Royal and Lordly Residence in Scotland<i>c</i>1050 to<i>c</i>1250: an Historiographical Review and Critical Revision
Richard Oram
Academic study of eleventh- to thirteenth-century high-status residence in Scotland has been largely bypassed by English debates over origin, function and symbolism. Archaeologists have also slow engage with three decades historical revision the traditional socioeconomic, cultural political models upon which their interpretations royal lordly drawn. Scottish castle studies concerned pre-1250 era continue be framed a ‘military architecture’ historio graphical tradition view as an alien artefact imposed on land foreign adventurers ‘modernizing’ monarchy native Gaelic nobility. Knowledge understanding pre-twelfth-century sites is rudimentary derived primarily from often inappropriate analogy examples. Discussion responses imported castle-building culture founded retrospective projection later medieval social economic anachronistic perceptions military colonialism. Cultural socio-economic difference rarely recognized archaeological modelling determinism distorted structural form, status material values. A programme interdisciplinary focused specific necessary provide corrective this current situation.
The Antiquaries Journal|Stirling Online Research Repository (University of Stirling)