Acfa Editor – Page 14

Achnahannaid

Achnahannaid lies on the east coast of Skye on the road down to Braes. The survey was carried out in 2012 by some twenty ACFA volunteers.

The purpose was to determine whether there was any ecclesiastical connection with the township, as its name means the Field of the Church or perhaps the Field belonging to the Church. The church was possibly St Moluag’s which lies across the Sound on the Isle of Raasay.

Sadly no evidence either in the records or on the ground could be found to substantiate this theory.

The township, which appears on Blaeu’s map of 1640, was altered in 1810 by Lord Macdonald and laid out as eight crofts with an area of common grazing. It remains as such to the present day although only one man now crofts the township.

The survey using an EDM, produced an overall 1:1000 map of the area. Drawings of the individual structures were drawn at 1:100. Photographs were taken and detailed descriptions of the individual features were produced. Most of the structures were from 1810 onwards with the exception of a few remains lying in the common grazing. Some ninety features were recorded.

In addition to the field survey an extensive study was carried out in the various archives as to who owned which croft and when.

The findings were published as ACFA Occasional Paper No 121 in 2013.

Survey Directors John Macdonald & J. Scott Wood

Ask the Experts: Archaeology Fact Finding Conference

On Saturday22nd March 2014, the SCAPE Trust is hosting an Archaeology Fact Finding Event in Glasgow. Designed for all those who have an interest in and take part in archaeology and heritage in a non-professional capacity, this one-off event will give you the opportunity to get up to speed with the incredible range of techniques, specialisms and services across the sector and meet the experts and practitioners face to face.

The day will be structured into 2 parts: short presentations throughout the morning and timed surgeries in the afternoon where you will be able to find out more about specific techniques and services, discuss project ideas and meet specialists and contractors.

The event will be held at the Western General Lecture Theatre and more information can be found at SCHARP’s website.

Scottish Coastal Heritage At Risk Project (SCHARP) Workshop

A group of ACFA members attended this interesting day which began with a classroom introduction to the website. An interactive map gives access to the data from various coastal assessments with links to site records and the ability to view in satellite mode which gives a good view of your chosen site. We were shown how to record changes to an existing record or report new sites. The afternoon was spent on the southern shore of the Clyde under the Erskine Bridge learning how to use the smart phone app in the field.

Mavis Valley

In conjunction with East Dunbartonshire’s commemoration of the centenary of a fatal fire in Cadder No 15 pit, ACFA carried out a survey of Mavis Valley, a mining village, which was home to six of the men who died.

The first houses were built around 1855 and the latest between 1900 and 1910. The village was abandoned to squatters in the late 1940′s and finally demolished in 1955. Later the site was used, and subsequently abandoned, as a tree nursery which made the survey particularly difficult, but we were able to identify some of the oldest houses and locate the position of the local co-operative society’s shop.

One group of houses was better built with a slate damp-proof course and decorative brickwork. Behind them were steps up a bank to a raised area, possibly a drying green. The bricks used for the latest houses were from several brickworks suggesting different construction dates.

Further work may be undertaken at another deserted mining village, Lochfaulds, and there is a possibility of excavation on one or more of these sites in collaboration with Glasgow Museums Outreach programme.

Survey Director: Carol Primrose

AGM 2013

The 26th Annual General Meeting of ACFA was held on Saturday Ocober 26. There was a good turn out by members who enjoyed the opportunity to socialise once the business of the evening was finished. They were delighted to welcome seven new associate members to their ranks. Members also welcomed the news that the Certificate in Field Archaeology (Glasgow University Centre for Open Studies) is due to recommence in 2014. A full report of the evening will appear in the next issue of the Newsletter.

Next Social event Saturday February 22 2014

Photography Competition 2013 Results

The winners of the 2013 ACFA Photography Competition announced at the AGM on Saturday October 26 were:

Archaeology in the UK: The Stones of Stenness by Janie Munro

Archaeology Abroad: The Lion in Winter (Nemrut Dag) by Jean Hirst

Humour: "Has anyone seen my parrot?" by Fred Hay

…and the winner of the ACFA Memorial Quaich was The Stones of Stenness by Janie Munro

About

The Association of Certificated Field Archaeologists (ACFA) was formed in 1987. Its membership comprises holders of the University of Glasgow Certificate in Field Archaeology, awarded by the Department of Adult & Continuing Education, now the Centre for Open Studies. The intention of the course was to teach adult students the basic principles of archaeological field survey and the importance of recording our cultural heritage of all periods.

The present Certificate in Field Archaeology is a two year modular course which aims to introduce students to the fundamentals of archaeological field survey and British, especially Scottish archaeology. Applications for membership of ACFA would be considered from holders of an equivalent qualification in Field Archaeology from other Universities. Applications for associate membership would be considered from those who have demonstrated a level of experience and commitment to the practice of Field Archaeology.

What we do…

ACFA seeks to continue this work by undertaking field surveys in Scotland. The Association is willing to undertake non-commercial surveys at the request of private individuals, local community groups, Heritage and Local History societies etc. Members who participate in surveys do so in a voluntary capacity and ACFA does not charge for its services, but seeks grants and is willing to accept donations to offset costs. All surveys undertaken are recorded and the results published in our ACFA Occasional Paper Series, which is allocated an ISBN number and lodged with the Royal Commission for Ancient & Historical Monuments in Scotland and other public bodies. To date, ACFA has carried out over 100 surveys in Scotland in areas as widespread geographically as Sandwood in Sutherland, North Uist in the Outer Hebrides and Coalburn in South Lanarkshire.

A Practical Introduction to Field Archaeology

In conjunction with the Centre for Open Studies (Glasgow University), as a precursor to the 2-year Certificate in Field Archaeology, ACFA ran a 2-day training course in Pollok Park on 25/26May 2013.

The optimum number of students for our resources was estimated at 15 divided into teams of three with a tutor for each team. Saturday began with a crash course in field survey with a useful ‘Idiot’s guide’ hand-out and a demonstration of tape offset in the lecture room. After a picnic lunch the group was led on a tour of the archaeological features of the park.

On Sunday, the groups of three were allocated a tutor and set to drawing one of the features. At the end of the day the students returned to the lecture room for a winding up session. Responses were uniformly enthusiastic; students had learned that archaeology was not just about digging and they had begun to understand how to read landscape.

High Morlaggan

ACFA members contribute to other projects one of which is the Hidden Heritage project based on the area between Tarbet and Arrochar.

This high profile community excavation has been organised by The Morlaggan Trust with Sue Furness and Fiona Jackson and with the assistance and supervision of professional archaeologists, Heather James, Claire Ellis and Roddy Regan.

The site, on the north-east shore of Loch Long and first recorded in the McFarlane manuscripts in AD1514 and consistently occupied until its abandonment by c.1916- is set in a a highly dramatic landscape of massive erratics, the visible ruins consisting of houses, enclosures and field systems.

An EDM survey of the site was carried out by ACFA members Ian Marshall and the late Bruce Henry.

The four week long excavations indicated the occupational complexity of use and interpretation which is now increasingly recognised in deserted settlement investigations.

Bute Landscape Project

Please contact Sue Hothersall for further information.

Survey Director is Sue Hothersall

Author name: Acfa Editor

What we do…