News - Page 4 of 22

Who Were the Vikings?

Published on July 10, 2024

You may know that the Vikings weren’t all horned helmet-wearing warriors on dragon-headed longships Read More

Unearthing Scotland’s Musical Past Through Archaeology

Published on June 26, 2024

The Deskford carnyx is the head of an Iron Age trumpet. Found in the north-east of Scotland around 1816, it is a masterpiece of early Celtic art, shaped to resemble a wild boar with its upturned snout and decoration mirroring the folds of skin around a boar’s face. It is a complex composite construction, wrought from sheet bronze and brass.

Music has long been a thread woven into the fabric of Scottish culture, and archaeology offers a fascinating glimpse into the sounds that filled the air Read More

Categorised:Uncategorized

Archaeologists Set Their Sights on a 300-year-old Highland Township, a Complex Coastal Settlement, and a Royal Castle

Published on June 20, 2024

The Scotland Digs 2024 campaign is celebrating the country’s world-leading archaeology Read More

Categorised:Uncategorized

What is Post-Excavation Processing?

Published on June 6, 2024

Photo of a person wearing gloves in a lab standing on wooden pallets with their hands in a large blue drum

Archaeologists don’t just dig in the soil. We also take lots of soil back to our finds labsRead More

Categorised:Decoding Archaeology

Can I Get Involved in Scottish Archaeology If I Have a Disability?

Published on May 30, 2024

If you’ve entered this query into a search engine in the past, you may well have felt that they’ve shortchanged you Read More

Categorised:New to Archaeology?, Uncategorized

A “People-less Paradise”? What Archaeology Tells Us About the Climate Crisis and the “Emptiness” of Scotland’s Highlands and Islands

Published on May 30, 2024

A vast area of peat bog with mountains in the background

As we wrestle with the climate crisis and the impacts of social inequality in the 21^st century, archaeology can help bring real world benefits to communities across Scotland Read More

Categorised:Climate Action

What are Statements of Significance?

Published on May 16, 2024

Photo of a prehistoric stone circle in a field with snow-capped hills in the background

What makes Skara Brae in Orkney so special? How do you look after a Cold War bunker? What else do we need to know about the Castle of Old Wick in Caithness?Read More

Categorised:Decoding Archaeology, Uncategorized

Five Historical Building Reconstructions to Visit in Scotland (and Two to Watch Out For)

Published on May 1, 2024

People in historical costumes in front of a reconstructed building

An Iron Age loch-dwelling, Pictish building, and 17^th-century turf home are just some of the impressive structures Read More

Categorised:Climate Action, Uncategorized

Six Women in Scottish Archaeology You Need to Know

Published on March 8, 2024

A woman with short brown hair and a blue fleece, crawling through a prehistoric stone corridor with a wide smile on her face.

Women have played a key role in Scottish archaeology for centuriesRead More

Categorised:Uncategorized

Scottish Artefacts as Astrological Signs

Published on February 29, 2024

Bowl of a silver spoon with a fish engraved inside

What’s your sign?
Read More

Categorised:Uncategorized

Magical Beliefs and Practices in Medieval and Early Modern Scotland: Why Does Archaeological Evidence Matter if We Have Written Records?

Published on January 31, 2024

It is a frame and backplate of silver gilt decorative metalwork around a Bronze Age barbed and tanged flint arrowhead. The back of the frame is engraved with the initials I K(or perhaps R) and C S with a small floral embellishment below. The pendant dates to the Post-Medieval period, but the flint is much older, dating to the Early Bronze Age.

Written records contain a wealth of knowledge that help us better understand magical beliefs and practices in medieval (AD 400 to 1500) and early modern Scotland (1513 to mid-18th century).

Boats, Brooches, and Swords: Five Viking Age Scandinavian Burials in Scotland

Published on January 18, 2024

Photo of a set of medieval metal weights and a scale

From Eilean Ì (Iona) to Shetland, Scotland has a spectacular Viking past.

The Scandinavian seafarers who gave their name to the Viking Age (c. AD 750-1050) arrived in what we today call Scotland around 1,230 years ago. Read More

Categorised:Uncategorized