An invitation to discover the Northern Picts

The University of Aberdeen Northern Picts project along with Tarbat Discovery Centre are inviting members of the public to visit two of their excavations in Easter Ross this summer.

Cnoc Tigh Dun a probable Iron Age site near the village of Portmahomack is open on Sunday 29th June and Tarlogie Dun north west of Tain, a monumental Iron Age roundhouse, on Sunday 20th July. Tours will run on each day every hour between 10am-3pm.

The Tarbat Discovery Centre is also hosting a series of talks and free workshops during June and July to learn more about archaeological techniques such as identifying animal bones, recording artefacts and how to investigate the landscape using online resources.

The Northern Picts

Around 2000 years ago, small-scale tribal societies were beginning to transform into medieval kingdoms. These changes laid the foundations for the modern nation states of Europe. The Pictish Kingdoms that emerged in northern Scotland from 400 – 900 AD were important political players both regionally and on a European scale. They spanned an area from mainland north-east Scotland to the Shetland and Orkney Isles, but the late 9th and 10th centuries saw Viking incursions into their lands and the rise of Gaelic kingship. The Picts were eventually absorbed into the greater entity known as Alba.

Kingdom of Fortriu

The most powerful Pictish kingdom appears to have been Fortriu which was originally thought to be located in Perthshire, central Scotland, but recent work by historian Alex Woolf of St. Andrews University, has identified it further north, within the Moray Firth area. However, little is known about the Pictish northern kingdoms and as a result a project led by Dr. Gordon Noble of the University of Aberdeen aims to track their rise and fall through a sustained programme of archaeological and historical research.

Dr. Noble commented, “Our project combines fieldwork research investigating the emergence of the early kingdoms of Scotland with initiatives that will allow the Discovery Centre to continue to showcase research on the Picts and the heritage of the Tarbat peninsula to a wide audience.”
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References:

Past Horizons. 2014. “An invitation to discover the Northern Picts”. Past Horizons. Posted: June 25, 2014. Available online: http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/06/2014/an-invitation-to-discover-the-northern-picts

Grave Thought to Contain Remains of King Richard III Came Within Inches of Being Destroyed by Victorian Builders

Archaeologists from the University of Leicester who uncovered a grave thought to contain the skeleton of King Richard III have revealed that the remains came within inches of being destroyed by Victorian builders.

The University of Leicester led the search for the Anointed King who died at the battle of Bosworth in association with Leicester City Council and the Richard III Society. The University team dug three trenches under a Leicester car park before their discovery was made.

Now site director Mathew Morris has disclosed that the remains were found just inches below Victorian foundations. Had the 19th century builders dug a little further-no remains would have been found.

Mathew said: "It was incredibly lucky. If the Victorians had dug down 30cm more they would have built on top of the remains and destroyed them."

City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby added: "It is extremely lucky that the remains were found at all.

"His head was discovered inches from the foundations of a Victorian building. They obviously did not discover anything and probably would not have been aware of the importance of the site.

"If their plans had been just a little different, they could have destroyed a most significant historic find."

A team from the University of Leicester, including archaeologists and geneticists, is now engaged in a scientific investigation to determine whether the remains are indeed of King Richard III.

Using DNA extracted from Michael Ibsen, believed to be a descendant of King Richard III's sister, the team will seek to determine if there is a match.

The entire dig was filmed by Darlow Smithson Productions for a Channel 4 Documentary.

You can watch the Press Conference announcing the results from the dig online at: http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/press/media-centre/richard-iii
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References:

Science Daily. 2012. “Grave Thought to Contain Remains of King Richard III Came Within Inches of Being Destroyed by Victorian Builders”. Science Daily. Posted: October 15, 2012. Available online: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121015085028.htm