas, because no farmers ploughed there. An excellent example is at Meiklegreive in the Campsies.

Crannogs

Bishop Loch site of the Crannoch find (click for larger image)

These dwellings are found throughout Scotland on fresh water lochs. They are artificial islands, built on stilts or rafts (or possibly on the shore line itself). They were connected to the shore by a causeway. Pottery and other articles were found in Bishop Loch in an 1898 excavation. Some of these finds are in Airdrie museum and others are in Kelvingrove. One of the best digs was at Dumbuck. It has been dated to the y'h Century AD, using radio carbon dating and from counting the rings of the trees. It was only occupied for 50 years, and evidence of a bluebottle infestation might explain why!

Crannogs used stone hearths so they wouldn't set fire to the wood floor. Lot's of wooden artefacts have been found, such as mallets, lids of butter churns, etc. The Lochend excavation revealed coarse pottery, animal bones and human remains.

Photos of Dig

142-163 AD The Roman Occupation

The Antonine Wall was built when Rome gained a new emperor who needed a new military victory! As well as the wall, Scotland has great evidence of Roman military camps. There are examples at Croyhill and Twechar, and the bathhouse at Bearsden. There is evidence of the Romans as far north as Aberdeen and Inverness.

The Dark Ages

Crannogs and hill forts were still occupied at this time. Scotland was affected greatly by the accession of David I in 1124. He brought friends from the south and gave them all land. There is a lot of evidence of Mottes along the Kelvin valley.