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Attending to Place and Time: Seasonality in Early Modern Scotland and Cyprus

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 March 2020

Michael Given Open the ORCID record for Michael Given [Opens in a new window]
Michael Given*
Affiliation:
School of Humanities, University of Glasgow, Scotland
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Abstract

Far from being a simple annual round determined by the calendar, seasonality in human societies is a complex system of interdependence between humans and non-humans. It requires close attentiveness to the variability of soils, weather, topography, plants, and animals across both time and space. In this article, the author investigates mobile systems of interdependence that take advantage of topographical and seasonal variation. He uses a range of case studies from early modern Scotland and Cyprus, focusing on summer grazing in the uplands and lowland agriculture carried out by mountain communities. After a comparative discussion of seasonality, the article examines the role of topography and movement, and then puts the ‘margins at the centre’ in order to highlight the central role played by seasonal activity and movement in rural society.

Loin d’être une simple ronde annuelle fixée par le calendrier, la saisonnalité au sein des sociétés humaines est un système complexe reliant les humains aux non-humains. Elle demande une attention soutenue qui prend en compte la diversité des sols, des conditions météorologiques, de la topographie, des plantes et des animaux à travers l'espace et le temps. L'auteur de cet article examine les systèmes mobiles d'interdépendance qui exploitent cette variabilité topographique et saisonnière dans une série d’études de cas en Ecosse et à Chypre au début des temps modernes en étudiant les pâturages d’été en altitude et l'agriculture dans les basses terres exploitées par les communautés de montagne. Après une discussion comparative de la saisonnalité, l'auteur examine le rôle que jouent la topographie et les déplacements afin de « mettre les marges au centre » et ainsi souligner la fonction centrale qu'occupaient les mouvements saisonniers et de la mobilité dans les sociétés rurale. Translation by Madeleine Hummler

In menschlichen Gesellschaften ist die Saisonalität keineswegs eine einfache vom Kalender bestimmte jährliche Runde, sondern ein komplexes System von Wechselbeziehungen zwischen Menschen und Nichtmenschen. Sie erfordert viel Aufmerksamkeit, wobei die Bodenveränderlichkeit, das Wetter, die Topografie, die Pflanzen und die Tiere alle eine wesentliche Rolle sowohl zeitlich als auch räumlich spielen. In diesem Artikel untersucht der Autor diese verflochtenen Bewegungssysteme, welche diese topografische und saisonbedingte Vielfalt ausnutzen. Verschiedene Fallstudien aus der frühen Neuzeit in Schottland und Zypern legen den Schwerpunkt auf die Sommerweiden im Hochland und auf die von den Berggemeinden betriebene Landwirtschaft im Tiefland. Nach einer vergleichenden Diskussion der Saisonalität untersucht der Autor die Rolle der Topografie und der Bewegungen und stellt sie im Mittelpunkt, um die zentrale Funktion der saisonabhängigen Tätigkeiten und der Mobilität in der ländlichen Gesellschaft zu betonen. Translation by Madeleine Hummler

Keywords

seasonalitymobilityagriculturepastoralismshielingScotlandCyprussaisonnalitémobilitéagriculturepastoralismeshielingEcosseChypreSaisonalitätMobilitätLandwirtschaftWeidewirtschaftshielingSchottlandZypern
Type
Article
Information
European Journal of Archaeology , Volume 23 , Issue 3 , August 2020 , pp. 451 - 472
Copyright
Copyright © European Association of Archaeologists 2020

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