The role of cetacea in prehistoric and historic Atlantic Scotland

Abstract

Whalebone has been recovered from many archaeological sites in Atlantic Scotland. Through an examination of material excavated from the Western Isles (Outer Hebrides) this paper explores the methods by which whales and whalebone were procured. Using historical and ethnographic data the possibility that cetaceans were naturally stranded or actively hunted is considered, and for the latter the methods of capture are discussed. The ways in which whale carcasses were utilized: as meat blubber, skins, artefacts and as an architectural material, is examined through the analysis of archaeozoological material. Using these data the value of whales and whale bone in the islands can be determined. The potential for further study is discussed in the light of the growing volume of material available for study and advances in scientific techniques such as DNA analysis. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.