Martin Carruthers, Site Director at The University of the Highlands and Islands Archaeology Institute research excavation at The Cairns, Orkney, talks about the latest research findings from the site. 

Ring headed pin moulds with cast pin [Credit: University of the Highlands and Islands]

“We have been very lucky at The Cairns over the years of the excavations to find a substantial set of remains and residues that relate to Iron Age metalworking. This includes at least two iron-working furnaces, and many other features and artefacts, but there is one particularly big and concentrated event that took place beyond the broch in the northern part of the site, in the area we call Trench M. The remains of this episode include furnaces, bronze waste; bronze splashes and droplets, crucibles, and very significantly: moulds for casting fine bronze objects. Over sixty moulds and mould fragments have been recovered. These were used to cast a variety of objects ranging from simple bronze rings, to distinctive decorated dress pins, called ‘projecting ring-headed pins’, and penannular brooches, which are the lovely open-ring, cloak brooches that are sometimes referred to as ‘Celtic’ brooches.

The volume and nature of the items being produced suggests that this was a socially significant collection of prestigious items aimed at denoting the identity, and status of those who were to wear the items; badges of their belonging and importance within the community. Importantly, it is the entire suite of materials found together, as well as their precise distribution pattern within the trench, that indicates strongly that this material relates to an in situ metalworking event, rather than a secondary event, such as merely the refuse disposal of old moulds, or even their ritual deposition. This is important because the closer we can get to the actual context of the metalworking events the clearer and more direct our picture of the process becomes.

The moulds for casting the bronze jewellery were found in an area several metres in diameter, scattered within and across the remains of an Iron Age building (Structure K) that was already ruinous and unroofed by the time the metalworking was happening. That building was itself found to overly the partially in-filled remains of a large enclosure ditch that had originally surrounded the broch period settlement. We therefore knew from the assessment of the layers (the stratigraphy) on site that the metalworking episode did not occur very early on in the sequence of events and buildings on site but it remained to be seen if it was going on towards the end of the monumental broch period on site, or if it was actually occurring after the broch was put out of use, which we know occurred around the mid-Second Century AD based on previously obtained radiocarbon dates. The calendar date of the metalworking was therefore of great interest. Did the jewellery-making episode date to the period late in the life of the broch, or was it happening after the broch itself was decommissioned and put out of use?

Craft and Chronology

Newly obtained radiocarbon dates make it clear which of these scenarios is correct. The new dates show that the jewellery-making occurred sometime between the AD240’s and the mid AD300’s. This places the metalworking very definitively after the end of the broch. Now, with this enhanced understanding of the chronological and structural context of the metalworking we can begin to consider the social context of this episode of metalworking. It is happening at a period of quite dramatic change in the material circumstances of Northern Iron Age communities in Scotland, at the end of the conventional Middle Iron Age and the beginning of the Later Iron Age periods, and contemporary with the mid to later Roman period further South.

The remains of structure K where the jewellery-making occurred [Credit: University of the Highlands and Islands]

It is very interesting that this episode therefore occurred after the culmination of the monumental phase of the site; after the demise of the massive broch at the heart of the community. One prominent British Iron Age scholar (Professor Niall Sharples from Cardiff University) has previously suggested that across Atlantic Scotland a pattern can be observed in which, around the time of the end of the brochs, when monumental domestic architecture is on the wane, there is a very substantial rise in the volume of items that reflect the presentation of the individual through personal adornment. This phenomenon seems to be reflected at The Cairns also.

Jewellery as social currency: Feasting, and gift-giving?

At the end of the bronze-casting event a fairly thick, very rich animal bone midden was laid down in the vicinity and slightly overlying the metalworking area. The close relationship between the metalworking and the animal bone is shown by the presence of a few of the crucibles and mould fragments amongst the midden also. What’s in this midden?

Well lots of domesticated animals, including cattle, sheep and pig, especially large cattle long bones. In addition, there were other mammal bones such as red deer, otter, and even a small quantity of horse. The midden also contained carbonised soils, ash and broken fragments of pottery. Many fire-cracked beach cobbles were also excavated, and these represent the exploded remains of ‘pot-boilers’, heated cobbles that were immersed in vessels to heat up water and cook some of the food. It seems that the people gathered at our feast were consuming beef on the bone, boiled pork, and roasted mutton and venison, some of which may have been washed down by beverages drunk from many pottery vessels.

The close stratigraphic association between the fine metalworking and the feasting raises the question of what exactly was going on here. One possibility that I like very much is that the feasting could be the spectacular social event at which the products of the jewellery-making were handed out, or gifted, to their intended recipients by those who had sponsored the metalworking in the first place. We may therefore be peering into the social circumstances of the jewellery-making and the distribution of its products amongst the community at The Cairns. If this is so, then it is a fascinating insight into the moment at which objects like the pins, brooches and rings started off on their biographies, their journey through people’s lives.

This is a very rare opportunity to see more clearly the initial nature of the social and political significance of these objects from their start-point. It would mean that the sharing or gifting of the jewellery was surrounded in the circumstances of a big social occasion, a massive party, if you like. We are seeing their birth and the important role they played in the power-play and social strategies of Iron Age groups and individuals. With the circumstances of the jewellery-making we are able, for once, to investigate the intended status and significance of these items within the context of their birth, rather than depending on the information we usually get, which is based on the discovery of these objects much later in their lives, in fact at the end of their lives, when they went in the ground, perhaps many decades, or more, after they were originally made and worn. Most theories about the brooches and pins and their role in society have been based on what we glean from them in this end-state, but the assemblage of metalworking evidence from The Cairns; the moulds, crucibles, and other items, together with the massive remains of the feasting allows us to grasp what was going on at the point in time when these jewellery items were instigated.

Two moulds for casting penannular brooches [Credit: University of the Highlands and Islands]

Jewellery, Society and the wider Northern Scottish Iron Age

It is highly intriguing that the birth of these prestigious pieces of jewellery appears to have been accompanied by communal, outdoor feasting and judging by the volume of animal bone it involved a large part, if not all, of the community. In the absence of the big spacious monumental buildings, such as the brochs, which may have previously served to gather large numbers of people under one roof at important times in the life of the community, we can ponder whether feasting events like this were the new arena for expressing the identity and solidarity of the community.

If we now recall Professor Sharples’ aforementioned thesis that the changes at the end of the Middle Iron Age to late Iron Age involved a major transformation of the way people expressed their social identity, from the communal to the individual then this evidence for big community feasting in the early part of the Later Iron Age is very interesting. Perhaps this serves to somewhat modify that concept, because in the post-broch era at The Cairns, for one, the community appears to have retained ways of expressing their greater collective identity. Nevertheless, it seems unlikely that everyone was singled-out and gifted one of the pieces of fine jewellery that were produced.

At one level, perhaps, everyone in the community was involved in the feasting, but only some were ennobled by receiving a pin; a ring, or a brooch. So it may well be that we are looking at the strategies for creating and maintaining the concept of the entire community at the same time as signalling social difference, and hierarchy within the community of this post-broch period. If so, the excavations are really coming up trumps in terms of allowing us to peer into the social circumstances of Iron Age communities.

New dates for Structure B1: Have we found the elite sponsors of the metalworking?

The period of the jewellery-making is after the end of the broch and we were previously unclear which buildings amongst the many post-broch structures were occupied at the time of the bronze-working. The new dates also allow us to pin-point whereabouts on site, at least some of, the community were living at the time the jewellery-making was taking place. Armed with the new radiocarbon dates, it turns out, that one of the large rectangular post-broch buildings (perhaps a Wag-like building of the type found in Caithness and at The Howe in Orkney) known to us as Structure B1, located about 30 metres to the south-west of the jewellery-making area was first constructed and occupied between the Mid-3rd to 4th Centuries AD, and therefore at the same time as the metalworking.

The large formal hearth in Structure B under excavation [Credit: University of the Highlands and Islands]

Structure B1 lies directly over the reduced and in-filled remains of the broch. One of the most remarkable aspects of this building is its very large, formal and complex central hearth, which was over 3 metres in length in its fully developed form. This hearth and the central location of the building directly juxtaposed with the remains of the abandoned broch almost co-opting its former position and grandeur have always made us wonder if it was one of the key buildings in the immediate post-broch period at The Cairns, quite possibly the highest status building on site at that time, and may be the successor to the central broch in socio-political terms.

It is intriguing therefore to now know unambiguously that Structure B1 was contemporary with whoever was managing the wealth required to sponsor the lavish jewellery-making on site. Pushing this further, it is tempting to speculate that it was the important and powerful household resident in Structure B1 who instigated and organised the production of the jewellery, and the feasting, with all the capacity that those remarkable objects and events had for the creation and maintenance of the post-broch Iron Age community at The Cairns.”

Martin Carruthers, Site Director at The Cairns and Programme Leader for MSc Archaeological Practice, University of the Highlands and Islands Archaeology Institute.

Author: Seanlisle1 Source: University of the Highlands and Islands [March 09, 2018]

Artefacts and structures found during archaeological excavations on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/Balmedie to Tipperty (AWPR/B-T) project are shedding light on land use and settlement in the north east over the past 15,000 years, including Mesolithic pits, Roman bread ovens, prehistoric roundhouses and a cremation complex.

A beaker from the Chalcolithic period; a fluted carinated bowl from early Neolithic times; impressed ware from the middle Neolithic [Credit: Transport Scotland]

Since the archaeological excavations were completed, specialists have been analysing the artefacts and samples recovered from the various sites and will be detailing the results in a new limited edition book due to be published later this year.

Keith Brown, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work said: “When complete, the AWPR will help to reduce congestion, cut journey times, improve safety and lower pollution in Aberdeen City Centre, as well as enable local authorities to develop public transport solutions."

Cremation urn the remains found in a roundhouse and cremation complex at Nether Beanshill, dating to the Bronze Age, from around 1,600 to 1,250 BC [Credit: Transport Scotland]

"However, the archaeology has also proven to be yet another huge benefit coming from this project, helping to shine a light on Scotland’s ancient past. The discoveries along the AWPR route, which would have remained undiscovered had the new bypass not been built, are truly remarkable and underline the importance of the value we place on meeting our environmental obligations as we plan and construct this new infrastructure.”

Bruce Mann, Archaeologist for Aberdeenshire Council and Aberdeen City Council, explained: "There has been a range of fascinating discoveries from the archaeological works carried out on site. Some raise more questions than they answer about what we thought we knew about the north east. For instance, a very unexpected discovery was the presence of Roman activity at Milltimber, likely dating from around 83/84 AD. Ninety bread ovens were uncovered, which were probably constructed by the Roman army at a time of invasion led by the Roman General Agricola. However, no evidence of an associated camp was found, which is unusual for these types of features. We can only speculate as to why the ovens were at this specific location, and what it says about what was happening in the area at the time.”

Bread ovens used by invading Roman soldiers around 83/84 AD at Milltimber [Credit: Transport Scotland]

"Going back to the very earliest finds, there was also evidence of stone tool production dating between about 13,000 and 10,000 BC at Milltimber, a near unprecedented body of evidence which pushes back our understanding of human activity in north east Scotland by several thousand years. The same site revealed spreads of flints along with large pits dating between 10,000 BC to 4,100 BC that could have been used by hunter-gatherers to trap deer, elks or aurochs (an ancestor of modern bison). What is particularly exciting is that these finds have been made in an area where our knowledge is rapidly expanding through research projects such as Mesolithic Deeside.”

The discoveries made during the works were not confined to the environs of the River Dee. A structure dating between 7,000 BC to 6,700 BC was also found at Standingstones, in the hills to the west of Dyce. This tent-like shelter was likely only used for a few nights by a small group of people while they collected nuts, berries and tubers or hunted animals in the immediate area.

Hammerstone and cores from digs from Wester Hatton [Credit: Transport Scotland]

Bruce continued: “Bronze Age activity was identified from Nether Beanshill in the form of a roundhouse and contemporary cremation complex dating from around 1,600 to 1,250 BC.BC. The burial comprised of an urn in which the cremated remains of an individual in their 20s had been placed. This urn was placed in a pit which was then marked by a horseshoe-shaped arrangement of timber posts. Two other similar burials were covered by miniature mounds and surrounded by small ditches.”

Although artefacts of a wide range of dates, materials and types were discovered across the scheme, a particularly well-preserved Beaker period pot found in a post-hole at Milltimber was a highlight. The pot was completely intact when it was found and must have been placed in the ground with a great deal of care. It dates to between 2,400 BC to around 2,200/2,000 BC.

Quern Stone with a hand-stone found in Wester Hatton [Credit: Transport Scotland]

Bruce added: “These archaeological finds provide real insight into the history and culture of the north east. They are impressive in both in time depth and range of activities represented. They push back known human activity in the region by at least 2,000 years, add new detail to how our ancestors lived and died, and reveal a new dimension to Rome’s invasions of Scotland.”

Leader of Aberdeenshire Council Cllr Jim Gifford added: “The AWPR project isn’t just about construction of the route itself, as important as that is. It’s also about our relationship with the environment and the history of the north-east of Scotland.

Beaker pot found at Milltimber dating from between 2,400 to 2,000 BC [Credit: Transport Scotland]

“The book, when it becomes available later this year, captures a slice of history and I would like to thank Bruce and those who worked on this element of the scheme for their hard work in producing this excellent document.”

Aberdeen City Council transport and regeneration spokesman Councillor Ross Grant said: “The archaeology finds are fascinating and highlight just how rich the entire area is in history. It is interesting to find out how our forebearers lived and the Roman bread ovens found at Milltimber paint a picture of everyday life of the incoming army while they were invading."

Remains of a roundhouse found at Gairnhill [Credit: Transport Scotland]

“While modern-day residents are looking forward to the completion of the AWPR and the benefits it will bring to Aberdeen and the surrounding area, I’m sure they will find these discoveries interesting.”

Other excavations include a small hub of Iron Age activity at Goval dating from around the first and second centuries AD where a roundhouse of around 10 metres in diameter was found which would have provided space to live comfortably. The roundhouse was built of vertical wooden posts supporting a large conical thatched roof and there would have been a central hearth. An area of stone paving – or work surface – was also found outside the entrance of the building.

A furnace found nearby showed evidence of iron smelting, the process of extracting iron from ore. The ore which was most likely extracted from nearby peat bogs, would have been heated in the furnace causing the iron to separate and pool in the bottom of the furnace.

Source: Scottish Government [February 26, 2018]

A 2,000-year-old underground chamber has been uncovered during work to build a house on the Isle of Lewis, the largest island of the Western Isles or Outer Hebrides (an archipelago in Scotland)

The Iron Age chamber is known as a souterrain [Credit: Domhnall Macsuain]

The Iron Age souterrain was revealed during the digging of the foundations for the property in Ness.

Local archaeologists, husband and wife team Chris and Rachel Barrowman, are recording the souterrain.

Archaeologists Chris and Rachel Barrowman at the site of the find [Credit: Domhnall Macsuain]

Dr Barrowman said theories on the purpose of the stone-lined, flat stone-roofed structures included storing food.

He told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "They are usually associated with what are known as Atlantic roundhouses, or wheelhouses, of the later Iron Age.

The souterrain is being recorded by archaeologists [Credit: Chris Barrowman]

"If this one was associated with a roundhouse it is likely to have been cleared away by now."

Dr Barrowman, who was asked to check the site by the contractor building the house using equipment from Comunn Eachdraidh Nis (Ness Historical Society), said the souterrain was well preserved.

The souterrain may have been used for storing food [Credit: Domhnall Macsuain]

The archaeologist said he understood it to be the sixth to be recorded in the area.

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar's regional archaeologist is expected to liaise with the islander building the house on what happens next.

The ancient chamber was uncovered by chance during the digging of foundations for a house [Credit: Chris Barrowman]

Dr Barrowman said it was likely that, following a full examination and recording of the site, the souterrain would be filled in and covered over to preserve the archaeology and then the construction of the new home would continue as planned.

Source: BBC News Website [February 09, 2018]

The search for the lost Pictish monastery where the first examples of Scottish Gaelic were written down has made a major breakthrough ten years after the quest began.

The notes in the tiny Book of Deer are the first written examples of Scottish Gaelic  [Credit: The Book of Deer Project]

Recent finds in Aberdeenshire have brought archaeologists closer to pinpointing the whereabouts of the Christian site which was home to the Book of Deer before the monastery disappeared about 1,000 years ago.

Excavations near Old Deer have unearthed a hearth and a thick layer of charcoal, with carbon testing dating the objects to between 1147 and 1260, which chimes with the later monastic period.

The discovery of a layer of stone and post holes also indicate that remnants of a previously undiscovered building lie deep below the earth’s surface.

Archaeologists working for the Book of Deer Project, set up in the 1990s to illuminate the importance of the pocket-sized collection of gospels which includes notes on local life, believe they could now be on the cusp of a discovery of national importance, with teams to return to the site in summer.

Bruce Mann, archaeologist for Aberdeenshire Council, said: “This project has for many years worked hard to identify the location of the lost monastic site.

“These latest discoveries may at last hint that the mystery has finally been solved. More work obviously has to happen, but regardless of what this finally turns out to be, it is a significant find for not only Old Deer, but Aberdeenshire and beyond too.”

Enthusiasts have been excavating in Aberdeenshire for the past ten years to find the monastery  where the Book of Deer was written [Credit: Cameron Archaeology]

The finds were made during the tenth excavation carried out by the Book of Deer project.

The work has been led by Ali Cameron, of Cameron Archaeology, who made the discoveries on her fourth excavation in the Old Deer area.

Potential evidence of a previously undiscovered building was made after she switched focus from fields around the village to land close the nearby Deer Abbey, which was built in the early 13th Century after the monastery ceased to be used.

Ms Cameron said: “This is a site that we don’t know anything about. The possibility of locating one building and perhaps more nearby would be of national importance.

“The team are very excited about this.”

Meanwhile, discussions are ongoing between the Book of Deer Project and Cambridge University, which has held the manuscript since the early 18th century, to bring the publication home to the northeast for a year-long exhibition at Aberdeen University.

Geomagnetic scan of the Old Deer site [Credit: Cameron Archaeology]

The Book of Deer Project believes that the book was written at the Aberdeenshire monastery around the 10th century, with monks adding notes in the margins about particular aspects of local life, such as land transactions.

Dr Michelle Macleod, lecturer in Gaelic at Aberdeen University, said: “The Gaelic notes in the book are the first written examples of Scottish Gaelic. There are some deviations in the language from the shared common Gaelic of Scotland and Ireland which had been used in earlier manuscripts. These deviations, of which there are several, are the first written indication that the languages are separating and would be an indication of what people were likely saying.

“The Book of Deer is a tiny book but it has left a huge legacy for us, not only in the north-east but for the whole of Scotland. We had to wait another 200-300 years after the Book of Deer to find any more evidence of written Scottish Gaelic.”

Anne Simpson, chair of the Book of Deer Project, said: “The book is as significant as the Book of Kells in Dublin but it is still amazing how even people locally don’t know about it. We have been looking for the monastery for a long time, so there is a great deal of excitement about the discoveries.”

Author: Alison Campsie | Source: The Scotsman [January 07, 2018]

Sky lanterns can be a major fire risk – once lit and set off into the sky you don't know where an ignited lantern will land

A Scottish council has banned sky lanterns on its property and its events after the NFU Scotland wrote a letter about their impact on livestock farmers.

By www.farminguk.com 12-5-16

The union said it would welcome both personal and public use of the lanterns being banned as they are a 'fire risk' and could be dangerous to livestock.

Stephen McCabe, leader for Inverclyde Council said the lanterns can cause huge damage both to the environment and to animals.

He said: "They can also put an unnecessary strain on the emergency services with people confusing them as distress flares or even UFO’s and calling 999.
Read more »

Jamie Cooper, 33, claims that the unidentified object was spotted by his 13-year-old son James hanging over Ayr Harbour for around 15 minutes at 5.30pm on Sunday.

Martin Little www.pressandjournal.co.uk 7-20-16

In the shaky 28-second clip a black entity, which resembles a chinook helicopter, is clearly seen hovering in the distance.

The dad-of-one, from Ayr, Scotland, said teen James sent him the footage after visiting the grocery store and was concerned by what it could be. ...
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The extraordinary video shows UFOs flying along the M8 motorway as stunned drivers gaze up in awe. The mysterious lights were captured on film hovering above Hermiston Gait roundabout was captured by motorist Lee Frame on Wednesday night.

By Carri-Ann Taylor and Tom Gillespie The Sun 3-10-16

Shocked Lee, 32, said the lights circled the road before disappearing into the night.

He told the Sun: “I was just completely taken aback, the road was quite busy so I think lots of other people must have seen it too.
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A NEWMAINS man recorded an apparent UFO sighting last year. Eric Cunningham posted in December 2015 that an unidentified flying object which was black underneath,and reflected a grey/blueish colour on the top side of the surface.

MICHAEL TEMLETT www.dailyrecord.co.uk 3-3-16

There have been six reported sightings of UFO’s reported over Lanarkshire since January last year and all sighting were uploaded to the Mutual UFO website.
Read more »

Scotland's Dalkeith Kilwinning Lodge No. 10 claims to have the oldest continuously operating Masonic temple building in the world. With portions of its home dating to 1766, it has withstood the lapse of time. Unfortunately, the ruthless hand of ignorance has reached out and done it serious damage. On Tuesday, thieves climbed to the roof and tore off lead shingles, with a scrap value of just £50 (US$80).

Damage caused by their vandalism? About £100,000 (US$160,000).

From Scotsman.com:

The vandals also damaged a children's nursery next door when they hacked newly-planted trees in half.

Club treasurer, Alex Turner, said a caretaker had discovered the extensive damage last Wednesday morning while he was inspecting the fire exits.

Mr Turner, who lives in Dalkeith, said: "I don't know why somebody would do this, are people getting that desperate in this economic climate? They've ripped away around four yards of lead that isn't even worth too much.

"In doing that, they've damaged the roof and the bricking and tiling. Police told me the lead was only worth about £50. The nursery next door was meant to be having a graduation ceremony in the hall that day.

"The caretaker let them in and he was showing the teachers around the fire escapes when he realised one of the doors was awkward to open. It was being blocked by a piece of masonry that had fallen from the roof.

"Part of the building dates back to 1766 and it is the oldest operating Masonic temple in the world. The lodge is an impressive building and it has a lot of history attached to it.

"It's clear they've done a lot of damage because they didn't know what they were doing, they've just ripped at the lead."

President Samuel Mitchell added: "As I understand it, this is quite a widespread practice. The lead will be worth something in the scrap metal industry."

It has been estimated that repairing the damage will cost around £100,000 due to the age and construction of the building.

Extant records of the lodge date back to 1736, the formation of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, but it was mentioned as an Operative lodge in records as early as 1681.

(Not to wade into a Scottish argument, but Canongate Kilwinning Lodge No. 2 in Edinburgh also lays claim to the "oldest" purpose-built Masonic lodge building, with the Chapel of St John opening in 1736.)

H/T Jay Hochberg

After the success of last year's first International Conference on the History of Freemasonry in Edinburgh, Scotland, the news comes from author, friend and brother Robert Cooper that more is on the way.

The 2nd ICHF will be May 29th-31st, 2009, and it is now expected that the event will be a biannual conference. The intention is to allow contributors ample time to submit proposals during the call for entries, and, if accepted, to then write their papers. Power Point proposals are encouraged.

From the Grand Lodge of Scotland's website:

ICHF is not a Masonic Conference in the way we Freemasons usually perceive 'Masonic Conferences'. ICHF is quite different in that it is the only conference in the world that brings togther academics who are studying aspects of Freemasonry with Freemasons and members of the public.

ICHF is not a profit making body and if, and when, a surplus is made it will be used for charitable purposes.

It is intended that ICHF will be a biennial event. 2009 is special to Scots as it marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of the National Bard - Brother Robert Burns. It is to be hoped that some of the papers at the conference will cover, for example, the impact that Freemasonry had on the life and work of Brother Burns. This is important as ICHF will move elsewhere in 2011.

Although styled an 'academic' conference it was heartening to see the number of Freemasons and members of the public who attended last year's conference and it is hoped that this will be repeated again next year.

The First Announcement and Call for Papers are now available. More information will soon be available on the conference web site www.ichfonline.org