Have you got your ARCH book yet?

18 November 2012

ARCH project officers Susan Kruse and Cathy MacIver have produced two fascinating books about their Community Timelines and Pathways into the Past projects.

Both books draw heavily on all the research undertaken by course members, and are a beautifully designed and illustrated look at the approach that was taken on each course and some of the information that resulted. 

The Community Timelines book covers all eight communities that ARCH worked with - Golspie, Evanton, Auldearn, Upper Strathspey, Strathdearn, Fort Augustus-Fort William-Glengarry, Gairloch and Southern Skye. Susan looks at what was learnt about each community in turn, but also presents detailed information in chronological order - an approach that begins to create a picture of the Highlands from the mesolithic to the present day, and presents objects from microliths to self-flushing toilets.

The Pathways into the Past book covers a smaller geographic area. The courses studied a possible ancient routeway running from Tarradale on the Black Isle to Tain using a mix of indoor study and outdoor recording and surveys. The book talks about the methods used, but also highlights some interesting case studies, including recording profiles along several sections of the route, looking in detail at old churchyards and creating a plane table survey of a tree platform. What was learnt is presented through the text for displays created by the course participants.

You can get your own copies of these books for a suggested donation of £3 for the Pathways into the Past and £5 for Highland Community Timelines, plus P&P. They are available from the ARCH office at:

Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands (ARCH)

Education Centre

Castle Street

Dingwall IV15 9HU