(Ebook) Picts, Gaels & Scots: Early Historic Scotland by Sally M. Foster ISBN 9781780271910, 9780713488746, 0713488743, 1780271913

(Ebook) Picts, Gaels & Scots: Early Historic Scotland by Sally M. Foster ISBN 9781780271910, 9780713488746, 0713488743, 1780271913

Early historic Scotland – from the 5th to the 10th centuries AD – was home to diverse peoples and cultures, all competing for land and supremacy. Yet by the 11th century, it had become a single unified kingdom, known as Alba, under a stable and successful monarchy. How did this happen, and when? At the heart of this mystery lies the extraordinary influence of the Picts and of their neighbours, the Gaels, the latter originally immigrants from the north of Ireland. (Other peoples in the region included Brittonic Cumbrians in Strathclyde in the southwest, Anglo-Saxons in the southeast, and slowly "Gaelicising" Scandinavian Vikings in the islands and along the west coast.)

In this new and revised edition of her acclaimed book, Sally M. Foster establishes the nature of different groups' contributions, especially those of the Picts and Gaels. Drawing on the latest archaeological evidence and research, the book highlights a breadth of themes, including the origins of the Picts and Gaels; the significance of the remarkable Pictish symbols and other early historic sculpture; the art of war and the role of kingship in tribal society; settlement, agriculture, industry and trade; religious beliefs and the impact of Christianity; and how the Picts and Gaels became Scots.

About the author: Sally M. Foster studied medieval archaeology at University College London; completed a PhD at University of Glasgow; worked for RCAHMS & Historic Scotland; lecturer at University of Glasgow; established a business named AbleMinds; and joined Aberdeen University as a lecturer in archaeology in September 2011.

The 1st ed. was published in 1996. Birlinn published a new ed. in 2014, reprinted 2017, 2019; some updated text, but no color pics.

This PDF of the revised 2004 edition splitting an original 2-up scan with no OCR into a 1-book-page-per-PDF-page version, OCRed so it can be text-searched and copy-pasted from. The images are good, though the text is a little pale (still readable).