Three More Years of Dig It!

We have some good news! But first, it’s time for a trip down memory lane.

In April 2022, Dig It! announced that Historic Environment Scotland had granted the project another year of funding to continue our work as a hub for Scottish archaeology. Over the last 12 months, Dig It!: 

Promoted Events 

Dig It! promoted over 200 free (or under £15) events coordinated by organisations – big and small – across the country. All activities were open to the public, including excavation opportunities with no experience required. But archaeology isn’t just about digging or fieldwork. We also shared film screenings, guided walks, exhibitions and more.  

Shared Stories 

Thanks to experts across the country, 33 new articles have been posted on the Dig It! website which helped attract nearly 100,000 users to the site. Some of the most popular ones published during this time include Am I Related to a Viking? The Reliability of Genetic Ancestry Testing, Outstanding Lesser-known Archaeological Sites in Orkney and Top 10 Archaeological Finds from Scotland’s Peat Bogs.

Dig It! also shared our annual list of biggest archaeological discoveries from the year which featured rare finds (like a sherd of 4,000-year-old pottery and a stone structure believed to be a ‘landsale coal wharf’) and received national coverage.

Continued our EDI Work 

Dig It! has also continued our work to ensure that everyone is able to discover Scotland’s stories through archaeology. We’ve been collaborating with the Roma Scottish Charity Ando Glaso to build on the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Scottish Heritage (EDISH) project and with the University of Strathclyde who are leading on a follow-up project. We’ve also continued working with Jambo! Radio on their Our Heritage Project, supporting the development of their next heritage-focused project and more.  

During this time, we’ve coordinated Scottish Heritage Social Media Group events focusing on using social media to diversify archaeology and issues surrounding the use of popular platforms, helped Arcadia University with a Wiki-based internship project exploring Jewish heritage in Edinburgh, and continued our work with the Make Your Mark campaign which aims to increase the number and diversity of heritage volunteers. 

Coordinated Scotland Digs 2022

For the fourth iteration of Scotland’s summer fieldwork campaign, Dig It! focused on the climate emergency. Scotland Digs 2022: Climate Action Archaeology shared updates and opportunities from more than 20 fieldwork events, coordinated a free ‘Communicating Climate Change Through Archaeology’ webinar for fieldwork organisers, commissioned creatives to reflect on the relationship between archaeology and climate change, and more.

By the time autumn rolled around, the webpages had received thousands of pageviews, the campaign hashtag had received over 62,000 engagements and the press releases were covered by 23 newspapers/websites with a print circulation of over 206,000. Towards the end of the year, the campaign was also Highly Commended at the Archaeological Achievement Awards. 

Developed Projects 

Dig It! teamed up with Stout Stoat Press, writers like Elizabeth Simonen and archaeologists like Dr Heather Christie to launch a successful crowdfunding campaign for Carved in Stone in 2021 and everyone has been working away to bring the game to life. But we’ve also been doing something new. Thanks to a successful application to the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Research Awards Programme, we’ll be able to explore questions of archaeological play and identity with the University of Glasgow as part of this process. The Archaeological Play and the Performance of Identity Project will help us develop this and future games and cement new relationships between academic researchers, third sector organisations and the games industry to ensure that the impact goes far beyond Carved in Stone.

In October 2022, Forgotten Stories – Eliza D’Oyly Traill Burroughs premiered at the Orkney Storytelling Festival. The film focuses on Burroughs’s 1898 discovery and excavation of the Taversöe Tuick prehistoric chambered cairn (tomb) in Orkney and was made by Dr Nela Scholma-Mason FSAScot and students from North East Scotland College. It’s the first of many films planned for our Forgotten Stories project in collaboration with TrowelBlazers with support from AOC Archaeology Group which focuses on the lives of lesser-known people (particularly women) who have made contributions to Scottish archaeology over the past few centuries. 

What’s Next?

We’re now pleased to share that HES has granted Dig It! funding through their new Partnership Fund grant scheme to continue our work as a hub for Scottish archaeology for three more years. 

Dr Simon Gilmour FSAScot, Director of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (who coordinate Dig It!), said: 

“I am very pleased that Dig It! has been granted funding which will enable them to continue supporting the sector while helping to increase public access to and awareness of Scottish archaeology. Their renewed commitment to tackling equality, diversity and inclusion and the climate emergency will be particularly important as they continue encouraging greater engagement as part of Scotland’s Archaeology Strategy over the next three years.” 

Susan O’Connor, Head of Grants at Historic Environment Scotland, said:

“We’re thrilled to continue to support Dig It! and their wide range of innovative projects and events that not only showcase our heritage but make it more engaging and accessible to Scotland’s diverse communities. The contribution made to our understanding and enjoyment of Scottish archaeology is invaluable and I look forward to seeing all that is achieved over the next three years.”

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Header Image: Renuka Ramanujam, a multidisciplinary artist and designer, captured the relationship between archaeology and coastal erosion at the Knowe of Swandro excavation in Orkney—which is being exacerbated by climate change—as part of Scotland Digs 2022 (Image Copyright: Renuka Ramanujam 2022)

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Dig It! is coordinated by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and primarily funded by Historic Environment Scotland