Survey, dig, talks in the next couple of weeks

22 April 2013

There’s a lot happening in Easter Ross and Inverness in the next couple of weeks, and a packed programme in Wester Ross focussing on the Arctic Convoys:

• Coastal Survey around Evanton: Sunday & Monday 28th & 29th April
• ARCH Lecture: 'The archaeology of Scotland's coast ': 29th April
• Excavations at Easter/Wester Rairiche near Nigg: Now until 1st May
• Conference: Underworld: the use of caves, rock shelters and underground places during the Scottish Iron Age: 27th April
• Exhibition: The Last Female Jacobite?: 30 April
• Excavation: Raigmore Cairn: 1-5th May
• Talk: The Bronze Age in the Moray Firth Area: 2nd May
• Talk: Mormaers and the Beginning of the Scottish Kingdom: 3rd May
• World War II and the Arctic Convoys: 6th – 11th May

Coastal Survey around Evanton, Sunday & Monday 28th & 29th April
Jo Hambly of SCAPE will be running training sessions on how to monitor and record sites along the coasts. This is a way to involve local people to keep an eye on their coastal heritage (or other places they visit) and record the condition of sites, many of them under real threat of erosion. The Scotland’s Coastal Heritage at Risk Project uses free apps so that sites can be recorded in the field, or the information can be submitted later via website forms. We’ll meet at the Cornerstone Café in Evanton at 1pm on Sunday, and Jo will show us how to use the recording systems, and we’ll have time to visit at least one site. On Monday, meet at 10am at the Church Hall in Evanton. If you have a laptop or smartphone or tablet, and want to use them, please bring them -
Time will be tight, so if possible would you please register on the website BEFORE Sunday if you haven’t already (http://scharp.co.uk/taking-part/ - Instructions are on the ARCH website Library, in the SHARP – SCAPE folder. Likewise, if you have a smart phone or tablet and you want to use it please download the app BEFORE Sunday. The app is called ShoreUpdate and is available on iTunes and Google Play. The easiest way to find it is by going on to the website on your device and tapping either the little green android or the silver apple in the right hand Quick Links side bar. You have to have registered as a Site Surveyor – i.e. gone through both stages of registration before you can use the app. The app can be a bit buggy and is not available yet for all devices. If you have problems please let us know tomorrow.
What to bring on the day:
• A laptop if you have one
• A smartphone or tablet if you have one and want to use it.If you haven’t got these or don’t want to bring them, we have spares of both.

'The archaeology of Scotland's coast '
29th April, 7:30pm, Dingwall Community Centre
Talk by Joanna Hambly of the SCAPE Trust about some of the discoveries which have been made along Scotland’s coast, what’s going on now, and what’s on the horizon for Scotland’s coastal heritage.

Community Dig at Easter and Wester Rarichie until 1st May
The University of Aberdeen is running a dig at Easter/Wester Rariche dun and fort near Nigg, and invite members of the public to help out. They intend to place a few trenches on Easter Rarichie plus additional surveys and one trench on Western Rarichie.Equipment provided. For further information contact Oskar on 07557 456080.
Directions from Inverness A9 north: take the B9175 Arabeloloa Road. Turn right at the Ankerville corner road to Balintore. At Wester Rarichie, take the farm track on the right. Please note that the track is uphill and may be muddy and wet.

Underworld: the use of caves, rock shelters and underground places during the Scottish Iron Age, Saturday 27th April, 9:10am-5pm.
Free one day conference at Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness. Email archaeology@highland.gov.uk or call the Highland Council Historic Environment team on 01463 702504 to book a place.

The Last Female Jacobite?
30th April, Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, 11am-4pm
An opportunity to get up close to objects reflecting the life and work of Jacobit relic collector Emily May Bowerbank and some fascinating but less well known aspects ofIMAG’s Jacobite collecitons. This exhibition runs for one day only.

Excavation: Raigmore Ring cairn, 1st-5th May, Raigmore Estate, Inverness
Archaeology Scotland will be excavating the centre of Raigmore Ring Cairn to reveal internal archaeological features which were reconstructed in the 1970’s. Raigmore Ring Cairn (in Inverness) has been interpreted as an Early Bronze Age Burial Cairn. However, the 1970’s excavations revealed that the site had been used much earlier, with the identification of a wooden structure believed to date to the Neolithic (4000-2500 BC). It is thought that the monument would have originally looked similar to the Clava Cairns (near Culloden). This monument used to be at Stoneyfield, but it was excavated and moved to its current location in 1974/5 due to the construction of the A9. The team behind the relocation even reconstructed the original internal features, based on evidence from the excavation. These features include a replica burial cist (all human remains have been removed); post-holes (which would have originally held timber posts) and pits and loose stone (cairn material). If you would like to come along and help  out – please do! We will provide all of the equipment and training you will need. For more information please contact Archaeology Scotland on 0845 872 3333 or c.jones@archaeologscotland.org.uk

Talk: The Bronze Age in the Moray Firth Area: 2nd May, 7:30pm, Mission Hall, North Kessock
Susan Kruse of ARCH will present an illustrated talk about the Bronze Age in the Moray Firth Area as part of the North Kessock and District Local History Society programme. Cost £1 for members, £2 for non-members (includes refreshments).

Talk: Mormaers and the Beginning of the Scottish Kingdom 3rd May, 7:30pm, Seaforth Lodge, Station Square, Fortrose
The annual Groam House Museum Academic Lecture will be give by Dr Dauvit Broun, Professor of Scottish History, University of Glasgow. Members £2, non-members £4.

World War II and the Arctic Convoys 6th-11th May. Various locations around Aultbea
A week long programme of walks, talks, and many other activities. See the full programme. Note that some must be booked in advance.
 

Further details for many of these events also available on the Events pages of the website.