A Norse Settlement in the Outer Hebrides

The settlement at Bornais in the Western Isles of Scotland is one of the largest rural settlements known from the Norse period in Britain. It spans the period from the fifth to the fifteenth century AD when the Atlantic seaboard was subject to drastic changes. The islands were systematically ravaged by Viking raiders and then colonised by Norse settlers. In the following centuries the islanders were central to the emergence of the Kingdom of Man and the Isles, played a crucial role in the development of the Lordship of the Isles and were finally assimilated into the Kingdom of Scotland.

This volume explores the stratigraphic sequence uncovered by the excavation of Bornais mounds 2 and 2A. The excavation of mound 2 revealed a sequence of high status buildings that span the Norse occupation of the settlement. One of these houses, constructed at the end of the eleventh century AD, was a well preserved bow-walled longhouse and the careful excavation and detailed recording of the floor layers has revealed a wealth of finds that provides invaluable insight into the activities taking place in this building. The final house in this sequence is very different in form and use, and clearly indicates the increasing Scottish influence on the region at the beginning of the thirteenth century.

The excavation of mound 2A provides an insight into the less prestigious areas of the settlement and contributes a significant amount of evidence on the settlement economy. The area was initially cultivated before it became a settlement local and throughout its life a focus on agricultural activities, such as grain drying and processing, appears to have been important. In the thirteenth century the mound was occupied by a craftsman who produced composite combs, gaming pieces and simple tools.

The evidence presented in this volume makes a major contribution to the understanding of Norse Scotland and the colonisation of the North Atlantic in a period of dramatic transformations.

“[A] very substantial new study [...] The potential for understanding changes in communities and families from so much exhaustively detailed data is enourmous, and already hinted at here.”

[A] very substantial new study […] The potential for understanding changes in communities and families from so much exhaustively detailed data is enourmous, and already hinted at here. British Archaeology
A thorough and engaging book and the final planned volume in the series will undoubtedly be much anticipated. Antiquity
The volume is beautifully produced, well-illustrated, of epic proportions and yet very reasonably priced! … This volume is an ideal publication for archaeologists, providing details of methodology and superb illustrations throughout (particularly useful are the artefactual drawings) as well as stratigraphical detail … A great addition to the growing understanding of Scandinavian Scotland, and it goes a long way in integrating the significant story that the Western Isles have to tell. Medieval Archaeology

Niall Sharples is Professor of Archaeology at Cardiff University and has a particular interest in the archaeology of the Atlantic Fringe of Scotland and the later prehistory of Britain. He has undertaken numerous excavations, ranging from hillforts in Dorset to brochs in Shetland and has published widely on topics including the Neolithic enclosures of Wales, Iron Age burial practices and the history of archaeological research in the Western Isles.

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