What is it about?
By studying a large collection of bone and antler hair combs from northern Scotland, we reassess when settlers from Scandinavia first arrived. By looking at how these combs were made, their specific shapes, and where they were found, we reassessed the claim that some local-style combs may have been made using imported reindeer antler. Wherever this seemed possible, the objects were never found in layers older than the 800s (the date traditionally associated with the Viking settlement of Orkney and Shetland). This suggests that while locals and newcomers may have been living side-by-side and sharing technologies in the 9th century, there is no evidence that they were interacting earlier than that. The combs also show that these early settlers weren't just connected to their homelands, but were also part of a trade network that included Ireland and England.
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Why is it important?
This research acts as a reality check, using physical evidence to throw serious doubt on a long-held theory about Viking settlement. By arguing that no "mixed" technology or imported materials existed before the 9th century, this study shows that the Norse arrival was likely more sudden and disruptive than some had suggested.
Perspectives
This came out of my PhD thesis. It was a landmark paper for me, and was the first step on the road to really resolving this question using ZooMS. I'm still proud of the artefact work I present here.
Dr Steven P Ashby
University of York
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Combs, Contact and Chronology: Reconsidering Hair Combs in Early-Historic and Viking-Age Atlantic Scotland, Medieval Archaeology, November 2009, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1179/007660909x12457506806081.
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