Medieval Village discovered at Archerfield, East Lothian
Apart from the grand castles and abbeys of the Middle Ages, rural medieval settlements, the kind of settlement where most people in medieval Scotland lived, are quite rare. This has limited our understanding of how most medieval people in Scotland actually lived. However, this is about to change as a result of the substantial archaeological remains of a lost medieval village, discovered by AOC Archaeology Group in Archerfield Estate, Dirleton, East Lothian.
The village was made up of rectangular clay-bonded stone buildings. Often one end of a building holds a byre, where the animals were kept while the other end holds the part of the house where the family lived. The AOC Archaeologists examined the archaeological remains to understand how each building was occupied.
Some of the buildings were very substantial in size and, although a forest plantation had been planted on top of them, many of the buildings had survived exceptionally well with some buildings still standing a few feet high.
Historic maps from as far back as the 16th century indicate the presence of the medieval village of Eldbotle within Archerfield Estate but it has always been presumed that this village was concentrated further to the north-east of the present site. The excavation of a building in 2003 in advance of road widening has identified that Eldbotle is older than previously thought and may have its origins in the Anglian period.
AOC Archaeology Group has been undertaking the excavation of the village on behalf of The Renaissance Club. The village was initially identified during an archaeological evaluation and it was decided that this part of the golf course would be redesigned to preserve the remains beneath it. Over the course of the excavation AOC Archaeology defined the extent of the village and explored the buildings on site. Once this investigation was completed the remains were carefully covered back over and will be preserved for the future under the 16th and 17th holes of the proposed golf course.
Paul Seago from The Renaissance Club said “We are really excited about the discovery of this medieval village and appreciate that this a really important find, not just for East Lothian but for Scotland too. We are working closely with East Lothian Council and AOC Archaeology Group to make sure that these remains are properly recorded and then preserved for future generations”.
Biddy Simpson, East Lothian Council’s Heritage Officer, said “This is a really exciting discovery. As yet we don’t know whether this is an extension of medieval Eldbotle or a distinct settlement. This is a period of history in which very little is known about rural settlement so the findings of this archaeological work are exceptionally important. I am also really pleased that the developer has recognised the importance of these remains and we are working together to enable their future preservation”.
Erlend Hindmarch, AOC Archaeology Group Project Officer, who directed the excavation, said, “Our excavation showed how this village developed over a long period of time. We saw changes within the buildings themselves, as they were repaired and rebuilt by each successive generation. We also recovered artefacts that demonstrate the diet of the villagers and the animals they kept.”
A future programme of post-excavation analysis will result in the publication of the results of the Archerfield excavation.
AOC Excavation Director: Erlend Hindmarch
Client: The Renaissance Club
