An analysis of the archaeological evolution of Pollok Country Park. The estate o' many pairts

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to chart the archaeological evolution of Pollok Country Park in the south side of Glasgow from its medieval inception through to the 20th century. While the format and function of medieval secular land holdings are well understood within their English and Welsh context, the Scottish medieval secular estate has not been as well researched in terms of its underlying archaeological structure and design. The continuous ownership by the Maxwell and Stirling-Maxwell family of the Nether Pollok estate as a private residence and the administrative centre of the larger estate for 700 hundred years has meant that much of the medieval and even prehistoric environment is still directly accessible within the modern country parkland. An archaeological biography of the park has been developed; this has been set against a series of key historical events. These are readily defined as the estate’s inception in the 13th century, and its alteration during the mid to late 18th century and its 20th century form. Each of these periods is set against the archaeological material recorded and recovered from the parklands to develop an understanding of the utilisation of the environment and also to investigate the driving forces behind three transitional periods in the 13th, 18th and 20th centuries. Additionally the issues surrounding the effective study of these environments using archaeological techniques and the validity of the research model used for this type of study will also be discussed