Neolithic Scotland: Changing Perceptions, New Approaches, Plethora of Data, and Contested Narratives

Our narrative of the past has been, and continues to be, the subject of intense debate, not least in regard to when, how and why the novel way of life appeared and became established in Scotland, and what happened to Scotland’s hunter-fisher-forager communities.
This first lecture reviews our understanding, and our characterisation, of Scotland between 4,500 and 6,000 years ago and explores what is meant by the term ‘Neolithic’.
It also highlights the exponential growth in information that has resulted from the application of new scientific techniques, survey methods, and research strategies in the study of people, animals, artefacts, ecofacts, structures, and the environment.

If you have any questions about this lecture, feel free to email us at [email protected]
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The Rhind Lectures 2020, “Neolithic Scotland: the Big Picture and Detailed Narratives in 2020”, are presented by Dr Alison Sheridan FSA FRSE FSAScot MDAI FBA ACIfA. Recorded in the National Museums Scotland auditorium by Mallard Productions Ltd. Sponsored by AOC Archaeology Group.

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The Rhind Lectures 2020:
The Scottish Neolithic clearly fascinated Alexander Henry Rhind and he made important, and very early, contributions to its understanding. In the 170 years since Rhind’s prehistoric exploits, our understanding and perception of this fascinating period in Scotland’s past have been utterly transformed. This series of six lectures will offer an in-depth assessment of the current state of our knowledge about the period c.4000-2500 BC, when new ways of living and of making sense of the world appeared and developed in Scotland.

The Lecturer:
Dr Alison Sheridan FSA FRSE FSAScot MDAI FBA ACIfA recently retired as Principal Archaeological Research Curator in National Museums Scotland, having worked there since 1987 after obtaining her doctorate from the University of Cambridge. Her research focuses on the Scottish Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age in their wider European context, specialising in pottery, stone axeheads, and jewellery of jet, faience and gold. Past President of the Prehistoric Society and Vice-President of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, she became a Fellow of the British Academy in 2019.