Section V.
Chronological, Social, and other Indications derived from the Relics.
Having thus glanced over the collateral phenomena bearing on the age or period of the Scottish Lake-Dwellings, it only remains to say a few words on the general evidence supplied by the relics themselves. We have already seen that the scattered remains of the artificial islands brought to light in modern times extended over a large area, embracing nearly the whole of Scotland, with the exception of its two northernmost counties and a few others lying on its south-eastern extremity. So far, however, as the discovery of actual remains illustrative of the civilisation and social condition of their occupiers is concerned, we are almost entirely limited to the results of the investigations made at Dowalton, Lochlee, Lochspouts, and Buston, all of which are within the counties of Ayr and Wigtown. In instituting a comparison between the contents of these four groups, their analogy, not only as regards the structure and local distribution of the islands, but as regards the general character of the relics, is so wonderfully alike that we have no difficulty in assuming that originally these lake-dwellings within this area were erected by one and the same people for a special purpose, and about the same time, or at least within a comparatively limited period. It is true that a considerable diversity exists as regards the number and character of the relics found in some of these localities; thus neither Samian ware nor implements of bone or horn have been found at Dowalton, though these are amongst the relics from all the Ayrshire examples. Such negative evidence, however, does not amount to much, more especially in this case, as the absence of Samian ware is more than compensated for by the presence of other articles presumably of Roman origin; and, moreover, I believe that a more careful search would have greatly increased the number of relics from Dowalton.
This uniform similarity in these remains, though not entitling us to extend the above generalisation beyond a certain geographical area in the south-west of Scotland, is however sufficiently marked to enable us to dispense with any further necessity of discussing the merits of each group separately; so that whatever inferences can be legitimately derived from a critical examination of any one group may be safely applied to the whole.
If these observations are really trustworthy, we may at once proceed to examine the remarkable series of implements, weapons, ornaments, and nondescript objects here presented to us, with the view of abstracting from them some scraps of information regarding their original owners. Fragments of Samian ware (Fig. 180), bronze dishes (one with Roman letters, Fig. 13), harp-shaped fibulæ of peculiar type (Figs. 140 to 143), together with a large assortment of beads, bronze and bone pins, bone combs, jet ornaments, etc. etc., are so similar to the class of remains found on the excavated sites of Romano-British towns that there can hardly be any doubt that Roman civilisation had come in contact with the lake-dwellers and partially moulded their habits. The Celtic element is however strongly developed, not only in the general character of many of the industrial implements of stone, bone, and iron, but also in the style of art manifested in some of the ornamental objects included in the collection. Thus the piece of wood (Figs. 149, 150) with its carved spiral patterns, the combs, especially the one represented by Fig. 30, showing a series of concentric circles connected by a running scroll design, the table-man carved with similar circles and an open interlaced knot-work; and the bronze brooch (Fig. 26), present a style of ornamentation which is considered peculiar to early Celtic art. The spiral finger-rings seem also to have been of native origin, and the probability is that they were manufactured where they were found, as several crucibles are amongst the relics from the same lake-dwelling, one of which, from the fact that it still contains particles of gold, unmistakeably demonstrates that it had been used in melting this metal.
On the other hand, the forged gold coin (Fig. 246) is the only relic that can with certainty be said to have emanated from a Saxon source; at least, that cannot otherwise be accounted for.
Fig. 255.—Bone Comb, from Ballinderry Crannog, Ireland (21⁄2 inches long).
