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‘Metropolitan’ and ‘Parochial’/‘Core’ and ‘Periphery’: a Historiography of the Neolithic of Scotland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 February 2014

Gordon J. Barclay
Gordon J. Barclay
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Science, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland
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Abstract

Error is an occupational hazard of the literary life. As soon as a man sets pen to paper he sets himself open to two sorts of error: one, his own, which is bad enough; and, two, the misunderstanding of those who read him, which is infinite. (Allan 1952, ix)

This paper explores some of the ways in which the cultural and political history of the United Kingdom has affected writing about the Neolithic in what is now Scotland. It uses the terms ‘core’ and ‘periphery’ as they have been applied by historiographers writing about the operation of the cultural and political relations within the United Kingdom in the last three centuries. The paper is in two parts. The first part presents a summary of relevant literature generated by 20 years of debate about Scottish and ‘British’ identity, history, literature, and culture. The second part considers the ways in which the general issues have affected the writing of Scottish prehistory, concentrating on the Neolithic of lowland Scotland and examining in particular the writings and influence of Fox, Childe, Piggott, and Atkinson.

Résumé

Cette étude s'évertue à explorer quelques unes des manières dont l'histoire culturelle et politique du Royaume-Uni a influé sur les écrits relatifs au Néolithique dans ce qui constitue maintenant l'Ecosse. On y utilise les termes ‘noyau’ et ‘périphérie’ dans le sens où ils ont été appliqués par les historiographes qui se sont intéressés au fonctionnement des relations culturelles et politiques à l'intérieur du Royaume-Uni au cours des trois derniers siècles. Cette étude est divisée en deux parties. La première présente un résumé de la littérature pertinente, résultat de 20 ans de débats sur l'identité, l'histoire, la littérature et la culture écossaises et ‘britanniques’. La seconde examine les diverses manières dont des questions d'ordre général ont affecté les écrits sur la préhistoire écossaise en se concentrant sur le Néolithique des basses terres d'Ecosse et en examinant en particulier les écrits et l'influence de Fox, Childe, Piggott et Atkinson.

Zusammenfassung

Dieser Beitrag untersucht die Art und Weise, wie die kulturelle und politische Geschichte des Vereinigten Königreiches das Schrifttum zum Neolithikum des heutigen Schottland beeinflusst hat. Der Artikel benutzt dabei die Begriffe „Kern‟ und „Peripherie‟ in Anlehnung an deren Verwendung bei Geschichtsschreibern, die über die kulturellen und politischen Verbindungen im Vereinigten Königreiches während der letzten drei Jahrhunderten geschrieben haben. Der Artikel besteht aus zwei Teilen: im ersten Teil wird die relevante Literatur zusammengefaßt, die aus der zwanzigjährigen Debatte über die schottische und „britische‟ Identität, Geschichte, Literatur und Kultur hervorgegangen ist. Der zweite Teil untersucht, wie die generellen Streitpunkte das Verfassen der schottischen Vorgeschichte beeinflusst haben. Dabei wird sich auf das Neolithikum des schottischen Tieflandes konzentriert, und besonders das Schrifttum und der Einfluss von Fox, Childe, Piggott und Atkinson untersucht.

Resúmen

Este trabajo se propone una exploración de algunos de los modos en los que la historia política y cultural del Reino Unido ha afectado la investigación del neolítico en lo que ahora es Escocia. Se utilizan los conceptos “Centro” y “Periferia” en el modo en el que han sido aplicados por los historiadores al escribir acerca de la operación de las relaciones culturales y políticas dentro del Reino Unido en los tres últimos siglos. El trabajo se divide en dos partes. En la primera se presenta un resumen de toda la literatura de interés generada en los últimos 20 años de debate sobre la identidad, historia, literatura y culturas escocesa y británica. En la segunda parte se consideran los diversos modos en los que estas tendencias generales han afectado lo escrito sobre la prehistoria escocesa, concentrándose en el neolítico del sur de Escocia. Se examinan de modo particular los escritos y la influencia de Fox, Childe, Piggott, y Atkinson.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society , Volume 67 , 2001 , pp. 1 - 18
Copyright
Copyright © The Prehistoric Society 2001

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