Our final paper in assemblage 11 is a detailed analysis of the door-orientations of brochs and duns in Iron Age Scotland. Thomas Crowther argues for an analysis that takes regionality and different architectural forms into account. The paper considers the potential practical as well as cosmological or symbolic causes of various orientations.  It concludes that a regionally differentiated approach is a necessity to understanding these enigmatic structures, as well as separating the probably functionally distinct brochs and duns.

Thomas Crowther obtained his undergraduate degree at the University of Chester, and this paper is based on his BA thesis. Thomas has since gained an MA in socio-cultural anthropology at Durham University and is about to begin a PhD at the same institution. The PhD will be an archaeological and anthropological exploration of the influence of light in Iron Age Scotland. His wider research interests include prehistoric British archaeology, modern commemoration and the role of dreams and the imagination in society.

Book Review

This week, Sarah Viner reviews Serjeantson, D. and Field, D., (eds) 2006. Animals in the Neolithic of Britain and Europe.

Coming Soon: The assemblage 11 editorial