Ebbing Shores

The archaeology of 5,000 years of settlement in Shetland is both extensive and often spectacularly well-preserved. Today, the abrasive seas are slowly grinding away the land edge, and it is in this zone that stunning archaeological remains are being brought to light.

Ebbing Shores brings together the findings of an extensive programme of coastal survey and excavation in Shetland, sponsored by Historic Scotland. Hundreds of sites of all types and periods were documented, from Neolithic tombs to whaling stations – many for the first time. The book focuses on the in-depth investigation of three key sites, spanning almost two millennia of human activity – Cruester Burnt Mound, Bressay; Bayanne Settlement, Yell and Burland Smithy, Tronda. These sites offer a fascinating picture of how the ancient peoples of Shetland lived, from ritual feasting in the Bronze Age, through to farming of marginal lands in the Iron Age, and metalworking from Iron Age–Norse settlement.

Authors Hazel Moore and Graeme Wilson describe and illustrate the rich and exciting heritage of these Islands, in a text which is accessible to all readers with interests in Shetland and Scottish archaeology.