The coastal landslides of Shetland

Little is known of hard-rock coastal landsliding in Scotland. We identify 128 individual coastal landslides or landslide complexes >50 m wide along the coasts of Shetland. Most are apparently translational slides characterized by headscarps, displaced blocks and/or debris runout, but 13 deep-seated failures with tension cracks up to 200 m inland from cliff crests were also identified. Thirty-one sites exhibit evidence of at least localized recent activity. Landslide distribution is primarily determined by the distribution of coastal cliffs >30 m high, and they are preferentially developed on metasedimentary rocks. Analysis of 16 landslides on Fetlar (NE Shetland) indicates that most are translational dip-slip failures; 3 represent deep-seated failures and several exhibit active frontal erosion attributable to basal sapping by storm waves. As these landslides terminate in shallow water, failure was probably initiated when rising sea level resulted in footslope erosion and upslope propagation of instability, causing downslope displacement of landslide blocks on upper slopes. ¹⁰Be exposure dating of two headscarps yielded ages of 4.8?±?0.2 ka and 4.4?±?0.2 ka, consistent with the onset of footslope erosion as sea level rose. Our results suggest that landslides have played a hitherto undocumented but important role in retreat of cliffed coastlines in Scotland.     

Evidence of interpersonal violence at the Chalcolithic village of Shiqmim (Israel)

Three circumscribed depressed fractures were found on the skull of an adolescent boy recovered from a primary intramural burial at the Chalcolithic site of Shiqmim, northern Negev, Israel dated to (∼4500–3200 BCE). The fractures were located on the left side and back of the skull. They are circular in outline and have sharp margins containing numerous small bone fragments. These indicate that the skull was fractured when the bone was still fresh and were the probable cause of death. The location of the fractured areas is typical of blows inflicted by a right‐handed individual in face‐to‐face conflict. The size and shape of the fractures, suggests that they were inflicted by a blunt instrument, possibly a mace head. The absence of any signs of healing or infection indicates that all fractures occurred within a short space of time and resulted in death. Neither biological characteristics nor burial pattern show any unique features that distinguish this individual from others recovered at this site. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Newshot Island Boat Graveyard: an assemblage of 19th‐century vessels on the Clyde

A project by SCAPE, NAS, and local volunteers at Newshot Island on the Clyde near Glasgow has documented an important ships graveyard dating to the early 20th century. The vessels tell the story of the creation of the Clyde Navigation, represent a significant aspect of the river's history, and exemplify the technological and industrial development of the region. The survey and research revealed that the remains on site include the earliest diving support vessel known to have been recorded, and has resulted in the designation of the remains as a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland.     

Canadian and Australian farm interest groups

It is not surprising that the organization and behaviour of farm organizations differ depending upon whether they operate in unitary or federal states or in parliamentary or congressional type environment. The question is how different or similar are they and their behaviour in states which are both federal and both parliamentary.

This article examines the variations between Australian and Canadian farm organizations and examines some of the possible explanations for them. Some of the differences stem from the origins of the organizations, others from variations in the two countries’ political institutions or their usages.     

A new fossil genus of forest wallaby (Marsupialia,Macropodinae) and a review of Protemnodon from eastern Australia and New Guinea

A new macropodine genus and species, Silvaroo bila, is described from the Pliocene Chinchilla Sand of Queensland. The generic concept of Protemnodon is reviewed, and it is concluded that two Pliocene species previously placed in that genus (bandharr and buloloensis) belong in Silvaroo. Species of Silvaroo resemble the modern forest wallabies of Papua New Guinea (species of Dorcopsis and Dorcopsulus) and also bear close phenetic resemblance to the late Miocene Dorcopsoides fossilis. Forest wallabies are not known from mainland Australia after the middle Pliocene, but occur in the late Pliocene and Pleistocene of New Guinea.     

Lecture programmes

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

Glacial and Fluvioglacial Landforms. By R. J. Price. 10 x 7 1/2, 242 pp., 95 figures. Bibliography, index. Oliver and Boyd, 1973. £5.00.

The Coastline of Scotland. By J. A. Steers, xv + 335 pp. 9 1/2 x 6 1/2. Cambridge U.P. London, 1973. £10–50.

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL GEOGRAPHY

Land reform: the Italian experience. By Russell King. 25.5 x 19, xv + 257 pp. 43 tables, 15 maps/diagrams, 17 plates. Butterworths, London, 1973. £8.

Economies and Societies in Latin America: a geographical interpretation. By P. R. Odell and D. A. Preston. 9x6, 265 pp., 45 maps and diagrams, 13 plates. John Wiley. London, 1973. £3.75.

Freight Flows and Spatial Aspects of the British Economy. By Michael Chisholm and Patrick O'Sullivan. 9 1/4 x 6 1/4, 11 pp., 22 figures, 36 tables. Cambridge U.P., London. 1973. £3.95.

Problems in Modern Geography: Mineral Resources. By Kenneth Warren. 8 3/4 x 5 1/2, 272 pp David and Charles, Newton Abbot, 1973. £3.95.

The Less Developed Realm: A Geography of its Population. By Glenn T. Trewartha. 9 1/4 x 6 1/4, 450 pp., numerous maps, tables and references. Index. John Wiley, Chichester. 1972. £5.75.

CARTOGRAPHY

Northern England and the Borders: Settlements 1971 and Population Change 1961–71, Local Government Units 1974. 27 x 22 inches. Prepared by the Department of Geography, University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

EDUCATIONAL

Problem Regions of Europe. Ed. D. I. Scargill. Each approx. 50 pp., illus., index. Oxford, 1973. £1.

People and Places series: Books One to Three by Michael Pollard. Macmillan Educational, 1973. 37p.

Test Books. In each case questions are related to maps. All might be used for individual . work, and all merit consideration.

Find the Place in the British Isles. By J. D. Smith. Philip 1972. 32p.

Find the Place in the World. Simple map questions.

Find the Answer Geography. By W. G. Moore. Hulton 1973. Includes pictures, climatic graphs, pie‐graphs. Pupils book and Teachers book.

Objective Tests in Geography. Macmillan 1973. Pupils books 45p and Teachers books 65p, available on Europe; Canada and Alaska; United States of America.

A Picture Mapbook of World Commodities by A. Ferriday.

A Picture Mapbook of Asia by A. Ferriday. Macmillan Education Ltd. 1972. 42p.

Contemporary Scotland (7) Fuel and Power, by John Leith. Heinemann 1973. 60p.

Focal Points in Geography: Europe and the Soviet Union. By R. A. Beddis and Brenda Dyson. 9 3/4 x 7 3/8, 80 pp. University of London Press, 85p.