04.12.09 - Roundhouse Excavated at Whelphill, South Lanarkshire Archaeological work carried out in advance of construction of a substation saw the excavation of a roundhouse and associated annexe, together with a number of other features. Find out more
04.12.09 - Possible Prehistoric Occupation Evidence from Netherton Braes, Glasgow Monitoring undertaken on a proposed extension to Linn Cemetery in Glasgow has identified a series of post- and stake holes. Find out more
04.12.09 - Radiocarbon Dates for Allt Fearna Shieling Received Radiocarbon dates received for samples taken during the excavation of a shieling on the Douglas Water near Inveraray indicate a long tradition of occupation on the site.Find out more
13.11.09 - Community Excavation at High Morlaggan, Loch Long The community-led excavation of the ruined settlement of High Morlaggan, which is situated on the eastern bank of Loch Long near Arrochar, has just begun this week. Find out more
09.10.09 - Long Tradition of Occupation at Grishipoll Fieldwork conducted in relation to the rehabilitation of an 18th century Laird's house at Grishipoll, Isle of Coll, has identified pottery that suggests occupation on the site from the Bronze Age onwards. Find out more
16.09.09 - Prehistoric Midden on Iona Archaeological monitoring undertaken during construction of an extension to a cottage just south of Iona Abbey has identified what appears to be a prehistoric midden spread. Find out more
07.09.09 - Procedural Guidance for Archaeology and Development At its meeting on 3 April 2009 the West of Scotland Archaeology Service Joint Committee approved the West of Scotland Archaeology Service Procedural Guidance for Archaeology and Development for general application across the 11 WoSAS Member Councils. This document is now available for download.
25.08.09 - A Collared Urn at Snabe Fragments of Bronze Age pottery have been identified during evaluation trenching at Snabe Quarry near Drumclog, South Lanarkshire Find out more
18.08.09 - Mystery Cist Update The cist whose discovery is shown in this antiquarian photograph has been identified by Dr Ralph Shuttleworth as being located at Pun Wrae in Stevenston, which is now the street from the Cross opposite the Champion Shell Inn. Dr Shuttleworth notes that the 'Wrae' element occurs in a number of Ayrshire place-names, and appears to be associated with some sort of small fort or homestead. He further notes that the Stevenston example is located close to a knoll now occupied by the High Kirk, which may have been an attractive location for settlement of this type.
18.08.09 - Scottish Archaeology Month 2009 September 2009 is Scottish Archaeology Month. Details of hundreds of events taking place across Scotland can be viewed by downloading the programme of events
17.08.09 - Do You Recognise This Cist? WoSAS has been contacted by a genealogical researcher from Switzerland, who came across a photograph of the discovery of a cist during the course of her research. The only information available is that the photographer, Samuel Becket, was based in Saltcoats, and that the cist is likely to have been found in North Ayrshire. Possible matches identified so far in the WOSAS SMR include WoSAS Pin 5251, WoSAS Pin 5636 and WoSAS Pin 5732, but other suggestions as to its location will be gratefully received!
14.08.09 - A long cist at Newbigging A long cist has been identified during fieldwork in Newbigging, South Lanarkshire. Find out more
13.08.09 - Scotland's Rural Past Conference 2009 The 2009 conference of the popular Scotland's Rural Past project will take on the 14th of November at the Ben Nevis Hotel, Fort William. The key note talk on turf buildings of the Highlands will be given by cultural historian and former curator of the Highland Folk Museum, Ross Noble. This will be followed by talks on SRP projects and a series of workshops and short films covering different aspects of site interpretation, recording and presentation. There will also be a dedicated RCAHMS/SRP room where the project team will be giving presentations on their resources and providing advice on accessing and submitting data. Workshops are open to all and there is no need to register in advance for them. On Sunday 15 guided walks will take place to two local rural settlement sites. Details of these are still being finalised and will be available at the conference. As numbers are limited to 100 by the size of the venue, early booking is recommended to ensure a place. Booking will close on 30 September. Download Conference Programme and Booking Form
12.08.09 - New Inverclyde Shipbuilding Website A new website has been set up to illustrate the history of the shipbuilding and engineering industry in Inverclyde. It is hoped that it will become a way of recording personal stories, photographs etc., and users are encouraged to add their own information to the site, to create a record of the rich industrial heritage of the area. Vist the Site!
29.07.09 - Whisky Galore! Evidence for the illicit distilling of whisky has been identified during fieldwork at Mill Brae, Carnasserie. Find out more
22.07.09 - Dams to Darnley Country Park: A peek into the past From the mill to the mystery of the Waulkmill Glen ruin, Darnley has a speckled past. Take a glimpse into the industrial heritage of the area on this guided walk, led by a local heritage specialist. The walk will mainly cover flat level paths, but will occasionally venture off the beaten track.
Saturday 1 August, 10am–noon. Meet at the Ashoka restaurant car park, Corselet Road, off Nitshill Road, Darnley.
To book or for more information please contact the Countryside Ranger Service; Eilidh / Richard 0141 577 4054/4053 or e-mail d2d@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
04.06.09 - Bipartite Pit at Hagholm Road, Cleghorn A possible bipartite pit was identified during recent archaeological works carried out in an area of rough pasture to the east of Cleghorn, South Lanarkshire. Find out more
19.05.09 - Time Team on Mull This week, Channel 4's Time Team will be investigating a potential early Christian chapel on the Isle of Mull. Find out more
06.05.09 - Invitation to Dig at Scotland's Oldest Settlement The Biggar Archaeology Group started a major excavation on Saturday 2nd May at Howburn Farm, near Elsrickle, to retrieve lithic material from plough soil. Previous fieldwork on the site identified a lithic assemblage dating to the Upper Palaeolithic, approximately 14,000 years ago, while Mesolithic and later pre historic periods are also represented in the present finds from the field. The work will be done entirely by volunteers at weekends and evenings. To find out how to get involved, and for more information on the site, download the invitation for diggers.
20.04.09 - Discover Bute Landscape Partnership Scheme Find out more about events taking place on the island of Bute as part of the ongoing Landscape Partnership scheme.
16.04.09 - National Trust for Scotland fieldwork in Argyll Archaeologists from the National Trust for Scotland have made significant discoveries during fieldwork at two sites in Argyll. A bronze age midden, containing bones, shells, pottery and tools dating to between 903BC and 810BC, was excavated on the west side of Iona (Read the story), while excavations at Crarae Gardens in Argyll has identified a ditch and stone bank dating to the 7th to 9th century, possibly representing the vallum of an early Christian settlement (Read the story).
10.04.09 - Scotland's Oldest Settlement Members of the Biggar Museum Trust Archaeology Group have identified what may be Scotland's oldest settlement, dating back 14,000 years. The site, which was found in a ploughed field during fieldwork conducted as part of their 'Prehistory North of Biggar Project' in 2005-2006 (WoSAS Pin 57693), produced flint artefacts similar to material from the Netherlands and northern Germany. Find out more
03.04.09 - Early Medieval Carved Stone found in Rutherglen A fragment of carved stone found during renovation works in Rutherglen could shed new light on the pre-Norman origins of the town. Find out more
01.04.09 - North Lanarkshire Council From the 1st of April 2009, the West of Scotland Archaeology Service will no longer be providing advice in relation to archaeological issues within the North Lanarkshire council area.
30.03.09 - Scottish Milestone Conference The Milestone Society in
Scotland is holding a one day conference at the David Marshall Lodge in Aberfoyle on Saturday the 30th of May, to discuss 'Preserving Scotland's Rich Heritage of Roadside Milestones'. Find out more, and download booking form.
11.03.09 - Additional Photos of Inchinnan Stone Fragment A new photograph of the fragment of carved stone found at Inchinnan has been sent to WoSAS. See Picture
06.03.09 - 15th Century Coin found in Linlithgow Refurbishment work on the Burgh Halls in Linlithgow has produced an unusual 15th century coin. See Pictures
10.02.09 - Dig unearths 13th century ceramic A rare ceramic face-mask jug dating back to the 13th century has been uncovered at a building site in Rothesay in Argyll, during work undertaken as a condition of planning consent on the advice of the West of Scotland Archaeology Service. Go to BBC News website.
06.02.09 - Carved Stone Fragment Found A fragment of carved stone has been identified at Inchinnan in Renfrewshire, an area that is rich in important early Christian monuments. Find out more
08.01.09 - Prehistoric features at Lochgoilhead Evaluation trenching undertaken in advance of a proposed housing development at Lochgoilhead, Argyll, has revealed traces of occupation during prehistory. Find out more