TV last night

The Shetland Isles 5

Image by thelonious

FourWinds Aug 12, 2005 07:38:55

Did anyone see the prog about the brochs? Can't remember the channel now. Not a bad prog.

I was trying to find some info on the huge excavation of the broch they showed and couldn't find anything. Does anyone have some info? I did come across this though: http://www.travelscotland.co.uk/guide/orkney/shetland_south.htm

"... The original Stone-Age dwellings are topped by a <i>medieval broch</i> [my italics], Pictish wheelhouses, Viking longhouses and, towering over the whole complex, the ruins of a 16th-century mansion. ..."

Medieval !? I know that the C14 dates they got from the bottom of the broch were surprisingly early (400-600bce), but did anyone ever think they were that late in construction? Is this another case of not crediting the 'natives' with such fine construction?

I loved the look of the excavated site: a broch with surrounding wheelhouses. Looks like TC Lethbridge was right - the brochs were built by the same people as the wheelhouses.

goffik Aug 12, 2005 07:49:02

Replying to FourWinds

> Did anyone see the prog about the brochs? Can't remember the channel now. Not a bad prog.

"Landscape Mysteries" (BBC2, midnight) - last night's one was called "The Tower People of Shetland".

This has been a really good series. I catch it occasionally, and kick myself when I miss it! I taped it last night cos I was knackered...

Also on BBC2 at 8:30pm was "Talking Landscapes" with Aubrey Manning, where he, according to Radio Times, "explores the Cairngorms in search of the Caledonian forest, and uncovers the Victorian secret at the heart of the Scottish Highlands"... I missed the first half, but joined when he was going on about the proliferation of Bronze Age hut circles et al... Cursed meself for missing the first bit! Gah!

Will watch Landscape Mysteries tonight, I reckon...

G x

wideford Aug 12, 2005 11:56:13

Replying to FourWinds

http://www.rockstanza.info/ is the fella for all the Shetland brochs

PeterH Aug 12, 2005 13:14:59

Replying to FourWinds

David Miles, former Chief Archaeologist at EH writes: Brochs come at the end of a long tradition of stone house building, including wheel houses. It used to be assumed that they were exotic introductions created by newcomers. Difficult to date but recent evidence from Scatness in Shetland suggests that they are earlier than previously thought. Charred barley in the CONSTRUCTION levels has been radiocarbon dated to between 400 and 200 BC"

Francis Pryor agrees date but claims they were used more for domestic purposes that defensive. Used throughout Late Scottish Iron Age ie up to 900 AD.

greywether Aug 15, 2005 13:23:28

Replying to FourWinds

Didn't see the program but just back from Shetland where we visited Old Scatness, several of the other brochs and a whole lot else. More to follow.

BTW, Old Scatness, according to the guide, is not just the oldest known broch but the best built.

The development of brochs and beyond is still a hotly-debated topic. To my simple mind, I always favoured the following proposition.

To begin with there were roundhouses (eg Quanterness and Bu in Orkney). Then there were more elaborate roundhouses, low but with internal staircases (eg Howe in Orkney). These then evolved into brochs.

However the dating of Old Scatness suggests that, around 300bce, brochs and roundhouses (simple and elaborate) may have co-existed, the choice depending on your status or wealth.

Then there were wheelhouses and aisled roundhouses (similar except the wheel spoke in the latter starts from a point away from the wall and is joined to the wall by a lintel).

The wheelhouses and aisled roundhouses at Jarlshof are built into the ruins of the broch. From what I recall of the Old Scatness commentary, the wheelhouses were several centuries later than the broch.

Moth Aug 15, 2005 13:41:11

Replying to FourWinds

Watched the programme t'other night & thought it was great!

Was a bit confused when nobody on the prog mentioned medieval dates at all. Then I re-read yr post & realised that you didn't get that from the prog.... LOL!

love

Moth

StoneLifter Aug 15, 2005 21:06:42

Replying to FourWinds

I could build a Broch (if you brought me the stone).

T. C. Lethbridge. (Yes)