Nut-eating hunter gatherers lived on Skye 8,000 years ago

HAZLENUT shells discovered during an archaeological dig in the Isle of Skye have been proven to be from the hunter gatherer period more than 8,000 years ago.

HAZLENUT shells discovered during an archaeological dig in the Isle of Skye have been proven to be from the hunter gatherer period more than 8,000 years ago.

The shells were found during a five-day excavation at An Corran, by Staffin Bay, in September last year.

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University of the Highlands and Islands archaeologists investigated a suspected Mesolithic structure, in collaboration with the Staffin Community Trust (SCT).

Radiocarbon dates have now confirmed the excavated lithics date to the Mesolithic period, towards the latter half of the 7th millennium BC.

Two fragments of charred hazelnut shell both returned dates of around 6800-6600 BC.

The hazelnuts were recovered from soil samples from the lower part of the sequence at the site, suggesting human activity may have occurred over a long period of time.

Dan Lee, Archaeology Institute UHI, lifelong learning and outreach archaeologist, said: “We are really pleased to have such convincing Mesolithic dates from the site.

“This hints at the huge potential for additional excavations in the area and presents a great opportunity to understand life in the Staffin area during this period.”

SCT director Dugald Ross said: “The lab confirmation of human activity in the local area close to 9000 years ago is a huge bonus to all who took part and we eagerly await the next phase of research.”

The north Skye archaeological excavation has yielded a fragment of worked bone, and several thousand flints which could provide a fuller picture of Staffin’s hunter-gatherer period.

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The flint assemblage recovered from the same layer is currently being quantified and analysed.

While the structure at the site is likely to date to the post-medieval period, confirmation of Mesolithic dates for the layers below could provide further clues about life in the area 8,000 years ago.

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The new dates are just a bit earlier than the earliest dates from material recovered from the base of the section excavated at the nearby An Corran rock shelter, which was excavated in the 1990s.

Both sites were essentially contemporary and one of many dating to this period along the Staffin Bay coastline.

SCT has thanked the Garafad township and Kilmuir Estate for permission to carry out the excavation.

The project was funded by the Scottish Funding Council via Interface Scotland, Highland Council and the Carnegie Foundation of New York.

SCT and UHI are to discuss how further work can be carried out in the Staffin area following this exciting discovery from the community-led project, which was attended by more than 200 people, including pupils from Staffin and Kilmuir primary schools.

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