Saving heritage from the sea: The communities working to rescue Scotland’s history
Join us for a free talk on Wednesday, November 8, at 6 PM. This in-person Symposium is free and open to the public, RSVP required. It will take place in the Naos on Level 2.
rsvp HERE.
The Scottish archaeology topic will be “Saving heritage from the sea: The communities working to rescue Scotland’s history”.
ABOUT THE SYMPOSIUM:
Saving heritage from the sea: The communities working to rescue Scotland’s history
For over two decades, SCAPE and the University of St Andrews have worked with coastal communities to record heritage at risk from the sea. Our collaborative projects have explored different types of action; and this lecture will focus on five projects, showing how Scottish community groups were able to save something of their important local heritage.
In Shetland, a massive stone structure was uncovered during a storm. By simply cleaning the eroding coast edge and taking samples from the exposed archaeological layers, the history of this Iron Age building was revealed. In Orkney, a mound of fire-cracked rocks and Bronze Age stone walls was uncovered on a beach. The community wished to save the structures, and while relocating the stonework to their island Heritage Centre, made some surprising discoveries. In the Outer Hebrides, we worked with an island community to excavate an Iron Age wheelhouse, a large stone roundhouse with many secrets buried beneath its floor. A Highland community used historical records to show that eroding stone walls in the dunes were associated with sixteenth century salt making. After the site was washed away, they preserved its memory at the Heritage Centre by reconstructing a saltpan to show visitors the process of converting seawater to salt. And an east coast community recorded a treasure trove of Pictish artwork carved onto local cave walls. Using traditional techniques and the latest digital technology, they’ve made the mystery and majesty of the ancient caves accessible to all.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Tom Dawson is a Principal Research Fellow in the School of History at University of St Andrews in Scotland. He is an archaeologist with an interest in coastal heritage, community archaeology, and heritage management, and over the past 20 years has worked on sites around the world. He was a Commissioner sitting on the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (2010-2016) and a Vice President of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (2012-2018). He has won multiple British Archaeological Awards, including Best Community Archaeology Project and Best Innovation in Archaeology.
For more than 20 years, Tom Dawson has also served as the Managing Director of SCAPE, a charity that works with the public on the archaeology, history, and past environments of the coastal zone of Scotland. He has a passion for making archaeology accessible to all.
WANT TO LEARN MORE? CHECK OUT THESE RESOURCES:
SCAPE, a charity working with the public to research, investigate, interpret, and promote the archaeology of Scotland’s coast
SYMPOSIUM SPONSORS:
Archaeological Institute of America- Nashville Society
Centennial Park Conservancy
Metro Nashville Parks and Recreation
NEXT SYMPOSIUM:
Stay tuned for updates about Symposia in 2024!