by OUR CULTURAL EDITOR
Students of history who thirst for knowledge about the rich archaeological heritage of the Scottish Borders can access an educational paper which tells them Hadrian's Wall follows the line of the England-Scotland border, and claims local people know little about the region's rich past..
According to Google maps the world-renowned wall, erected during the Roman occupation almost 2000 years ago, is 52.8 miles south from Carter Bar which marks the national boundary.
But Exploring The Unexplored: Archaeology in the Scottish Borders, available on the Course Sidekick website - motto: Study Learn Succeed - informs readers "Hadrian's Wall, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and goes along the border between England and Scotland, is just one of many amazing Roman buildings in the area. The wall is right on the border between England and Scotland. As the wall goes from England to Scotland, it follows the line between the two countries."
The opening statements in the Sidekick dissertation may have left professors of Roman history and other Scottish academics completely nonplussed.
It's headed: Scottish Boarder [the author's spelling]: Why Left Unexplored. The writer then goes on to claim that archaeologists might not have found the Scottish Borders yet for a number of reasons, "but it is definitely something they should try to do."
And the article continues: "One of the most important things that led to the current situation is that there is neither money nor any other resources in the area that can be used to study archaeology. Archaeological study takes time and money, so it can be hard to get money for it. This is especially true in places where there aren't as many people as in other places."
Students who decide to use this Sidekick tool will discover that "This part of Scotland has a lot of ancient and Roman ruins, as well as a lot of castles, tower houses, and walled towns from the Middle Ages. The long past of fighting and settling in this area is shown by these buildings. Some of these places have become important historical and cultural landmarks because of the work that has been done to keep them in good shape."
The thesis also includes this telling contribution - "When people first moved here, this area was part of the Roman Empire. During this long and difficult time, a lot of different villages grew up along the border of Scotland. Each one had its own set of customs and ways of doing things. These places can be found because they are close to each other. Each of these towns has a different location, which makes it easy to tell them apart."
Students are warned that it might be hard to do polls in most of the Scottish border area, which is 'remote and has few people living there'.
"It will be hard for historians to find and dig up important places, especially if they are underground or hidden in some other way. Archaeological study is hard to do in the Scottish border area because it doesn't get enough money or other tools. Surveying and digging up a historical site takes a lot of time, money, and the knowledge of trained experts with experience in the field. Since there isn't much private money for archaeological research in the Scottish border area, it often has to depend on money from the government or gifts from charitable groups."
Studying in the region may be hard, "take a long time, and cost a lot because the area is remote and has a rocky landscape. It could also lead to a number of problems. Due to the prices and limits of certain forms of transportation, it may be hard or expensive to get to some places or get to them at all."
We found the next statement somewhat inaccurate and misleading.
Apparently: "Due to the long and complicated past of the area, historical relics in the Scottish border region are notoriously hard to find and understand. This is because people have lived and fought in the area for a long time. Because of this, people who live in the area don't know much about the area's rich historical history."
And consider this gem: "Archaeologists have a harder time figuring out what things from the past mean when they find them in the same place where people lived at different times in history. Also, weathering, farming, and development have all hurt or gotten rid of some ancient places in the Scottish border area."
Or this: "When the Roman Empire was in charge, this land was part of the region of Britannia, which was ruled by the Romans. It was only recently discovered that a number of Roman towns and forts used to be in this area."
And finally: " Despite showing signs of human activity from thousands of years ago, some historic places are getting worse or have gone away completely because of erosion, farming, and urbanization."
Our efforts to trace the source of this dubious aid for students has, perhaps appropriately, fallen on stony ground.
The text of the US-produced gamechanger makes reference to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. However, two messages sent to the Department of Anthropology there failed to elicit a response.
Course Sidekick is a brand name used by Learneo Inc., of Redwood City, California, Website blurb claims: "Course Sidekick helps you in your history studies whether you are a college or a high school student. Ace history assignments by finding both relevant documents and study materials. We've got you covered 24/7".
We drew a blank when we contacted Learneo with a request for a contact address for the compiler who assembled Exploring the Unexplored: Archaeology in the Scottish Borders.
The full 'academic' paper can be found here: https://www.coursesidekick.com/history/3356929
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