Latest Covd-19 advice

While ACFA recognises that it is an individual member’s responsibility to comply with guidance issued by the Scottish Government as it attempts to limit the damage caused by the Covid pandemic, we will endeavour nevertheless, to keep members advised of the current state of play as it affects ACFA activities.

Sadly, archaeological field survey work does not fall into the category of “essential purpose”, so is not exempt from the current rules and guidelines. Furthermore, travel into or out of Tiers 3 (and 4) would now be classified as illegal, and consequently outwith ACFA’s (and probably personal) insurance cover. Consequently, we strongly advise ACFA members not to participate in field work, outside their own home Local Authority area, at this time. Maybe there is archival or publication preparation work that can be undertaken in the warmth and safety of our homes?

Of course, there may be exceptions to the “essential purpose” guidelines; for example, building and construction work that impinges on archaeologically sensitive areas may allow pre-construction survey work to be re-classified as “essential” work. That, however, has still to be tested. Please let us know if you are likely to be engaged in any such work, and we will help to establish if this is permitted. However, it will still remain advisable to avoid car-sharing.

And, of course, the landowners’ wishes must be respected, as always.

AGM 2020

Our first virtual AGM went off as well as could be expected for a first attempt. It was a steep learning curve for many of us. Thank you to the members who joined us on the evening. It was a pleasure to glimpse so many members.

Jennifer Boag and Janie Munro were re-appointed as treasurer and chairperson respectively, Margaret Gardiner was re-elected for a second term of three years and we welcomed Ken Tomory and Stuart Mackey as new committee members.

We said goodbye to Elaine Black who has completed her six year sentence! We hope that she continues to have an informal connection with the committee. We also said farewell to Anne MacDonald who had been our correspondence secretary for the past year.

We were also delighted to endorse Ken Mallard and Christine MacDiarmid as full members in recognition of their commitment to the work of ACFA.

After the business of the meeting Elaine Black and Ailsa Smith gave presentations on the Hynish Boundaries project in Tiree which gave the promise of exciting revelations about the age and sequence of the system of field banks and enclosures on the flanks of Ben Hynish.

Congratulations to the winners of the photography competition, Janet MacDonald, Stuart Mackey, Mary Braithwaite and over-all winner and recipient of the Quaich trophy (when we are able to present it!) Libby King.

Home and Over-all Winner

A window on the past Libby King

Humour

…and here’s where the spaceship landed Janet MacDonald

International

Abandoned farmstead near Gaukstorr, Iceland Stuart Mackey

Drone

Ballycastle Dun view to NE, submitted by Mary Braithwaite

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Plane Table

Acfa is embracing digital survey techniques but sometimes an ‘old school’ method fits the bill. Traditionally we’ve not been the biggest fans of plane tables – something about lugging them over vast distances of rough ground – though we do appreciate their use in certain situations. Here is our plane table being used to record a recent excavation by Heather James(Calluna Archaeology) at the Drumshanty flax mill near Kirkintilloch. Ed Smith (centre) planned the trenches, lade and river.

plane table survey
Plane table recording at Drumshanty mill, l to r Paul Bishop, Ed Smith, Heather James
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Covid-19 July 2020

With the easing of restrictions by the Scottish Government some of our members are beginning to dip their toes back into fieldwork. The Committee has compiled a set of guidelines, complying with current Scottish Govenment advice, which can be found in the Members’ Area.

Posted on Categories News

Tiree Survey: Hynish Boundaries

The Tiree Survey is an archaeological field investigation of settlement evidence on the island of Tiree undertaken by the Association of Certificated Field Archaeologists in partnership with John Holliday and An Iodhlann historical centre. The survey began in 2016 and to date has examined visible remains on the machair notably at Hough, as well as a group of 19th century buildings at Kilkenneth and a dwelling on a strip of improved, peripheral land at Loch Dubh a Gharaidh Fail between Balephetrish and Vaul. Work is currently concentrated on the slopes of Hynish located towards the south-western part of the island.

The Hynish landscape is characterised by mixtures of heather, rough grasses, outcrops of gneiss and peaty bog at the foot of south-east facing slopes. There is limited improved land to the east and north which contrasts with dramatic cliffs and gullies to the south. A survey of this varied landscape has revealed a picture of intense activity from prehistoric to modern times with 430 features recorded to date. Those putatively identified as prehistoric include several cairns, kerbed mounds and hut circles. There is also later evidence of houses and enclosures, huts, and features associated with pastoral activity such as lambing and calving. Significantly, the survey has identified 1000 lines of boundaries including single stones, combinations of stone and turf and a long post-improvement dyke. A large 19th century fank almost certainly incorporated re-used stone from earlier boundaries.

Due to the complexity of this picture on Hynish we concluded that it would not be possible to interpret settlement evidence detached from boundary lines. The key aim of this current survey is to produce a map combining boundary data and settlement evidence in terms of their relative positions in the landscape and to posit associations between the two. The hope is that the survey will identify overlying boundaries providing an opportunity to suggest earlier and later activity.  To date, this is the case in ten instances.

The Hynish Boundary Survey presents several challenges for an amateur archaeological society skilled in field survey and manpower rich but with limited access to funding and equipment. This initial report is a ‘warts and all’ glimpse of progress to date and is intended not only to update members of the Association but also to be of interest to others, in particular similar amateur societies and community groups. It shows our workings, so to speak – our mistakes, challenges, limitations and, we hope, successes.

Elaine Black, co-Director

Report authors, Ailsa Smith and Edward Smith