Island of Staffa ‘colonised 3,800 years ago’
● First clear evidence found for human activity during Bronze Age
Humans were inhabiting the island of Staffa thousands of years earlier than previously thought.
Archaeologists working with National Trust for Scotland have discovered the first clear evidence for human activity during the Bronze Age on the island, which sits to the west of Mull.
Further research will be carried out to determine whether Staffa was home to a permanent settlement or visited as a place of ritual.
Radiocarbon testing on a burnt grain of hulled barley recovered from a small pit has now revealed there was human activity on Staffa some time between 1880-1700 BC.
This is up to 3,400 years earlier than previously known about with distinctive prehistoric pottery recovered from Staffa also offering fresh insight into ancient life on the
0 Staffa, which is best known for Fingal’s Cave, was ‘discovered’ in more modern times in 1772
island. Derek Alexander, the National Trust for Scotland’s head of archaeological services, said: “This is our fifth season out at the island to investigate its past.
“Each time we go there we
add another little piece of the jigsaw.
“This is a really significant find. It seems likely that people in the past were just as curious about their surroundings as we are. We can only imagine
what Bronze Age people may have thought of the geological marvel that is Fingal’s Cave.
“Our next objective is to understand whether this evidence represents domestic occupation on the island or something a bit more ritualistic.”
Distinctive decorated prehistoric pottery has also been recovered.
Staffa, best known for Fingal’s Cave, was “discovered” for a modern audience by botanist Joseph Banks in 1772.
While it became popular with tourists and European cultural figures, including Wordsworth, Mendelssohn and Turner, little was known about its deep past and archaeology – until now.
Radiocarbon tests previously dated human activity on Staffa to the 15th or 16th century.
The work on Staffa was undertaken as part of the Historic Archaeology Research Project, Staffa (HARPS).
The project aims to fill an important gap in the archaeological knowledge of one of Scotland’s best-known maritime landscape features using a range of techniques, from archaeological excavation to the latest photographic analysis and audio analysis.
The project is being run by National Trust for Scotland, Glasgow School of Art and the universities of Stirling and Glasgow.
Funding has come from the London Members’ Centre of the NTS and the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.