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SteveW
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| 25 Apr 2008 9:00 PM |
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For immediate release: 04/12/07
In the Shadow of Bennachie –
A major work tracing the story of human settlement in one of the oldest continuously inhabited areas of Scotland
A major new title on the archaeology and human settlement of Donside in Aberdeenshire is to be launched in Edinburgh on 6 December.
In the Shadow of Bennachie is published jointly by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) and the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (SoAS). Twelve years of research has produced a comprehensive and richly-illustrated publication through which leading archaeologists trace thousands of years of human settlement in the heart of the Aberdeenshire landscape. Over 300 pages in length, using 288 illustrations, 133 colour images and 137 maps and diagrams, the publication painstakingly uncovers a remarkable past and the way it has shaped the modern landscape. It will appeal to readers interested in archaeology and local history, and to all those, from tourists to hillwalkers, who have encountered this fascinating area and wish to know more about its development.
Aberdeenshire lies beyond the Mounth, the mountain rim that bars the route northwards from the eastern lowlands of Angus. Riven with paths and passes, this mountain barrier is by no means impenetrable, but access is seldom easy. To cross the Mounth into the North-east has always been to enter into another land, a land with its own deeply etched sense of identity which not only permeates its people today, but has also done so throughout its past.
Donside lies at the core of this land, sandwiched between the rugged highlands of Deeside and the windswept Buchan plain, and Bennachie, terminating in the craggy silhouette of the Mither Tap, is a distinctive landmark that dominates the landscape for miles around. The land appears rich and lush today, but this is testimony to the generations who have laboured to clear the stones that are its most reliable perennial crop. Indeed it is from these very stones that the ancient identity of the North-east is built, manifesting an individuality evident within the wider trends in Scottish history.
In the Shadow of Bennachie explores this theme using the discipline of field archaeology, tracing it first through a remarkable range of ancient sites, from the unique Early Bronze Age recumbent stone circles, to spectacular Iron Age forts and Pictish carvings. It then examines the evolution of the landscape from the medieval period to the present day, concentrating on the transformation that took place through agricultural ‘improvement’ in the 18th and 19th centuries. It concludes by tracing the changes in the landscape which have been wrought by the 20th century and considers the place of archaeological survey in future conservation and investigation of Scotland’s cultural heritage.
Jack Stevenson, Head of Survey and Recording, RCAHMS says:
“We are delighted to have produced this fine publication in collaboration with SoAS. In the Shadow of Bennachie has been a labour of love and perseverance over the past 12 years and it marks a significant advance in our understanding of how the historic landscape of the north-east has developed.”
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For further information please contact
Helen Loughlin at Colman Getty Consultancy Scoltand
0131 558 8851 / helenloughlin@colmangetty.co.uk.
In the Shadow of Bennachie: A Field Archaeology of Donside, Aberdeenshire
Authors: Piers Dixon | Iain Fraser | Angela Gannon | Stratford Halliday |
Rebecca Jones | John Sherriff | Richard Tipping | Adam Welfare
13 December 2007 | Hardback | £30.00 | 978-0-903903-46-2 | 320pp | 216mm x 279mm | 288 illustrations
Notes to Editors
1 RCAHMS is the national record of Scotland’s built environment, whose mission is to identify, survey and interpret the archaeological, architectu |
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the_historian
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| 25 Apr 2008 9:02 PM |
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| Looks a great book, Steve. I have the RCAHMS volumes on WW2 aerial recce pics of Scotland, so if this book is to the same standard, it should quickly become a standard reference.
Regards,Gordon
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www.photobucket.com/albums/y20/Historian |
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