Mesolithic

Mesolithic 

Stone age hunter- fisher-gatheres who moved to Scotland as conditions improved at the end of the last Ice Age 10,000 years ago

Nomadic people with sophisticated relationsip with the land, not farmers but made use of natural resources, left no upstanding houses or monuments, main evidence comes from scatters of stone tools and middens 

Only stone tools, burnt stones, bits of charcoal and carbonised hazel nut shells survive

Fife Ness - a camp that wasnt occupied for long periods at once 

Things would have been carried around with them, only waste products survive 

Stone Tools - local stone used, some evidenc for the transport and selection of suitable raw materials 

Bone, Antler and Shell Middens - Mattocks, harpoons and pens made from bone and antler, shell teeth and tusks used as bead and decoration 

Structural Traces - East Barns, East Lothian are the remains of semi permanent houses, evidence comprises small postholes, spreads of midden, pit and hearth features

The landscape has changed considerably as it was 10,000 to 6,000 years ago, the growth of peat can hide some sites such as…