Monumentalising the domestic: house societies in Atlantic Scotland

Sharples, Niall ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8736-2554 2019. Monumentalising the domestic: house societies in Atlantic Scotland. Curras, Brais X. and Sastre, Ines, eds. Alternative Iron Ages. Social Theory from Archaeological Analysis, Routledge Studies in Archaeology, Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 284-306.

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Abstract

This chapter considers the concept of “house societies” suggested by Lévi- Strauss, and its applicability to the Iron Age societies of Atlantic Scotland. In particular it explores the significance of brochs, the unique stone towers that dominate the archaeology of the region. It argues that they are domestic houses occupied by families that have a pre-eminent role in these societies. These families control key resources, such as timber, stone and ancestors, and provide the mechanism for small-scale communities to compete with their neighbours for prestige and power. The archaeology provides a very good example of house society and can be used to explore the significance of this concept in archaeological debates.

Item Type:	Book Section
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	History, Archaeology and Religion
Subjects:	C Auxiliary Sciences of History > CC Archaeology
Additional Information:	Copyright Year 2020
Publisher:	Routledge
ISBN:	9781138541023
Last Modified:	26 Oct 2022 07:53
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/126083

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