The secrets of the Glencoe township lost during the Highlands reclamation, an ancient Orkney settlement and one of Scotland’s oldest castles will all be explored at an archaeological festival this summer.
Members of the public will be invited to join excavations or observe experts as they roam the sands of time to uncover the mysteries of a bygone era.
From the first day of summer, the Scotland Digs 2024 campaign will celebrate the country’s leading archeology and raise awareness of Scotland’s links with other parts of the world with this year’s theme ‘International Connections’.
The national campaign, coordinated by Dig It! of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, is now in its sixth edition. Project will collect fieldwork updates and events for the public via social media and an online hub from June 20 to September 23.
Research, filming, excavations and more will take place in urban and rural areas across the country, with many locations welcoming the public with tours, open days and volunteer opportunities – no experience necessary.
In the Highlands, a team from the University of Glasgow and the National Trust for Scotland are excavating features in the township of Achnacon, hoping to gain a better understanding of the lives of those who lived in Glencoe in the 17th and 18th centuries lived.
The settlement is known only from maps and ruins, as it was abandoned in the 18th century when the land was cleared for sheep farming.
Glencoe Shieling (Image: Gemma Smith)
Last summer, students at the MacDonald chiefs’ summer home discovered imported pottery from the Netherlands and Germany, as well as a trove of coins from at least four different countries that may have been hidden just before or during the 1692 Glencoe Massacre.
Volunteers with no prior experience are invited to help with the research and excavation, while visitors are encouraged to see the archeology in action from June 13 to 23 and at a free Open Day on June 22 to enjoy archaeology, traditional craft activities and more in the National Trust for Scotland’s Grass and Creel House.
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The public is also invited to observe the Knowe of Swandro excavation in Orkney when the Swandro-Orkney Coastal Archeology Trust returns to Rousay with the University of Bradford.
The coastal area is home to a large settlement that was inhabited from about 1000 BC to 1200 AD. It consists of Iron Age roundhouses and Pictish buildings, as well as a Viking settlement and a Norse Long Hall that were built by people mainly from Scandinavia.
Evidence of contact with the Roman Empire has also been found at the site, in the form of ancient glass fragments and coins.
Roman glass found in Swandro (Image: (© Swandro-Orkney Coastal Archeology Trust))
The Knowe of Swandro can be visited for free between June 23 and August 4. The team usually has Fridays and Saturdays off, with unexpected closings/openings posted on their Facebook page.
Towards the end of the campaign, community digs will take place at Dundonald Castle in South Ayrshire from September 21. The team is looking for volunteers to help them uncover 3,500 years of history.
The stone castle that remains today was built around 1371, but is on the site of two probably earlier castles, as well as an earlier hillfort and roundhouses.
The presence of imported pottery indicates that the inhabitants of the hillfort, which was in use between 500 AD and 1000 AD, were part of the trading network that stretched from Europe to Scotland.
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The public is invited to get hands-on experience in the trenches, looking for evidence of previous construction, as well as finds such as pottery, metalwork, animal remains and other artefacts that can provide additional information about how the mound has been used in recent centuries.
Archaeological fieldwork welcoming visitors or volunteers is also taking place at an Iron Age fort in Edinburgh with the University of Edinburgh’s Holyrood Archeology Project in partnership with Historic Environment Scotland and AOC Archaeology, Bedrule Castle in the Scottish Borders with Archeology Scotland.
Aerial view of Dundonald Castle (Image: (© Friends of Dundonald Castle))
Other projects needing help include a Bronze Age cemetery and Iron Age fort in Stirling with Rampart Scotland and the Neolithic complex at the Ness of Brodgar in Orkney with Friends of the Ness of Brodgar and UHI Archaeology.
More fieldwork will be announced during the campaign. Developer-led archeology carried out as part of the planning process (such as the construction of new houses, schools or roads) will also take place over the summer.
In addition, this year’s campaign will raise awareness of the historical links between Scotland and the wider world, and how archeology can be used to combat damaging narratives, by showcasing projects and discoveries with international connections.
This includes artefacts imported into Scotland, sites where the inhabitants or builders came from another part of the world, and finds that demonstrate the historical exchange of ideas or technology.
For anyone who wants to follow it online, fieldwork organizers will post updates on social media using #ScotlandDigs2024.
Swandro volunteers (Image: (© SJ Dockrill))
Dr. Jeff Sanders FSAScot, project manager at the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland’s Dig It! project, said: “Archaeology is all about piecing together stories from the past and Scotland Digs 2024: International Connections will highlight that Scotland’s story has always been intertwined with the wider world.
“As well as coordinating events, organizations across the country will share information about their projects and discoveries that tell of the far-reaching trade networks, cultural exchanges and human migrations that have shaped what is now Scotland.
“From the Palaeolithic period, when the first groups of hunter-gatherers walked here from what is now mainland Europe more than 12,800 years ago, to the immigrants who enrich the archaeological sector today, the campaign will highlight that the stories of Scotland belongs to everyone, wherever you are. were born or how you ended up here.”
Susan O’Connor, Head of Grants at Historic Environment Scotland (HES), added: “With such a wide range of events on offer and the opportunity for people at all levels to get involved and learn more about archeology in Scotland , We are pleased to support the vital work of Dig It! can continue to support.
“The program on offer will encourage people to engage with more than 5,000 years of history, and this year’s aim to highlight archaeological links not just across the country, but around the world, will highlight the continuing importance of built to draw attention to heritage on an international scale.”