In Current Archaeology 424 July 2025, page 9, we have some interesting data – and speculation. There are now two locations on Skye that seem to show occupation during the Late Upper Palaeolithic period – see https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.3718 … the Journal of Quaternary Science. The archaeology is limited to lithics – stone tools and flakes from their making. All organic material has vanished over time. However, the lithics do suggest that humans were on Skye at a very early date. Is that surprising? During the Late Glacial Maximum most of Scotland was glaciated – but this dates to the period following the shrinkage of the ice sheet. It is in fact the initial phase of the Mesolithic period, it would seem – and fairly late in the sequence of Upper Palaeolithic.
The excavation has been going on for 6 years and it looks like they have waited for more detail before publishing their findings. The lithics are thought to be characteristic of the Ahrensburg culture, known primarilly from the continent. This is thought to date to the Younger Dryas episode in northern Europe – 12,900 – 11,700BP [before present]. Further evidence of occupation at this time is afforded by the presence of 20 stone circular alignments – thought to be Palaeolithic huts or hides held down by stones. The difference in this post and the earlier post I did on the same discovery a few weeks ago is the nature of the Younger Dryas event as it affected Scotland. Glaciers are thought to have returned, temporarily – especially on Rannoch Moor. This is the main reason why they decided the Skye settlers arrived by boat – the Highlands would have been inhospitable to travel. One would have thought they would have simply crossed Doggerland but it seems climate has nullified this proposition and boat travel is the assumption. Not that I would dismiss travel by boat as there was a large river river that later joined the Rhine right up through Doggerland – to a point between Norway and Scotland where it ran into the ocean. Hence, boat travel via northern Scotland to Skye is possible – apart from the fact dry land went much further to the north than the Orkneys, making it a long trip. They may have camped out in areas now submerged so it is just luck that the two sites on Skye have provided archaeologists with information.
There is also the nature of the Younger Dryas period. It was not universally cold or inhospitable. It had warm periods within its lengthy times scale – over a thousand years. I have toyed with the idea it represents a wobble at the axis of rotation – strong at first and then gradually slowing down. Such wobbles are known to take a thousand plus years – even perhaps over 2000 years. Unfortunately, there is limited literature or research on the subject. It is frowned upon. Mainstream prefers the idea of a return to glacial conditions – and a sudden warming event at the close. The Younger Dryas catastrophists see it as instigated by a cosmic body – or a deep swarm of meteors. If that occurred why would it have lasted over a thousand years. There could hardly have been overcast skies for all of that time. The Gothenburg magnetic excursion may also have played a role.
The geology of the period is interesting. You can find maps of Doggerland on the Net – which was divided into 2 -phases. The first period involved the whole of the North Sea as dry land, apart from rivers and lakes etc. The second period was confined to the southern basin of the North Sea – which included the Dogger Bank. Most of the archaeology here has been compromised by wind farms erected in the shallow zones of the North Sea. In other words, we are relying on underwater mapping by oil companies and gas wells. Even with that limited amount of information there is considerable detail – especially in the southern basin. However, dry land was not confined to the North Sea. There was a huge tract of land extending west of Ireland and tthe Hebridies, including Skye. In fact, Skye may well have been an inland location, far from the sea. Who knows for sure. Indeed, dry land existed where the Irish Sea now gathers, and off the coast of Cornwall. It may have included a lot of what is now submerged territory off western France and certainly the Channel was dry – apart from a wide river. How far south did it extend – possibly all the way to Spain. What really caused all that land to disappear beneath the waves? A realignment of earth’s geoid is one possibility. Out of favour of course as gradualism rules the mainstream roost. It would explain the disappearance of the continental shelves off NW Europe – and similar shelves off eastern North America. Now you can see where the idea of a wobble at the axis of rotation comes in. The geoid would have settled down at a different geographical location – explaining the sudden warming at the very beginning of the Holocene. I find it amazing that a simple archaeological investigation of lithics in a remote spot in Scotland can raise all these odd ideas. Especially when you think the Oldest Dyras event, or Heinrich One, was longer in duration than the Younger Dryas and at its end the Late Glacial Maximum had shrank away – miles and miles away.