Scotland's First Settlers: (Historic Scotland Series) [Paperback]

C.R. Wickham-Jones (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 30, 2003 | Series: Historic Scotland

The nomads first arrived in Scotland some 9,000 years ago during the Stone Age, and their hunting and gathering way of life persisted for at least four millennia. A combination of archaeological, environmental, and geomorphological evidence reveals vital information on Scotland's landscape during that period, the origins of these early settlers, how they used the land's natural resources, and more.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Batsford (June 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0713473711
• ISBN-13: 978-0713473711
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #732,829 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing Amount of Information on the Expected Topic, February 9, 2008

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Bonam Pak (Berlin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scotland's First Settlers: (Historic Scotland Series) (Paperback)

In this 1994 book an archaeologist introduces us to her line of work. Which is nice. It isn't why I bought this book, though. I wouldn't really complain and take along the by no means uninteresting information on the procedures of digging up prehistoric remains of modern humans - on the continuous example of Scotland - however, if that takes 106 pages, before the author REALLY gets to the content of the title, this is a little flabbergasting - if there are only 120 regular text pages altogether. The picture isn't really fleshed out now, as the author would like us believe after that tease. Especially galling, when the book(let) gets repetitive on bottom of it, as thin as it is. Don't get me wrong, it isn't a complete waste of time to read this book, it's unjust very limited on the conjectured topic. I was especially interested, where the first (pre-glacial) and second (post-glacial) modern humans came from. A question sure to get an expected answer to. "There is... no site in Scotland that could be said to relate in a straightforward fashion to a population that derived from England." That is indeed "revealing" to read in an orthodox science book. However, the provided origin is largely limited to Ireland and as for a nice catch the now submerged, then ice free North Sea basin between the UK and Scandinavia. And where did these peoples come from? A lack of information, even speculation suggests that the author doesn't want to touch the controversy, as there are classic and modern scientists who suggest, these "British aborigines" were black/dark-skinned. (Repeated in later migrations, e.g. from Egypt.) For more on that read e.g. Ivan van Sertima's African Presence in Early Europe (Journal of African Civilizations) and the 19th century Ancient and Modern Britons: Volume One (Ancient & Modern Britons) (+ Volume II). Or Bryan Sykes genetic books The Seven Daughters of Eve and Saxons, Vikings, and Celts: The Genetic Roots of Britain and Ireland.