Did human hunting activities alone drive great auks' extinction?

By: Thomas Schmitt Attorney on November 26, 2019 / comment : 0 Early Birds, Fossils, Genetics, Iceland, North America, Palaeontology, Scotland

New insight on the extinction history of a flightless seabird that vanished from the shores of the North Atlantic during the 19th century has been published in eLife.

A mounted great auk skin, The Brussels Auk (RBINS 5355), from the collections at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) [Credit: Thierry Hubin, RBINS]

The findings suggest that intense hunting by humans could have caused the rapid extinction of the great auk, showing how even species that exist in large and widespread populations can be vulnerable to exploitation.

Great auks were large, flightless diving birds thought to have existed in the millions. They were distributed around the North Atlantic, with breeding colonies along the east coast of North America and especially on the islands off Newfoundland. They could also be found on islands off the coasts of Iceland and Scotland, as well as throughout Scandinavia.

But these birds had a long history of being hunted by humans. They were poached for their meat and eggs during prehistoric times, and this activity was further intensified in 1500 AD by European seamen visiting the fishing grounds of Newfoundland. Their feathers later became highly sought after in the 1700s, contributing further to their demise.

"Despite the well-documented history of exploitation since the 16th century, it is unclear whether hunting alone could have been responsible for the species' extinction, or whether the birds were already in decline due to natural environmental changes," says lead author Jessica Thomas, who completed the work as part of her PhD studies at Bangor University, UK, and the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and is now a postdoctoral researcher at Swansea University, Wales, UK.

Great auk humeri from Funk Island. These samples are part of the great auk collection at the American Museum of Natural History [Credit: J. Thomas]

To investigate this further, Thomas and her collaborators carried out combined analyses of ancient genetic data, GPS-based ocean current data, and population viability - a process that looks at the probability of a population going extinct within a given number of years. They sequenced complete mitochondrial genomes of 41 individuals from across the species' geographic range and used their analyses to reconstruct the birds' population structure and dynamics throughout the Holocene period, the last 11,700 years of Earth's history.

"Taken together, our data don't suggest that great auks were at risk of extinction prior to intensive human hunting behaviour in the early 16th century," explains co-senior author Thomas Gilbert, Professor of Evolutionary Genomics at the University of Copenhagen. "But critically, this doesn't mean that we've provided solid evidence that humans alone were the cause of great auk extinction. What we have demonstrated is that human hunting pressure was likely to have caused extinction even if the birds weren't already under threat from environmental changes."

Gilbert adds that their conclusions are limited by a couple of factors. The mitochondrial genome represents only a single genetic marker and, due to limited sample preservation and availability, the study sample size of 41 is relatively small for population genetic analyses.

"Despite these limitations, the findings help reveal how industrial-scale commercial exploitation of natural resources have the potential to drive an abundant, wide-ranging and genetically diverse species to extinction within a short period of time," says collaborator Gary Carvalho, Professor in Zoology (Molecular Ecology) at Bangor University. This echoes the conclusions of a previous study* on the passenger pigeon, a bird that existed in significant numbers before going extinct in the early 20th century.

"Our work also emphasises the need to thoroughly monitor commercially harvested species, particularly in poorly researched environments such as our oceans," concludes co-senior author Michael Knapp, Senior Lecturer in Biological Anthropology and Rutherford Discovery Fellow at the University of Otago, New Zealand. "This will help lay the platform for sustainable ecosystems and ensure more effective conservation efforts."

Source: eLife [November 26, 2019]

Face of a Medieval man found in Aberdeen reconstructed

By: Thomas Schmitt Attorney on October 22, 2019 / comment : 0 Archaeology, Europe, Forensics, Scotland, UK, Western Europe

The face of a Medieval man whose remains were found in Aberdeen has been reconstructed. The man - known as skeleton 125 - was one of 60 full skeletons and more than 4,000 human bone fragments found after work began at the Aberdeen Art Gallery redevelopment site.

Skeleton 125 has been reimagined by experts after a 60 skeleton discovery in Aberdeen [Credit: AOC Archaeology Group]

Testing indicated the man was over the age of 46 and shorter than average. The researchers - AOC Archaeology Group - said he had suffered from extensive dental disease.

Dr Paula Milburn, from AOC Archaeology, described the work as providing a "fascinating glimpse" into the lives of Aberdonians 600 years ago.

The man was said to have suffered from extensive dental disease [Credit: AOC Archaeology Group]

Dr Milburn said: "The ongoing post-excavation work is examining the remains in detail and will provide us with amazing information on the kind of people buried here, including their ages, gender, health and lifestyles."

She said research also indicated that the man possibly spent his childhood in an area such as the north-west Highlands or Outer Hebrides.

Source: BBC News Website [October 22, 2019]

Airborne laser scan reveals 1,000 ancient sites on Scottish island

By: Thomas Schmitt Attorney on October 11, 2019 / comment : 0 Archaeology, Europe, Scotland, UK, Western Europe

A cutting-edge archaeological project using innovative technology has revealed around 1,000 previously unknown archaeological sites on the Isle of Arran.

Post-medieval shielings - temporary huts - in Glen Iorsa [Credit: Historic Environment Scotland]

The project, undertaken by archaeologists at Historic Environment Scotland (HES), used airborne laser scanning, also known as lidar, to document the land surface in 3D. The survey is the largest of its type so far in Scotland and has detected the remains of ancient monuments on the island.

A medieval roundhouse is among new sites to emerge from the landscape [Credit: Historic Environment Scotland]

Previously unknown ancient archaeological sites which have been discovered include prehistoric settlements and medieval farmsteads, as well as a Neolithic cursus monument - an exceptionally rare find on the west coast of Scotland.

Dave Cowley, Rapid Archaeological Mapping Manager at HES, said: "This survey has shown us that there are double the number of ancient monuments on Arran than we previously knew about. This new 3D technology has allowed us to undertake a rapid archaeological survey, over weeks rather than months or years, and allowed us to discover sites that might even have been impossible to find otherwise."

Details of mine workings revealed by the survey [Credit: Historic Environment Scotland]

"We have been able to see how densely settled parts of Arran were, and the medieval and post-medieval shieling sites that were discovered have told us how upland areas were used by shepherds. This is an exciting time to be involved in the development of remote sensing and archaeological mapping."

The airborne surveys allowed the landscape to be studied in a relatively short time [Credit: Historic Environment Scotland]

"We are exploring the benefits of new technology and new datasets to record Scotland’s historic environment and inform our knowledge of the past. As a result, we are enriching the information through which we tell Scotland’s story. And Arran is just a first step. As this technology become more widely available, we expect to find tens of thousands more ancient sites across the rest of Scotland – working at a pace that was unimaginable a few years ago."


The lidar data is available from the Scottish Government Remote Sensing Portal. Shona Nicol, Head of the Geographical Information Science and Analysis team said: "It is great to see HES making such exciting use of the increasing amount of remote sensing data becoming available which will help to play a part in keeping Scotland at the forefront in this field."

Source: Historic Environment Scotland [October 11, 2019]

Research reveals secret of who owned the Galloway Hoard

By: Thomas Schmitt Attorney on October 05, 2019 / comment : 0 Archaeology, Europe, Scotland, UK, Western Europe

First research into the Galloway Hoard has uncovered the name of one of the famous treasure’s original owners. Examination of Anglo-Saxon runic inscriptions on the Hoard’s silver arm-rings have revealed the name “Ecgbeorht” or, in its more modern form, Egbert.

Ecgbeorht rune on silver arm-ring [Credit: National Museums Scotland]

Dr Adrian Maldonado, Glenmorangie Research Fellow at National Museums Scotland, said: "It’s really exciting to be able to reveal the first major research finding from the conservation of the Galloway Hoard, a message left by one of the individuals who deposited the hoard 1100 years ago.
We don’t know any more about Egbert than his name right now but there’s something really tantalising about connecting the Galloway Hoard with a named person. Egbert is a common Anglo-Saxon name, and with more research on the rest of the contents of the hoard, we will be able to narrow down its dating and suggest some candidates from the historical record."

"If the hoard belonged to a person or group of Anglo-Saxon speakers, does it mean they were out raiding with other Vikings? Or that these Viking hoards were not always the product of Scandinavian raiders? There are other explanations, but either way this transforms our thinking on the ‘Viking Age’ in Scotland."

"These inscriptions are evidence that identity was complex in the past, just as it can be today. In Early Medieval Scotland, we have inscriptions in five different scripts (Latin, ogham, Pictish symbols, Scandinavian and Anglian runes) making it a diverse and multilingual era. Place-names in British, Gaelic, Norse and Old English were being coined in South West Scotland around the time of the Galloway Hoard.  The sea was more like a motorway, allowing people to communicate across linguistic boundaries, exchanging ideas and objects. This is just a glimpse of how the Galloway Hoard will continue to challenge our thinking as conservation continues."

Flattened silver arm-rings [Credit: National Museums Scotland]

The runes were read by Dr David Parsons of the University of Wales. He said: "Five of the silver arm-rings have runic inscriptions scratched into them which may have functioned as labels identifying distinct portions of the hoard, perhaps recording the names of the people who owned and buried them. Arm-rings of this sort are most commonly associated with Viking discoveries around the Irish Sea coastlands. Yet these runes are not of the familiar Scandinavian variety common around this date on the nearby Isle of Man, but of a distinctively Anglo-Saxon type. And while several of the texts are abbreviated and uncertain, one is splendidly clear: it reads Ecgbeorht, Egbert, a common and thoroughly Anglo-Saxon man’s name."

"There is some reason, therefore, to suspect that the Galloway ‘Viking’ Hoard may have been deposited by a people who, to judge by name and choice of script, may have considered themselves part of the English-speaking world. It is even possible that these were locals: Galloway had been part of Anglo-Saxon Northumbria since the early eighth century, and was referred to as the ‘Saxon coast’ in the Irish chronicles as late as the tenth century."

As well as the arm-ring with the full name of Egbert, four others have runic inscriptions. Three appear to be abbreviated names, probably also Old English, whilst the fifth has still to be deciphered, but all are in Anglo-Saxon runes

Objects from the Galloway hoard [Credit: National Museums Scotland]

The Galloway Hoard brings together the richest collection of rare and unique Viking-age objects ever found in Britain or Ireland. It is of international significance and will transform our understanding of this period of Scottish history. Buried at the beginning of the tenth century, it comprises in excess of 100 gold, silver and other items, some of which are unique.

The Hoard was discovered in 2014.  Following its acquisition by National Museums Scotland in 2017, the Hoard is currently being conserved and researched at the National Museums Collection Centre in Edinburgh.

An exhibition of the Galloway Hoard will be displayed at the National Museum of Scotland in May, and will tour thereafter to Kirkcudbright Galleries, The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery and Museum and Aberdeen Art Gallery thanks to funding from the Scottish Government.

Following the tour part of the Galloway Hoard will be on long-term display at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh with a significant and representative portion of the Hoard also displayed long-term at Kirkcudbright Galleries.

Hamish Torrie, Corporate Social Responsibility Director at The Glenmorangie Company, said: "This latest reveal from the Galloway Hoard adds yet another layer of understanding as to the make-up of the early people of Scotland and we are delighted that this research can benefit from our support."

Source: National Museums Scotland [October 05, 2019]

Large '1,400-year-old cemetery' uncovered in Scottish Highlands

By: Thomas Schmitt Attorney on September 12, 2019 / comment : 0 Archaeology, Europe, Scotland, UK, Western Europe

What could turn out to be one of Scotland's largest Pictish burial grounds is being excavated on the Black Isle in the Highlands.

The possible Pictish cemetery is being excavated in a field in the Black Isle [Credit: Andy Hickie, BBC]

Archaeologists have confirmed the presence of a number of barrows, or burial mounds, near Muir of Ord. Enclosures ranging in size from about 8m (26ft) to more than 40m (131ft) across have also been uncovered.

Archaeologists said the possible Pictish barrow cemetery could be about 1,400 years old. They have also found features on the site that could date much further back into the prehistoric period.

Enclosures of different sizes have also been found [Credit: Andy Hickie, BBC]

Tarradale Through Time, a project of the North of Scotland Archaeological Society, is excavating the site. The project has previously found a harpoon or spear along with axes made by hunter-gatherers in the Highlands 6,000 years ago.

One of the axes made from deer antler previously found by the archaeology project [Credit: AOC Archaeology, BBC]

The tools made from red deer antlers were uncovered at a Mesolithic site near Muir of Ord. The harpoon may have been used in hunts of seals and wildfowl on the mudflats of what is today the Beauly Firth.

Steven Birch, the cemetery site director, said the latest excavation came "hot on the heels" of the discovery of a previously unrecorded Pictish stone about six miles (10km) away in Dingwall.

Further tests are to be done to confirm the age of the site [Credit: Andy Hickie, BBC]

He said: "We are looking at a large potentially Pictish barrow cemetery, where there also appears to be some earlier prehistoric activity. It is a very important site with a number of square and round barrows, as well as larger enclosures. We intend to evaluate the preservation and phasing of these features, obtaining radiocarbon dates from charcoal and bone samples to tell the story of site over time."

Source: BBC News Website [September 12, 2019]

Long before other fish, ancient sharks found an alternative way to feed

By: Thomas Schmitt Attorney on September 11, 2019 / comment : 0 Fossils, Palaeontology, Scotland

Researchers from the University of Chicago have used tools developed to explore 3D movements and mechanics of modern-day fish jaws to analyze a fossil fish for the first time. Combined with CT imaging technology able to capture images of the fossil while it is still encased in rock, the results reveal that the 335-million-year-old shark had sophisticated jaws capable of the kind of suction feeding common to bony fishes like bass, perch, carp and also modern-day nurse sharks.

Tristychius had a circular mouth pushed forward at the end of its muzzle like a modern-day nurse shark. Its ability to control this opening provided it with access to previously untapped food resources, such as prey taking refuge in shallow burrows or otherwise difficult to capture schools of shrimp or juvenile fish [Credit: Kristen Tietjen, UChicago]

Remarkably, these ancient shark jaws are some 50 million years older than the earliest evidence of similar jaws adapted for suction feeding in bony fishes. This shows both the evolutionary versatility of sharks, and how sharks responded quickly to new ecological opportunities in the aftermath of one of the five big extinctions in Earth's history.

"Among today's aquatic vertebrates, suction feeding is widespread, and is often cited as a key factor contributing to the spectacular evolutionary success of ray-finned fishes," said Michael Coates, PhD, professor of organismal biology and anatomy at the University of Chicago and senior author of the new study. "But here we show that high-performance aquatic suction feeding first appeared in one of the earliest known sharks."

The study, published this week in Science Advances, describes the fossil of Tristychius arcuatus, a 2-foot long shark similar to a dogfish. It was first discovered by Swiss biologist Louis Agassiz in 1837, and later described in detail by John Dick, a former classmate of Coates', in 1978. Tristychius, and other Devonian period sharks like it, are found in ironstone rock nodules along the shores of the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh, Scotland.

Shark fossils are rare because their cartilage skeleton usually rots away before there's any chance of fossilization. For decades, researchers studying ancient sharks have been limited to isolated teeth and fin spines. Even if they do find a more complete skeleton, it's usually flattened, or, if it's encased in one of these stones, it crumbles when they try to remove it.

Prof. Michael Coates holds a 3-D printed model of the Tristychius skull and jaws [Credit: Matt Wood]

Coates and his lab have been leading the field in applying modern imaging technology and software to study these challenging fossils. CT scanning allows them to create 3D images of any fossilized cartilage and the impressions it left while still encased in the stone.

Then, using sophisticated modeling software originally developed to study structure and function in modern-day fish, they can recreate what the complete skeleton looked like, how the pieces fit together and moved, and what that meant for how these sharks lived. "These new CT methods are releasing a motherlode of previously inaccessible data," Coates said.

His team started re-examining some of the same fossils Dick studied, as well as specimens left untouched in earlier research. "Some of this is superbly preserved," Coates said. "We realized that when we got all the parts out [virtually], we had the complete construction kit to rebuild our shark in 3D."

That virtual construction kit also allowed them to create 3D plastic printouts of the cartilages that build a shark's skull. These, in turn, allowed Coates and his team to model movements and connections, both physically and virtually, to see how the skull worked.

Grave with six skulls thought to be clan feud burial site

By: Thomas Schmitt Attorney on September 05, 2019 / comment : 0 Archaeology, Europe, Forensics, Scotland, UK, Western Europe

A grave in the Highlands could hold the victims of a violent clan feud, archaeologists have said. The male two skeletons surrounded by four skulls found at St Colman's Church in Portmahomack are believed to date from the 15th Century. Archaeologists said one of them was a powerfully-built man. He has a fatal sword wound to his skull.

The burial plot which shows one of two skeletons surrounded by the four skulls [Credit: FAS Heritage]

Radiocarbon dating and DNA analysis could reveal more information about the remains. Historically, the area of Easter Ross was the scene of a feud between the clans Ross and Mackay. During the late 15th Century St Colman's Church was burnt down before a battle nearby between the MacKay and Ross clans. Archaeologists said it was likely the men in the six-headed burial were involved in the hostilities.

The skeletons and skulls were first excavated in 1997. Archaeologists from York-based Fieldwork Archaeological Services (FAS) and the University of Bradford have been examining the remains for several years as part of the Tarbat Medieval Burials project. They hope new analysis will unlock further details about the skeletons, and also the four other skulls.

A visualisation of the skeletons' skulls: The one on the right shows a fatal sword wound that removed a portion of the man's face and a blade cut above his left eye which was inflicted around the time of death [Credit: Visualising Heritage, University of Bradford]

The research so far has included a reconstruction of the face of the second man whose skeleton was found in the grave. Dr Cecily Spall, of FAS, told BBC Radio Scotland: "We are going to look at what they were eating in their lives, and try to identify where they might have been born. We are also going to get them analysed to see if any of their ancient DNA is preserved."

She added: "Are these men related? Are they father and son, brothers, or are they clan chiefs who were related to each other, or are they rivals?"

A facial reconstruction has been produced of one of the men  found in the grave [Credit: Face Lab]

Dr Shirley Curtis-Summers, of the University of Bradford, is leading the bones and dietary analysis of the skeletons.

Dr Jessica Liu and Dr Sarah Shrimpton at the Face Lab at Liverpool John Moores University produced the facial reconstruction.

Source: BBC News Website [September 05, 2019]

Could the Loch Ness monster be a giant eel?

By: Thomas Schmitt Attorney on September 05, 2019 / comment : 0 Evolution, Genetics, Scotland

Is the Loch Ness monster a shark? A giant catfish? A sturgeon? No, it's a giant eel! Or at least it could be, according to a study published on Thursday.

Credit: Istock/ЕЛЕНА БАБЕНКОВА

"There is a very significant amount of eel DNA," Professor Neil Gemmell, a geneticist at the University of Otago in New Zealand said after a year-long study of the lake.

Tale of a giant creature lurking beneath the murky waves of Loch Ness in Scotland have been around for more than 1,500 years—fueled by occasional sightings of "Nessie."

But Gemmell said his study had found no evidence of a monster-like Jurassic-era reptile in what is Britain's largest body of fresh water.

"We can't find any evidence of a creature that's remotely related to that in our environmental-DNA sequence data," the scientist said, adding that no shark, catfish or sturgeon DNA had been found either.

But he said eel DNA had been found "at pretty much every location samples—there are a lot of them.

"Our data doesn't reveal their size, but the sheer quantity of the material says that we can't discount the possibility that there may be giant eels in Loch Ness," he said, calling the theory "plausible."

Giant Moray eel [Credit: Pixabay]

The research concentrated on 250 samples of water taken all around Loch Ness and at different depths to build up a comprehensive picture of life in the Loch—from bacteria invisible to the naked eye to larger creatures.

Gemmell noted that researchers in 1933 had also proposed that a giant eel could be the explanation of the sightings.

"Divers have claimed that they've seen eels as thick as their legs in the loch," he said, noting that some of the sightings suggested they could be 4 meters (13 feet) long.

Theories abound about the true nature of the Loch Ness Monster, from a malevolent, shape-shifting "water horse," to an aquatic survivor of the dinosaur age, right down to logs, fish, wading birds or simply waves which have been blown out of all proportion.

The earliest chronicles of a creature in Loch Ness are attributed to Saint Columba, who brought Christianity to Scotland in the sixth century.

The last reported sighting was on March 26 last year by a US couple standing on the ramparts of the majestic ruin of Urquhart Castle.

Source: AFP [September 05, 2019]

Scotland's genetic landscape echoes Dark Age populations

By: Thomas Schmitt Attorney on September 03, 2019 / comment : 0 Archaeology, Europe, Genetics, Scotland, UK, Western Europe

The DNA of Scottish people still contains signs of the country's ancient kingdoms, with many apparently living in the same areas as their ancestors did more than a millennium ago, a study shows.

This is a genetic map of the British Isles, based on work by Professor Jim Wilson from the University of Edinburgh's Usher Institute and MRC Human Genetics Unit [Credit: The University of Edinburgh]

Experts have constructed Scotland's first comprehensive genetic map, which reveals that the country is divided into six main clusters of genetically similar individuals: the Borders, the south-west, the north-east, the Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland.

These groupings are in similar locations to Dark Age kingdoms such as Strathclyde in the south-west, Pictland in the north-east, and Gododdin in the south-east. The Dark Ages are widely considered to be from the end of the Roman Empire in 476 AD to around 1000 AD.

In addition to showcasing Scotland's genetic continuity, experts believe this type of population analysis could aid the discovery of rare DNA differences that might play major roles in human disease.

The new data from Scotland means this is the first time the genetic map of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland can be seen in its entirety, researchers say.

The study also discovered that some of the founders of Iceland may have originated from north-west Scotland and Ireland and that the Isle of Man is genetically predominantly Scottish.

The study looked at the genetic makeup of more than 2500 people from Britain and Ireland - including almost 1000 from Scotland - whose grandparents or great grandparents were born within 50 miles of each other.

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh and RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) then compared this with the DNA of people who lived thousands of years ago.

Experts found that Orkney and Shetland had the highest levels of Norwegian ancestry outside Scandinavia and that many islands within the archipelagos had their own unique genetic identity.

The islands also contained subtle, but notable genetic differences between people living only a few miles apart, with no obvious physical barriers.

The study was funded by the Medical Research Council, the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Executive and Science Foundation Ireland. It is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Professor Jim Wilson, from the University of Edinburgh's Usher Institute and MRC Human Genetics Unit, said: "It is remarkable how long the shadows of Scotland's Dark Age kingdoms are, given the massive increase in movement from the industrial revolution to the modern era. We believe this is largely due to the majority of people marrying locally and preserving their genetic identity."

Dr Edmund Gilbert, from RCSI, added: "This work is important not only from the historical perspective, but also for helping understand the role of genetic variation in human disease. Understanding the fine-scale genetic structure of a population helps researchers better separate disease-causing genetic variation from that which occurs naturally in the British and Irish populations, but has little or no impact on disease risk."

Source: University of Edinburgh [September 03, 2019]

Pictish occupation of Aberdeenshire hill fort confirmed

By: Thomas Schmitt Attorney on August 23, 2019 / comment : 0 Archaeology, Europe, Scotland, UK, Western Europe

Pictish occupation of a fort on a well-known hill in Aberdeenshire has been confirmed by archaeologists. The Mither Tap, a summit on Bennachie, near Inverurie, has the remains of an ancient fort. It consists of an upper and lower rampart surrounding a "spectacular" granite rocky outcrop called a tor.

Mither Tap is a summit of Bennachie, a hill near Inverurie [Credit: Northern Picts]

Archaeologists from the University of Aberdeen have sought to better understand the fort and its chronology by excavation and dating.

Radiocarbon samples submitted by the university's Northern Picts project have now confirmed Pictish occupation in the 7th and 8th centuries AD. Further results from radiocarbon dating of charcoal and bones found at the site are expected later this year.

A pig's jaw uncovered by archaeologists investigating the occupation of Mither Tap's fort [Credit: Northern Picts]

The Northern Picts project team said the fort was one of the "most impressive" in Scotland and resembled early medieval fortifications known elsewhere in Scotland.

Archaeological work at the Mither Tap has also included the excavation of an ancient well with steps going down into it.

The steps to the well on Bennachie [Credit: Northern Picts/University of Aberdeen]

The Northern Picts project has been examining Pictish sites in an area of Scotland from Easter Ross in the Highlands to Aberdeenshire since 2012.

The Picts created intricately decorated standing stones and also constructed impressive hill forts to defend themselves against rival tribes and invaders.

They battled against the Romans, Angles and the Vikings.

Source: BBC News Website [August 23, 2019]

Rare 1,200-year-old Pictish stone found near Dingwall

By: Thomas Schmitt Attorney on August 23, 2019 / comment : 0 Archaeology, Europe, Scotland, UK, Western Europe

A stone carved by Picts 1,200 years ago has been discovered in the Highlands. Archaeologists said the find is of national importance because it is one of only about 50 complete Pictish cross-slabs known to exist.

The Pictish stone was reused as a horizonal grave slab in the 1790s - hence the inscription in the top left corner [Credit: NOSAS]

Decorated with a number of symbols, the stone was uncovered at an early Christian church site near Dingwall. It was used as a grave marker in the 1790s and discovered hidden in vegetation by Anne MacInnes of North of Scotland Archaeological Society.

The Picts created cross-slabs - intricately decorated standing stones - and also constructed impressive hill forts to defend themselves against rival tribes and invaders. They battled against the Romans, Angles and the Vikings.

Mythical beasts

Archaeologists believe the newly-found stone would have originally measured more than two metres (6ft) tall. Just over a metre of it survives. It is decorated with a number of Pictish designs including several mythical beasts, oxen, an animal headed warrior with sword and shield, and symbols called a double disc and a z rod.

The stone and an illustration of carvings on one side of it [Credit: NOSAS]

Experts said the carvings appeared to have more in common with Pictish stones found in Perthshire than those previously found in Easter Ross. Details of the carvings on the reverse side have still to be revealed by specialists, but archaeologists said based on examples from similar stones they are likely to include a large ornate Christian cross.

Ms MacInnes was carrying out a survey of the church site when she found the stone. She said "I was clearing vegetation when I spotted the carving. I really couldn't believe what I was seeing."

'Once-in-a-lifetime find'

Highland Council and Historic Environment Scotland archaeologist have since examined the stone and on Thursday it was carefully removed from the site by specialist conservators. It will now be professionally conserved with a view to eventually putting it on permanent public display at a Highlands museum or other suitable venue.

The stone was removed for specialists conservation work [Credit: NOSAS]

John Borland, of Historic Environment Scotland and president of the Pictish Arts Society, said: "The discovery of the top half of a large cross slab with Pictish symbols is of national importance. The find spot - an early Christian site in Easter Ross - is a new location for such sculpture so adds significant information to our knowledge of the Pictish church and its distribution. This new discovery will continue to stimulate debate and new research."

Highland Council archaeologist Kirsty Cameron said it was a "once-in-a-lifetime find". She added: "All credit goes to the local archaeologists for immediately recognising the importance of the stone and putting plans in place for securing its future."

Source: BBC News Website [August 23, 2019]

Bronze Age burials discovered near Scotland's Kilcreggan

By: Thomas Schmitt Attorney on August 14, 2019 / comment : 0 Archaeology, Europe, Scotland, UK, Western Europe

A team of archaeologists working at a site near Kilcreggan have discovered burial sites, bones and artefacts dating back around 4,000 years.

Credit: Helensburgh Advertiser

The North Clyde Archaeological Society have been conducting a major project at Portkil, on the southern tip of the Rosneath peninsula, for more than a year.

So far, six burials all dating to the Bronze Age between circa 3,000 and 4,500 years ago have been located. Four are cremations with surviving bone which will eventually be professionally analysed and tell more of the people and their lifestyles.

Credit: Helensburgh Advertiser

One deposit was in a pot which had been truncated when the area was ploughed before a WWI army camp was installed on the site. The bones suggest a female and baby and tiny teeth roots in another burial also suggest an infant or baby.

Two stone coffins have been found, one is a tiny neatly made pit - which could only have been for a baby, however nothing was found in it. Scotland has notoriously acidic soils which dissolve bodies within a few centuries. Another more conventional Bronze Age cist was similarly devoid of anything, the assumption being that a crouched body was inserted in the coffin but has long since disappeared.

Credit: Helensburgh Advertiser

In another rather crudely made grave lined with stones, a complete pot and cremated bone was discovered. The small food vessel has been decorated all over by using a bone comb. It is believed that this grave contained a body and the cremated remains of another. The grave was covered in a layer of white quartz pebbles as a decoration.

In a rather insignificant pit filled with stones came a fine object in the form of a tiny green pottery bead glazed with copper, known as faience, this ‘segmented’ bead could be 4,000 years old.

Credit: Helensburgh Advertiser

Tam Ward, project leader, said: “We are elated by the recent discoveries.It’s been a resounding success. This is a major discovery for Argyll as it stands, with much more to come.”

Mr Ward added: “One thing is for sure, these discoveries add an important new dimension to the ancient story of Argyll. The work continues and more is expected to be discovered. We will have to raise funds to pay for specialist work on finds, then a new story about the ancient past on the Rosneath peninsula can be told.”

Author: Ross Hanvidge | Source: Helensburgh Advertiser [August 14, 2019]

Face of Iron Age female druid recreated

By: Thomas Schmitt Attorney on August 14, 2019 / comment : 0 Archaeology, Europe, Scotland, UK, Western Europe

A University of Dundee student has revealed the face of one of Scotland's oldest druids, believed to have been more than 60 years old when she died during the Iron Age.

A digital reconstruction of 'Hilda' by MSc Forensic Art student Karen Fleming [Credit: University of Dundee]

Karen Fleming, an MSc Forensic Art & Facial Identification student, has recreated the head of a woman believed to have been from Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis.

The 3-D wax reconstruction depicts a toothless female, nicknamed "Hilda," believed to have been well into her 60s, an impressive feat itself. Karen says Hilda, although thousands of years old, displays many physical attributes that remain recognizable today.

Karen, from Edinburgh, said, "Hilda was a fascinating character to recreate. It's clear from the skull she was toothless before she died, which isn't too surprising considering the diet of folk back then but it was impressive how long she lived. A female's life expectancy at this time was roughly 31 years but it is now thought that living longer during the Iron Age is indicative of a privileged background.

Karen Fleming looks closely at Hilda, the Iron Age woman whose face she recreated in wax [Credit: University of Dundee]

"It's impossible to know for sure when she died as we were unable to carbon date the skull, but assuming the information in the journal from 1833 is correct, Hilda passed away anytime between 55BC to 400AD and was of Celtic origin. I think she looks like many older women I've met in my life and I'm proud of that."

Painstakingly reproducing features in wax, Karen said this year's heatwave almost melted Hilda before she had been brought back to life.

"It's funny to say it now but I had to keep parts of Hilda, like her wax modeled ears, in the fridge for most of the summer. As a mature student who commutes from Edinburgh, I often had to keep her cool in the car, strapped up in the passenger seat. I'm sure that's a sight passers-by won't forget seeing."

The face of an Iron Age woman has been brought back to life by Karen Fleming [Credit: University of Dundee]

Hilda will go on display at this year's Masters Show, one of Scotland's most exciting displays of artistic talent. More than 80 students will showcase their work during the week, which runs from Friday 16 to Sunday 25 August.

Hilda was recreated from an ancient skull held at The University of Edinburgh's Anatomical Museum and is described as one of six "Druids of the Hebrides' skulls presented to the Phrenological Society of Edinburgh in 1833.

Author: Dominic Glasgow | Source: University of Dundee [August 14, 2019]

Haul of hundreds of hunter gatherer tools sheds light on Scotland's earliest residents

By: Thomas Schmitt Attorney on August 09, 2019 / comment : 0 Archaeology, Europe, Scotland, UK, Western Europe

The discovery of 700 pieces of stone tool used by hunter gatherers up to 12,000 years ago has shed new light on some of Scotland's earliest residents. The finds were made by archaeologists working around the River Tay estuary just south of Perth.

Credit: The Scotsman

The pieces, found on Freeland Farm, date to somewhere between 9,800BC and 4,000BC and are made of local carnelian stone.

The scale of the find suggests that the area was home to a several small settlements close to the river with the tools used for hunting, skinning as well as processing animal meat and skins for food, clothes, bedding and tents.

Experts believe the use of the distinctive brown-coloured material for the tools could have come to define the identity of the people who used them.

Archaeologist Torben Ballin, a co-author of the report into the finds, said: "It is difficult to say how the Mesolithic people of Freeland Farm perceived their carnelian, but it is likely that the brown colour had special meaning to them, for example as a means of identifying themselves as belonging to a specific social group.

More than 700 pieces of tool were found at the River Tay estuary south of Perth with the site likely home to a number of settlements of hunter gatherers [Credit: ARO via The Scotsman]

"They may have seen themselves, and been seen by hunter-gatherer groups in neighbouring territories, as ‘those with brown tool kits’, just like people on Arran may have seen themselves as ‘those with black tool kits’ and people on Rhum as ‘those with green tool kits'."

The project followed on from earlier work by Dundee University and investigated large parts of the lower-lying fields of the Tay estuary..

The team identified areas where hunting, fishing and gathering was likely to have taken place by a mobile Mesolithic population, with the search for artefacts then launched.

A total of 707 pieces of stone tools were found in fields at what is now Freeland Farm with the haul containing broadblades, microblades, scrapers and burins.

The finds were made at Freeland Farm near Perth, marked here on the bottom left hand side of the map [Credit: ARO via The Scotsman]

The volume of artefacts founds and the way they were scattered across most of the site suggest the entire area may have been visited and revisited over a long period.

A large number of individual small settlements may once have been found here, it is believed.

The findings come as part of The Early Settlers Project, which involved local people in finding out more about the prehistory of the River Tay. Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust was also involved. The report into the project has been published by Archaeology Reports Online.

Author: Alison Campsie | Source: The Scotsman [August 09, 2019]