Dress accessories in medieval Scotland, AD 1100–1500

Abstract

The late medieval period saw the widespread consumption of inexpensive dress accessories across western Europe. New object types emerged, providing novel opportunities for self-representation and the enactment of individual choice. In Scotland, the twelfth century has been highlighted as a key period of transition and this material culture shift has been linked to the emergence of Scotland as a kingdom. Yet, Scotland remained a unique and by no means homogenous entity; Shetland and Orkney remained culturally and politically Norse until the fifteenth century and the Gaelic west of Scotland retained significant links to Ireland, while the urban east developed important trading routes with Flanders, France and eastern England. This project critically examines the traditional narrative of change and influence by providing the first holistic study of dress accessories in late medieval Scotland. While previous studies have focused on high-status metalwork or the assemblages of single sites and regions, this study emphasises finds recovered through metal-detecting and recorded through the legal framework of Scottish Treasure Trove as a productive and under-utilised source of information on medieval daily life. A number of object types, including late medieval annular brooches and pins, are categorised and presented comprehensively for the first time within a Scottish context. Scottish late medieval historical and pictorial sources are utilised to contextualise the use of Scottish dress objects in line with current theoretical principles that recognise them as being invested within the enactment and maintenance of identity and custom at a number of levels, ranging from the communal to the individual. The thesis is intended to form a practical guide and synthesis for those who record, identify and display Scottish finds.