Viking and Norse Heritage Project Diary - Week 4
Saturday August 2nd, 2008
by Paul Humphreys
This weekend we took a well-earned rest from hunting for Vikings in order to immerse ourselves in the complexities of medieval and post medieval ceramics. Our guide though the labyrinth was George Haggarty, archaeologist and renowned expert in the ceramics of the period.
The Saturday workshop concentrated on the pre-industrial period of kiln-fired pottery production. We learned of its beginnings during with the establishment of the great monasteries; followed the increasing diversity of forms and the influences of trade-led imports culminating with the onset of industrialised production.
During Saturday evening, George presented a very well attended and received public lecture on the Scottish Industrial pottery of the 18th and 19th centuries. This provided us with an introduction to the Sunday workshop on the same subject.
George was insistent that the only way to learn about ceramics was to handle the material. To this end, George encouraged us to handle both fragments and complete examples both from his private and museum collections; an unnerving experience once told of the value of some of the pieces.
By the end of the day, George was hoarse; our brains were full and our eyes glazed over. Fortunately we were generously provided with freebee CDs on the course material for our continued edification.
It is hoped that our contact with George will continue with the establishment of a systematic field-walking programme and the assay of selected sherds as an indicator of origin. This in turn should help to illuminate possible trading contacts, patterns of pre-improvement agriculture and the changing economic base of the ordinary population. So please watch this space.
Monday August 4th, 2008
by Alan Duffy
The coring team are having a rest day today.
Tuesday August 5th, 2008
by Alan Duffy
The coring and topographic survey work was carried out at the southern end of the survey area today, within a group of large mounds where human remains have been found in the past during the construction of the main road that runs through our survey area. Unfortunately no archaeological deposits were recorded. Tomorrow we hope to do some coring along one side of a nearby burn, where Paul Humphreys has identified some possible rectilinear structures.
Wednesday August 6th, 2008
by Alan Duffy
Further coring and topographic survey was carried out in the southern part of the survey area today. During the coring, a buried soil horizon containing bone (some possibly burnt) and other possible burnt material (peat ash) was noted. It is anticipated that high resolution coring will be carried out in this area with a view to determing the spread of this material. It is also possible that this area may be targeted over the next couple of weeks during the excavation phase of the project. The scale of any excavation in this area will as ever be determined by the results of the high resolution coring, and the landowners permission.
Thursday August 7th, 2008
by Alan Duffy
High resolution coring was carried out at the site of the mound at the south end of the survey area where archaeological deposits were recorded yesterday. This resulted in archaeological deposits being recorded in a number of the cores, and included sherds of pottery, the date of which at this time is uncertain.
