Espectroscopía infrarroja

Compared with the other areas of west central Scotland, where ditch defined sites are prominent in the archaeological record, there are significantly fewer sites of this type in the Kintyre area. These sites represent just 13% of the total number of enclosed sites on Kintyre (Fig 91), though as has been stated above, until recently there has been little aerial photography in this area compared to other parts of the region. The stone walled sites continue to dominate the landscape and it can be suggested that in this area we can see a marked difference in cultural and social practices to do with the definition of space and the form of enclosure, in this part of west central Scotland compared to the other areas of the region. One of the main reasons cited for this difference, as was explored above in relation to the stone walled sites, is the idea of the strong Atlantic tradition of architecture in this area (Harding 1997, 2004; Henderson 2007), which is dominated by small stone built houses and enclosed sites. Whether this represents a genuinely different form of

185 cultural or social practice in the way sites were enclosed or whether it reflects local adaptions to wider forms of architecture and meaning shall be explored in the next section. Although, as it has already been noted for the stone walled sites, there are many similarities between these sites, and the enclosed sites found in the rest of west central Scotland, even though they have a different architectural materiality.

Other factors of course have to be taken into account including geographical and environmental concerns. For instance the Kintyre area, is dominated by a ridge of high moorland and, and a mountainous spine, with numerous rocky promontories.

This means that it might have been relatively impractical to construct ditch defined sites in much of the peninsula, though areas such as Lanarkshire are also dominated by upland landscapes and there are large numbers of ditch defined sites in this area.

Fig 96 The size and shape of the ditch defined sites of Kintyre

When we look in detail at the limited number of ditch defined sites in this area, it can be seen that all but one is additionally defined by ramparts or banks (Fig 96).

This small site, at Gallowhill Farm, is one of only two circular sites in the area. It was discovered through excavation, ahead of development, and is located in a low-lying area of heavily farmed land. The majority of ditch defined sites however are oval in nature, which reflects the wider picture we see in the way sites were defined in the Kintyre area. This may indicate that even though these ditch defined sites were

Form & Size of Ditch Defined Sites N=6

Ditch Defined Sites of Kintyre

Circular Oval Polygonal

186 constructed in different ways to the stone walled sites, the ways in which space was defined and the practice of enclosure was in fact similar in many ways. This in turn may mean that the practice of living within these sites was the same. Further to this, the oval nature of the sites also reflects the pattern we see in the other areas of the region, again reflecting the wider nature of ideas associated with enclosure shape. These sites tend to be located on prominent hilltops or in upland locations and are all additionally defined by banks or ramparts. Three of these sites are defined by a single ditch and rampart but there are two sites Cnoc Araich and Kildalloig which are defined by triple ramparts of earth and stone.

Kildalloig is located on top of a flat toped hillock rising from the Laggan and commands extensive views over Campbeltown Loch. The site encloses an area of 0.1Ha and is defined by an internal rampart which runs around the top of the hill, while two outer ditch and ramparts are drawn around the flanks of the hill, and the entrance is located on the eastern side. This site is located in relative isolation from the other small sites in the area. Again, like the triple walled sites at Killean and Sron Uamha, it can be suggested that the elaborate nature of this site might suggest the relatively higher status of its builders and the people that occupied it.

However, Cnoc Araich stands out from all of the other enclosed sites due to its massive size, polygonal shape and the fact that it is defined by a series of ditches and ramparts. All these aspects single Cnoc Araich out as a unique site in the area.

The area enclosed by this site is around 2.8Ha in extent, and there are a series of openings within the circuit of its ditches. Although it is not immediately clear which acted as the original entrance, it is tempting to suggest that there was more than one entrance, perhaps reflecting the way the site was used. For instance the surveyors of the site suggested that gangs or groups of workers constructed the ditch and ramparts, as they appear to have been excavated in sections which are irregular, and of different angles and dimensions in places along their roots (RCAHMS 1971, 67-69). This raises the real possibility that this site was some sort of central communal place, built by the entire community of Kintyre, in a different way compared to their usual domestic dwellings. In addition to this it clearly shows that

187 the people of Kintyre were not only connected and influenced by the Atlantic tradition, but also had knowledge of the use of space in lowland areas of the region;

the site displays many similarities with sites found in other parts of west central Scotland, as well as further afield in other areas of Scotland and the British Isles as a whole.