Getting Involved (2)
Archaeology: preserving the past

The future is in our hands, but so is the survival of the past. Many of the threats faced by the records of past environments also affect the survival of any archaeology which lies buried in bogs. This is because archaeological remains rely on the layers of waterlogged peat which surround and protect them. So by helping to conserve the one, we can often help save the other.

Most archaeology is done on dryland sites, but archaeologists working on wetlands use the same careful techniques with the added difficulty of working in a watery environment. Archaeology programmes on television show some of the techniques that archaeologists use – like digging trenches and using a trowel to carefully remove layers of soil. But to be able to interpret the evidence uncovered it is essential to record the stratigraphy (layers visible in the vertical trench faces), draw plans of horizontal surfaces and to record the position of features and finds by surveying.

The post-excavation work is less back-breaking but more time consuming. Imagine rebuilding someone’s life by sorting painstakingly through the rubbish (often microscopic) they have left behind and the remains of house foundations.

Resources for Archaeology

With so many thousand years worth of evidence, archaeology is very varied. These web sites can show you examples of different types of archaeological work – from individual sites to landscapes, covering around 10000 years. They can also help you to become involved in archaeology and history.


Archaeological dig on South Uist, Outer Hebrides © SHN

Archaeological research at work
The search for mobile hunters and gatherers on Scotland’s west coast.

Scotland’s First Settlers
www.moray.ac.uk/ccs/settlers.htm

Visit a dig in the Northern Isles:
Scatness on Shetland
www.brad.ac.uk/acad/archsci/field_proj/scat/

Explore an archaeological landscape:
Kilmartin Glen, Argyll
www.kilmartin.org/

Meet the Ancestors – using archaeological science (see the dig reports):
www.bbc.co.uk/history/programmes/meettheancestors/index.shtml

You already know something about environmental archaeology from reading the story of Greenhead Moss. Environmental archaeology uses pollen, insects, seeds, other plant remains, animal bones and soils from archaeological sites to reconstruct the past economy and tell us something about the environment on the site. This includes what people ate, what resources they used – from domesticated animals and crops to wild foods, and how they fertilised their fields.

Environmental archaeology adds the details that help bring the past to life. For example, flies and maggots which live on decaying material might tell us that there were bits of mouldy, festering meat or vegetables lying on the floor, adding smell and sound to our idea of how people lived in the past. Human parasites like lice may suggest that life was quite itchy! Plant and animal remains in faeces tells us what people and animals ate and what parasites they suffered from. Chemicals, plant fragments and pollen from pottery could tell us what was stored in them – like milk, honey or perhaps alcohol.

Environmental archaeology can also give us a touching impression of how people felt. Pollen from burial cists suggests that sometimes flowers, like scented meadowsweet, were placed in with the dead person in a final tribute before the grave was sealed.


Prehistoric pots may have been used to hold honey or mead – an alcoholic drink made with honey, perhaps from plants like meadowsweet

Environmental archaeology resources on the Internet:
www.envarch.net/eal.html

Getting involved:
Young Archaeologists Club
www.britarch.ac.uk/yac/index.html

Time Team including the Time Team Club:
www.channel4.co.uk/nextstep/timeteam/

The Council for British Archaeology can provide you with many links to local, regional and national archaeological representatives and organisations through the Education Resources section of the Online Services. The CBA also provides a wealth of links to UK, European and World-wide archaeological websites.
www.britarch.ac.uk

 

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