by LESTER CROSS
The discovery of a pre-historic settlement on the site of a Roxburghshire distillery development, and the use of heritage at Jedburgh Abbey to benefit people with dementia are just two of the projects for discussion at this weekend's Edinburgh, Lothians and Borders annual archaeology conference..
Experts and enthusiasts will gather in Queen Margaret University, Musselburgh on Saturday to hear accounts of archaeological fieldwork and research being carried out across the region.
A total of four projects in the Scottish Borders region are included on the conference programme.
An update on multi-period archaeology uncovered at the Mossburn Distillery site, south of Jedburgh, will be provided by David Sneddon, of Clyde Archaeology.
According to an abstract of Mr Sneddon's talk which is available on the conference website pages, during 2024 archaeological excavations were undertaken in advance of a new distillery being constructed on the site of the former Jedforest Hotel.
"Initial trial trenching identified six areas where archaeological remains were present that represent both prehistoric and more recent activity. Although construction is still in progress and no post-excavation analysis has yet been undertaken, the presentation will provide a short summary of the findings so far focussing on two of the most significant areas of archaeology uncovered.
"These include prehistoric burial located on the raised edge of the Jed Water where evidence of enclosed space, cairns covering possible burial pits, a cist and a later stone lined structure were all found in close proximity to each other. Both the cairns and cist appear to have been modified after their initial use and questions remain over whether this represents organised reuse of the features or robbing. On the lower lying flat ground closer to the river several features were also excavated that indicate late prehistoric or early medieval metal working was taking place on the edge of a formerly wet and boggy area, likely away from the main settlement."
Fiona Davidson, from Historic Environment Scotland, will outline the connections that have been forged between Jedburgh Abbey's globally known remains, Alzheimer Scotland and a group of individuals with dementia.
The abstract for this topic explains: "Opportunities to explore history and culture have been found to offer a range of benefits to people with dementia, including social engagement, cognitive stimulation and improving general feelings of well-being.
"The At Home @ Jedburgh Abbey project, delivered by the Learning & Inclusion Team at Historic Environment Scotland in partnership with Alzheimer Scotland, used local heritage to support people impacted by a dementia diagnosis. Using archival and archaeological material, participants compared the abbey as a home with their own home, sharing stories and making links, while also finding out about the history of the site, and feeling more comfortable accessing and being on a historic site.
"This talk will look at how heritage can support health and wellbeing and how a dementia diagnosis doesn’t prevent people from exploring new interests and learning opportunities."
A third talk is entitled Phrenological Fortunes - The Halter Burn Story, a collaborative project on both sides of the England-Scotland border featuring Dugald MacInnes, of Archaeology for All and the Border Archaeology Society (BAS).
"The present survey of the Halter Valley undertaken by ACFA and BAS has its origins in the Cross-Border Archaeology Project, a BAS initiative that was supported by Scottish Borders Council and Northumberland National Park Authority with additional support being provided by Yetholm History Society, and Hawick Archaeological Society."
The work undertaken by the project included field walking and excavation, the latter on Shotton Hill and a putative location for St Ethelreda’s chapel.
"The ACFA/BAS survey, undertaken from 2017 to 2024, employed tape-offset recording of the archaeological features in the valley, the results of which are presented here. The recorded features range in date from the Bronze and Iron Ages, unenclosed platforms and scooped settlements respectively, through the medieval in the form of agricultural-based settlement to post-medieval agricultural activities."
Also on Saturday's agenda will be 'Ancrum Old Bridge: Cutting Edge Science reveals precise date' featuring Coralie Mills, of Dendrochronicle and Geoff Parkhouse, from Ancrum & District Heritage Society.
As the abstract for this theme explains, in 2018, members of the Ancrum village society discovered the remains of a medieval bridge in the bed of the River Teviot.
"Remarkably, oak timbers survived well within the remains. The discovery happily coincided with the South East Scotland Oak Dendrochronology (SESOD) research project and the first set of dendro-samples were taken in 2019, supplemented by additional samples taken by Wessex Archaeology Coastal & Marine when surveying the bridge remains for HES in 2020."
But the timbers proved difficult to date through conventional analysis, so they were radiocarbon-dated . Those dating results were previously shared at the 2022 archaeological conference.
"Radiocarbon-dating produces a probabilistic date range and, in our quest for more precise dating, Professor Neil Loader of Swansea University kindly offered to apply the relatively new dendro-isotope dating method, the first such application to a heritage site in Scotland. This has provided a (somewhat unexpected) precise felling date for the bridge timbers, in turn allowing a more focussed exploration of the bridge’s historical context.
"In this update, we will announce the exciting new dating results as well as sharing some other news about Ancrum Old Bridge".
Those attending the conference are being encouraged to visit the Ancrum and District Heritage Society stall, which will focus on the work of the Society and includes a professionally modelled diorama of the medieval bridge.
Tickets, costing £30, can be purchased at the door for the all-day event on November 16th. The full conference programme can be downloaded via this link:
https://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/downloads/download/12728/el_and_b_archaeology_conference
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