Viking and Norse Heritage Project Diary - Week 1

Saturday July 12th, 2008
by Andy Heald
Following a programme of local publicity the Castletown Heritage Society project started with the first Weekly Weekend Workshop, hosted at Castlehill Research facility, Harbour Road, Castletown. The first workshop had numerous aims: to give the background to the project; to discuss and agree a programme of works; to present an overview of the Vikings in Scotland, with a particular focus on Caithness and the north coast; to introduce the artefacts we may find and, finally, introduce soil analysis, how to interpret the soils and geology, and what it means. Finally, an evening public lecture was given that introduced the project. 

The Saturday and Sunday workshops were well-attended with approximately 30 people attending the workshops and 30 people attending the evening lecture. The Saturday began with Muriel Murray (Chairperson of CHS) welcoming everyone and giving a brief background to the project. I then spoke for around an hour, first discussing the programme of works and then taking a look at the Vikings in Scotland and their potential activity along the north-coast of Caithness. I outlined the varied evidence for the Vikings (settlements, hoards, graves) and suggested what we may look for. Following much-needed coffee and biscuits I then resumed my talk, outlining the artefacts that we may encounter during our work – ranging from the Neolithic through to the Vikings.  We then had lunch which consisted of a wonderful soup and sandwiches.

In the afternoon we then turned our attention to soils, in a workshop run by John Barber, AOC Archaeology Group’s Managing Director. The workshop consisted of hands-on practical activity and a lecture. John began by combining the attendees into groups and getting them to describe different soils. The intention was to introduce the idea of soil analysis but also to show the variability in recording by individuals. The key of the session was to stress to people the need to be consistent in our recordings of the soils we encounter during our coring and survey programme. John then presented a lecture Soils for Beginners, which, as the name suggests, was an overview of how soils were formed, and the different types we were likely to encounter. The first Saturday workshop was a huge success with the workshop well attended, and all the attendees extremely enthusiastic about the project.

In the evening, I presented another lecture to outline the project to individuals who could not attend the workshop during the day. Like the workshop, the lecture was well-attended with around 30 people listening to the lecture.

   

Sunday 13th July
by Alan Duffy
The second workshop was also hosted at the Castlehill Research Facility and continued with John presenting another lecture on soils with a specific focus on describing their different attributes. This was followed by hands-on experience, which consisted of analysing samples in the lab and also study of a test-pit section in a nearby field. The team were also introduced to Graeme Cavers and myself, Alan Duffy, who would be running the coring and survey programme. Graeme gave a demonstration of the GPS survey equipment and a brief overview of the survey recording system. I gave an introduction to the augering and coring equipment. The day was very successful and we are envisaging that around 8 to 10 people will be helping on Monday. The coring and survey training programme begins on Monday 14th July. We are meeting at the Dunnet Caravan Park at 10am with the intention of working in some fields in and around Dunnet. We hope to see you there.

 

   

Monday 14th July
by Graeme Cavers
Today saw the launch of the fieldwork programme, as we started on the soil coring and survey. There was a great turnout for the project, with myself and Alan met on site by fourteen willing and able volunteers from the local area. We started coring to the north of Dunnet bay, close to an area where we suspect that there are structures from survey work that Paul Humphries has done in the area. The weather was kind to us today, and kept us in good spirits as we got up to speed on putting into practice the soil recording techniques introduced on the training days at the weekend. No direct evidence of archaeological deposits as yet, but the coring technique is ideally suited to the sandy soils in the area, and as we get closer to the lumps and bumps in the field to the south hopefully we’ll start to detect some evidence of past activity in the area and bring us closer to finding the Vikings of Dunnet Bay!

       

Tuesday 15th July
by Alan Duffy
Further coring works were carried out at the northern end of the survey area adjacent to Dunnet by Alan and seven local volunteers. Graeme also began topographic survey work on a number of mounds in this area assisted by one of the same volunteers. In two of the cores midden material was recovered adjacent to two of the mounds. The midden material consisted of fragments of shell, including limpet, fishbone, prehistoric pottery, and a quartz pebble. After yesterday’s glorious weather, today would probably be described as “changeable” and included constant wind, and occasional sunshine and showers. This, however, failed to dampen the spirits of the team who were all delighted at finding evidence of possible settlement.

Wednesday 16th July
by Alan Duffy
Today four local volunteers and myself carried out further coring works at the northern end of the survey area. Graeme meanwhile carried out targeted topographic surveys of the mounds adjacent to which possible settlement remains were noted yesterday. This has been carried out in advance of higher resolution coring and possible test pitting across these mounds. Very little in the way of archaeological deposits were noted in the coring today. However much of it was carried out in fields where intensive cultivation has been carried out in the past. It is also possible that we have now identified the limit of the dune system at this end of the survey area.

Thursday 17th July
by Paul Humphreys
Politicians are often telling us about the importance of returning to “core values”; I for one have often wondered what a ‘core value’, or ‘core values’ was. Well, after several days in the field, I can now tell you that the answer is around 10YR 2-3 for MUCK and roughly 5Y 8-8 for BRASS. (In Yorkshire it is said "Where there is muck there is brass").

Well, so far our crack coring team hasn’t found any brass, but we have struck gold; well actually it was shell, fishbone and, thanks to Dr Wendy, a very small pot sherd.

Yesterday, I think we may have found a ‘paleopuddle’ - yippee! No Vikings yet but the hunt goes on.

Friday 18th July
by Alan Duffy
Continued the coring programme today, particularly around one of sand dune mounds. Were joined again by the ‘core’ team and we worked well in cold conditions. Towards the end of the day I had one of the best moments of the project so far. I was working away from the rest of the team when I heard a series of ecstatic shouts. Wondering what was going on I headed off to see the group. I met the delighted team who had discovered sherds of pottery, including a rim sherd, shell and bone. Initial examination suggests that the pottery is likely to have been Iron Age. This is great news for three reasons. First, it demonstrated to the team what, at least artefactually, we could expect to encounter during the further coring programme. Second, the finds again indicate some form of human presence in the area. Third, and most importantly, it demonstrated to me the excitement that the process of archaeological discovery has to people. The project is going extremely well and I am looking forward to the second Weekly Workshop which starts tomorrow.