Power in context: the Lismore landscape project D.I. REDHOUSE, M. ANDERSON, T. COCKERELL, S. GILMOUR, R. HOUSLEY, C. MALONE & S. STODDART" Modern studies of Iron Age landscapes in Scotland have concentrated on the outer islands (e.g. Parker Pearson & Shaqles 1999; Harding ZOOO), and most recently on areas such as Caithness (Heald &Jackson 2001). Argyll (FIGURE 1) has been recently designated a 'black hole' in terms of current knowledge (Haselgrove et al. 2001: 25). Although this description underesti- mates the work of the Royal Commission survey of Argyll (RCAHMS 1975), further work is needed to al- low comparative models of settlement organization. The Royal Commission recovered evidence for 14 sites - brochs, duns and forts - broadly defined as Iron Age. The current project will build on these founda- tions by analysis of aerial photographs and systematic survey, followed by detailed topographical and geo- physical survey of earthworks and selective excava- tion. The aim is to understand the changing landscape of the period 1000 BC-AD 1000, through a reconstruc- tion of the precise dated development of settlement against the pattern of land-use, leading to new models of economic and political organization. Work by one of us (TC) provided systematic aerial photographic cover of the island at 1:6000 on 3 May 2000 (eg. FIGURE Z), which will be employed to iden- tify sites and, after ground truthing by GPS, will pro- vide an enhanced Digital Elevation Model. A desktop study (2001-2) (by DIR) drew on the Ordnance survey (0s) digital mapping data provided through the JISC/ EDNA Digimap scheme and the site database of the National Monuments Record of Scotland (RCAHMS). These data were analysed in ESRI ArcInfo 8.0.1 on Solaris 7 to ask some basic spatial questions of the known archaeological sites on the island: notably most Iron Age sites were placed so as to have maximum visual control of the maritime approaches bom the nearest mainland to the southeast (e.g. FIGURE 3). The first fieldwork (August 2002) concentrated on the systematic recording of the monument of Tirefour, the best-known Iron Age site on the island. A detailed topographic survey was implemented to investigate this site's geographical context and to detect outworks to the main defended area. The topographic survey (FIGURE 4) confirms details of the defensive outworks on the Tirefour ridge, highlights associated sub-rec- tangular buildings which do not appear on 1875-1900 OS sheets, and outlines a platform below the broch to the north, and records the process of decay of the monu- ment since the RCAHMS survey of May 1968. During the 2002 season, all h o w n prehistoric sites on the island were visited and their condition compared with the record made in the RCAHMS survey. In particu- lar, a comparative viewshed using digital photogra- phy was constructed (by MA) of a sample of sites (e.g. FIGURE 5) which will be compared with computer-gen- erated viewsheds and displayed on the project website . A pilot study of the potential for environmental reconstruction in the nearest loch to Tirefour (by RH) comprised augering at the northeast end of Balnagowan (Baile a'Ghobhainn) loch which recorded a peat and marl sequence in excess of 6 m. Towards the northeast margin of the deposit, a full 4-m sequence was recov- ered with alternating layers of fen cam peat and marl over a silt of probable late glacial age. This sequence, in conjunction with the potentially high preservation of calcareous soils for excavated ecofacts, gives great hope for detailed environmental and economic recon- struction. FIGURE 1. Map showing location of Tirefour in relationship to Balnagowan loch. * Redhouse, Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DZ, England. d.i.redhouse@arch.cm.ac.uk Anderson, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge C B 2 lm, England. maa358hermes.cam.ac.uk Cockerell, Committee for Aerial Photography, Free School Lane, Cambridge CB2 3W, England. tfc10008cam.ac.uk Gilmour, Royal Commission on the Ancient & Historical Monuments of Scotland, 16 Bernard Terrace, Edinburgh EH8 9NX, Scotland. Simongi@rc&ms,gov.uk Housley, Department of Archaeology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland. R.Housley@archaeology.arts.gla.ac.uk Malone, Department of Prehistory & Early Europe, British Museum, London W C l B 3DG, England. cmalone@british-museum.ac.uk Stoddart, Magdalene College, Cambridge CB3 OAG, England. ssl68cam.ac.uk ANTIQUITY 76 (2002): 945-6 946 NEWS & NOTES FIGURE 4. Detailed topographic plan of Tirefour. Initial work on the island of Lismore (2229 ha (c. 15.4x2.3 km)) shows the great potential for a detailed picture of an Iron Age landscape. Tirefour (FIGURE 6) was located within a fertile area of the island, and it is the understanding and development of this relation- ship which will be investigated by a battery of inter- disciplinary techniques over the next two years, against a broader pattern of Iron Age sites throughout the whole island. Acknowledgements. For 6nance: Historic Scotland, the CookTrust, the University of Cambridge and Magdalene College, Cambridge. FIGURE 3. Viewshed f r o m Tirefour generated in ESRIArcInfo 8.0.1 on Solaris 7. DEM taken f r o m 0 s PANORAMA data set. Observer height 5 m. (Crown copyright Ordnance Survey..) For other support: The Cambridge Committee for Aerial Photog- raphy (CUCAP), the JISCEDINA Digitnap scheme, the National Monuments Record of Scotland in the Royal Commission o n the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, The His- torical Society of Lisrnore, the White and Kayll families and many individuals born Lismore. References HARDING, D.W. 2000. The Hebrideon Iron Age: twenty years' research. Edinburgh Department of Archaeology. Occasional Paper 20. HASELGROVE, C., I. m, T. CHAMPION, J. CREIGHTON, A. GWILT, J.D. HILL., F. HUNTEX & A. WOODWARD. 2001. Understanding the British Iron Age: An Agenda for Action: A reportfor the Iron Age Research Seminar and the Council of the Prehistoric Society. Salisbury: Trust for Wessex Archaeology. HEALD, A. &A. JACKSON. 2001. Towards a new understanding of hon Age C a i h e s s , Proceedings ofthe Society of Antiquaries ofscotland 131: 12947. PARKER WON, M. & N. SHARPLES. 1999. Between land and sea. Excavations at Dun W a n , South Uist. Sheffield Sheffield Academic Press. RCAHMS 1975 Argyll. An Inventory ofAncient Monuments 2: Lorn. Edinburgh: RCAHMS. FIGURE 5. Photographic viewshed from Tirefour.