EHG5982 - Site and finds assessment - lithic scatter Sites, Staffin Bay

An assessment was undertaken by S Birch in 2021 of the lithic scatter sites in Staffin Bay, Skye. Over several years since the work undertaken by the Scotland's First Settlers Project a large quantity of additional material has been collected and additional exposures near to the known sites have expanded the areas where similar material may be expected. The lithics collected from the sites around Staffin Bay are primarily composed of debitage and rough chunks, with a few identifiable tools including microliths present. The abraded nature of some of the artefacts, especially the baked mudstone, also makes positive identification difficult. However, cores of baked mudstone, chalcedonic silica and bloodstone may provide some evidence to the types of technology used on these sites, along with the finer blades, flakes, tools with retouch and microliths. The full analysis and cataloguing of the recovered assemblages of lithics should remain a priority and the results will help us to understand the complex settlement patterns that are becoming obvious in the landscapes surrounding Staffin Bay and their chronology. <1>