Journal
Excavations at Copt Howe day 3: Carvings are discovered
The plan today is to open three new trenches to investigate the boulders which display carvings.
Excavations at Copt Howe day 2: The first trench is complete
Day two of the project has dawned overcast but dry. We continue work investigating the mound to see if there is any evidence for it having been constructed.
Excavations at Copt Howe day 1: The project begins
The first day of excavations to investigate the remarkable Neolithic carvings at Copt Howe, in the Lake District.
Excavating rock art in Strath Tay day 11: Further quartz deposits on the outcrop
We find quartz tools deposited among the cup and ring markings.
Excavating rock art in Strath Tay day 10: Atmospheric effects
Unusual optical effects occurred at the site this morning...
Excavating rock art in Strath Tay day 9: Surveying the site
Working begins on surveying the natural mound upon which the outcrop of decorated rock is located.
Excavating rock art in Strath Tay day 8: Quartz and further recording
Another day catching up with recording, and another quartz deposit is found.
Excavating rock art in Strath Tay day 7: Deposits of Quartz
In Trench 2, I begin to remove the stones set against the outcrop...
Excavating rock art in Strath Tay day 6: Recording begins
Before we can investigate the stone setting, this feature must be planned.
Excavating rock art in Strath Tay day 5: Revealing more
Today, we continued to reveal and clean the features in Trenches 1 and 2.
Excavating rock art in Strath Tay day 4: Further surprises
Trench 1 reveals the second surprise of the project.
Excavating rock art in Strath Tay day 3: An unexpected find
This morning we began work on excavating Trench 2 and Trench 3.
Excavating rock art in Strath Tay day 2: Removing the turf
This morning we began work on removing the turf and topsoil for three small trenches.
Excavating rock art in Strath Tay day 1: Deciding where to dig
The first day of excavations. at a rock art site in the Southern Highlands of Scotland.
A walk to the summit of Fairfield: Clouds and Neolithic stones on a Lake District mountain
A walk in the central Lake District, featuring a dynamic cloud formation and Neolithic worked stone.
Fieldwalking in Sutherland Day 13: The view across the sea from Tarbat Ness
Given the likely importance of marine travel for moving people, animals and materials in prehistory, today we visited the peninsular of Tarbat Ness which is not far from the village of Portmahomack. Located across the Dornoch Firth from Loch Fleet this offered a marine-orientated perspective upon the area we have been fieldwalking over the past two weeks.
Fieldwalking in Sutherland Day 9: Finishing off the eastern study area
We have been walking a series of conjoined fields, moving between the broch of Càrn Liath and Dunrobin Castle.
Fieldwalking in Sutherland Day 8: Walking adjacent to Càrn Liath broch
Today we moved to the eastern end of the study area where there are a series of ploughed fields between the Iron Age broch of Càrn Liath and the Dunrobin Castle estate.
Fieldwalking in Sutherland Day 7: The Western Study Area is Complete
Today we completed our survey of a large block of ploughed fields at the western extreme of the study area.
Fieldwalking in Sutherland Day 6: The survey continues and we find an arrowhead!
We're moving even further west along the ploughed fields of the coastal plain. Great excitement this afternoon following the discovery of an arrowhead.