Early Medieval Metal Workshop Uncovered in Scotland

Researchers from GUARD Archaeology have unearthed an early medieval iron smelting workshop on the Scottish island of Islay, said to belong to the early Scots kingdom of Dál Riata. Dating to between the sixth and ninth centuries A.D., the building was utilized for smelting bog ore to produce iron bloom for tools and weapons, according to reports in The National. Items such as metalworking waste, a rotary quern, a bone needle, and fragments of shale bracelets have been found at the site. Notably, these shale bangles, likely originating from central Scotland, are rare in the Inner Hebrides and are the only known examples from Islay.

Beneath the metalworking workshop were remains of an earlier domestic structure, potentially influenced by Pictish architectural styles, characterized by its figure-eight shape with overlapping curvilinear gullies. Measuring approximately 390 square feet, this structure includes circular enclosures, one larger than the other, in a design reminiscent of Pictish cellular buildings. Its discovery implicates a functional transformation from a domestic dwelling, falling into disrepair, to a modest yet significant industrial facility.

Unlike many early medieval Scottish metalworking sites typically associated with royal strongholds, the Coultorsay workshop was open, suggesting the prevalent modesty and day-to-day industrial labor of the island's populace. During this era, Islay was initially part of Dál Riata, became a client kingdom under the Picts following a defeat in 741, and later integrated into the Kingdom of Alba under Viking pressure around 900. Eventually, the island was seized by the Norse in the late ninth century.

Maureen Kilpatrick, an archaeologist involved with the project, commented on the landscape's transformation, noting that slight buildings such as these likely characterized Islay, defining the living spaces of the majority. This discovery adds invaluable insight into the early medieval life and industry on the island, contrasting the known ecclesiastical constructions previously found there. For more on the ninth-century political landscape of Britain, refer to "Secrets of Scotland's Viking Age Hoard."

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