slow day in the office so we're starting beef with archaeologists

Incredible sight: Brioc, a replica high medieval leather boat, has sailed from Brittany all the way round England, Wales and now Scotland. The crew navigate, dress and cook exactly as their medieval counterparts would have⛵️ bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn0n259yx7no

Solidarity with heritage sector colleagues across the V&A 💪

Prospect Union@prospectunion.bsky.social · 2w ago

Our members working in collections access at V&A have voted unanimously for strike action because they don't have time for toilet breaks or to drink water. All V&A members have separately also voted to strike over pay and conditions. Read more in the Guardian: www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...

Trying to work out if the parchmarks on the lawn in front of Inverleith House at @thebotanics.bsky.social which I saw at the weekend match up with the garden design shown on the 1876 OS map Maybe?

Spotted this unusual standing stone from the train to Pitlochy on Friday. Thanks to Pastmap I was able to locate it as the Over Benchil Standing Stone, which features a sundial perched on the top of it, and seems to have done since the early 20th c www.trove.scot/place/27002 #StandingStoneSunday

Today is #AskAnArchaeologist and my colleague Nick and myself have answered some questions we've been asked about the discovery of another prehistoric circle at Machrie Moor which hit the news a few weeks ago blog.historicenvironment.scot/2026/07/ask-...

Ask an Archaeologist: A "new" circle at Machrie Moor - Historic Environment Scotland Blog

Our expert archaeologists answer your questions about the discovery of a "new" prehistoric circle on Machrie Moor.

blog.historicenvironment.scot

A new #industrialheritage body #Bricks and Pits was registered as a SCIO with a primary aim to secure the med and long term future of the Scottish brick collections both virtual (www.scottishbrickhistory.co.uk) and the physical. Interested see www.mining-landscapes.org/news/announc... #BrickHeritage

On #RomanFortThursday I was at Rough Castle on the Antonine Wall - talking about our management of the site, its significance and the recent(ish) fortlet discovery by colleagues in the HES Geophysics team 1. The northern entrance to the fort 2. Looking westwards along the frontier 3. The Lilia pits

Badwulf was consecrated as bishop of Candida Casa / Hwit Aerne, ‘White House’, (Whithorn, Galloway) by Eanbald I, archbishop of York, and Æthelberht, bishop of Hagustaldes ham (Hexham), #OTD in 791. The 8thC Golgotha Stone 📸Historic Environment Scotland

It’s out. aDNA analysis reveals that well-known Upton Lovell Early Bronze Age metalworker burial was that of a woman: www.theguardian.com/science/2026...

Ancient DNA analysis reveals Wiltshire’s Upton Lovell Shaman was a woman

Exclusive: Analysis offers ‘smoking gun evidence’ that overturns previous assumption that bronze age individual was male

theguardian.com

Break a Leg! Injured Late Medieval Hunting Bird Given Metal Splint 🦅 Archaeologists have revealed the probable use of a metal splint to help a valuable Late Medieval hunting bird recover from a broken leg 🩹 open.substack.com/pub/thearcha...

This week, working with AOC Archaeology we completed the excavation of the base stone for Aberlemno 3. The excavation has given us valuable new information & it might even be possible to begin to answer long-standing questions about whether the stone stands where it was first erected.

This week I have been spending my time in Aberlemno. AOC Archaeology are undertaking an excellent and intriguing excavation for us, to try and unpick the biography of Aberlemno 3 www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/5533...

Aberlemno work begins to unlock more secrets of 1,200-year-old Angus Pictish stone

Aberlemno III is regarded as one of Scotland’s finest ancient standing stones but was toppled during a storm in 2025.

thecourier.co.uk

Really excited that this is finally out there! My colleagues in HES Geophysics carried out a survey at Machrie Moor and discovered the sockets of a previously unknown circle which could have held either wood or stone! www.ardrossanherald.com/news/2624005...

New discovery at Machrie Moor shows evidence of earlier stone or timber circles

Archaeologists reveal stunning discovery on Arran's Machrie Moor

ardrossanherald.com

And you can read about its history as you cool down blog.historicenvironment.scot/2021/02/inno...

The Innocent Railway | Historic Environment Scotland | History

A pioneering railway when it was first built, the Innocent Railway fell victim of steam power's progress, but its route and legacy lives on.

blog.historicenvironment.scot

Fiery Mark@fierymark.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Just a reminder for those folk in Edinburgh - if in need of a walk in fridge to cool you down, the Innocent Railway tunnel is your best bet. Coolness guaranteed

Museums and heritage freelancers! There is now a union for you! I've been working with @soupdragon2000.bsky.social and @dannybirchall.bsky.social to set up the Heritage Freelancers branch of @prospectunion.bsky.social Full details and joining info: heritagefreelancersunion.co.uk

Prospect Heritage Freelancers

A branch of Prospect for museums and heritage freelancers

heritagefreelancersunion.co.uk

Online Sunday, 6 pm BST - continuing the European Archaeology Days theme of: Heritage at Risk. Details and booking: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/european-a...

European Archaeology Days 2026: Saving Swandro from the sea

Join Archaeology Scotland in celebrating European Archaeology Days 2026 with this talk about saving the site of Swandro, Orkney

eventbrite.co.uk

Three brilliant talks today. Thanks to all the speakers @archscot.bsky.social staff for making it happen There's a bonus one on Sunday as well 👀

Claire Boardman@claireboardman.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Looking forward to @archscot.bsky.social's European Archaeology Days event next week - three great speakers exploring different aspects of heritage at risk within Scottish archaeology: 🗓 Friday 12 June 💻 Online, Free 🎟 Booking: igit.me/xxOT5 Please share - thank you!

Hadrian's Wall Day 3: Chollerford to Once Brewed (Part 1) The wall; Limestone Corner the most northerly corner of the Roman empire (until the Antonine Wall); Mithraic altars at Brocolitia; more wall views back to Sewingshields Farm (great honesty snack shed)

Hadrian's Wall Day 2: East Wallhouses to Chollerford Sheep marking out the vallum; the ditch; a Roman Altar at St Oswald's which was used as an early medieval cross base;the wall at Planetrees

Day 1 walking (most of) Hadrian's Wall. From the Tyne (Newbury) to East Wallhouses. I should point out that the Super Nintendo is not built in to Hadrian's Wall but in to a modern wall beside it

My new #UrbanPrehistory blog post reporting on the horrible fate of the Bogleys Stone of Fife - Barn Storm. This contains a trigger warning for anyone who thinks our heritage - and megaliths - matter. With thanks to Sam McKeand theurbanprehistorian.wordpress.com/2026/05/19/b...

Barn Storm

It is not often I get angry, but a recent encounter with a standing stone has really annoyed – and shocked me. I am pretty used to prehistory being badly treated, and indeed a whole chapter o…

theurbanprehistorian.wordpress.com

Back home after a few brilliant days at PARIS6. With colleagues from HES we showcased some of the work and research we carry out to preserve the archaeological resource of our estate. The two days were an inspiring range of presentations, discussion and chat with colleagues from across Europe!

Castle Howe Hillfort at Little Langdale in the Lake District. The fort guards the Wrynose Pass, and possibly dates to the Iron Age. 📸 My own. #HillfortsWednesday #Cumbria

Great to see @eddiecstewart.bsky.social talk for @eafsarch.bsky.social featured in @edinburghminute.com this morning. Free, but ticketed: Wicked Wild Wastes Glencoe and Rannoch Moor 17th - 18th Centuries Date: 13 may • 19:00 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wicked-wil...

This is such a fabulous find. I love the focus on where it was made - frontiers were full of people who were not soldiers. I write a little about these bowls in my new book - published next week - in a chapter about the craftsmen and women at Hadrian's Wall www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/t...

This Souvenir Bowl May Have Commemorated an Ancient Roman Soldier's Service at Hadrian's Wall. It Was Discovered on a Spanish Farm 1,900 Years Later

The artifact is decorated with an illustration of the defensive fortification in northern England, but it was unearthed some 1,200 miles away. A new study suggests the design reflects a soldier’s achi...

smithsonianmag.com

Our final seminar is tomorrow (05/05) and is the annual 'finds medley' featuring three speakers: Dawn McLaren on artefact deposition at Black Loch of Myrton Leanne Demay on materialising identity at Burghead Gemma Cruikshanks on metalworking at St Moluag's, Lismore 6pm in the Usha Kasera LT

A lovely role for someone! - Lecturer in Archaeology at UHI in Kirkwall, Orkney: myjobscotland.gov.uk/councils/ork...

Lecturer, Archaeology - ORK10266 | Orkney Islands Council | myjobscotland

View details and apply for this lecturing role in with Orkney Islands Council on myjobscotland

myjobscotland.gov.uk

Had an inspiring and uplifting day at #CIfA2026. Lots of excellent presentations on a huge range of topics and a concluding with a very good panel discussion on the present & future of archaeology in Scotland. Just a shame we didn't get to see the highlights of the last 30 years in Billy Joel style

What is needed is a reappraisal of working conditions and re-evaluation of the role of field archaeologists and their conditions