The six Mesolithic shell middens on Oronsay were of interest to many early archaeologists working in Scotland. Paul Mellars' studies of these sites in the 1970s provided radiocarbon dates of 6,300 - 4,300 years BP, placing them in the late Mesolithic period. The material found within the middens showed that fish was extremely important in the diet of the communities on Oronsay. Around 90% of the fish bones found on the island were those of the saithe or coalfish. This suggests the occurrence of marine fishing, although neither nets or fishhooks have been found. It is probable that some sort of boats were used for fishing off the coast of Oronsay. Studies of the otoliths (ear bones) of saithe from the middens suggest that there was seasonal movement around the island. Assuming that the growth rates of modern and prehistoric fish are similar, Mellars concluded that the Cnoc Sligeach midden was used in July and August, Cnoc Coig from September until November, and the Priory midden during the winter months. This, however, did not answer the question of whether Mesolithic communities inhabited the island all year round. There is evidence to suggest that contact with other islands, or the mainland, was maintained throughout the late Mesolithic. For example, red deer were not present on Oronsay, yet their bones and mattock heads made from red deer antler have been found in the middens. Mithen suggests that these animals came from Islay and Jura. It seems fair to say that the Mesolithic people of Oronsay were not sedentary and lived a simple hunter- gatherer lifestyle. There is one major difference between Obanian sites, such as the Oronsay middens, and other Mesolithic sites, and that is the absence of microlithic tools. With reference to Oronsay, Mithen feels that this "reflects the specific economic activities undertaken on Oronsay, rather than indicating distinct cultural groups with different tool traditions." Basically, Mesolithic communities on Oronsay did not manufacture microliths because they had no need for them. From Mellars' work on the island, we can see that Mesolithic people on Oronsay moved around the island seasonally, possibly so as not to exhaust the food supply in any one area. This seasonal movement may also have been connected to the weather - the Priory Midden, used through the winter, is in a more sheltered location than the other middens. With dense forest preventing settlement throughout much of Scotland, Oronsay provided Mesolithic communities with a good coastal location offering a range of resources, and its close proximity to other islands allowed a wider range of foods and materials to be exploited. The dependency on marine foods due to the coastal location may explain the community's lack of microlithic tools, which were evidently not required for the catching/gathering, and processing of fish and shellfish. |
|
