Community Archaeology Events in Rousay Start Next Week

The first phase of the community archaeology project – Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre Land and Sea: Exploring Island Heritage, Past and Present – will be commencing on the 13th June and continuing until 16th June 2017.

This phase of the project includes archaeological building recording by the Historic Environment Scotland survey team and walkover survey with the UHI Archaeology Institute at Skaill farmstead, Westness, Rousay, on the shores of  Eynhallow Sound. The built remains of the 18th-centry farmstead will be recorded.

Volunteers are invited to join the University of the Highlands and Islands Archaeology Institute and Historic Environment Scotland team to survey the intriguing remains at Skaill farmstead.

Volunteers completing a building survey at Skaill Farmstead

There are still places available for anyone who is interested in buildings archaeology and would like to take part in the survey on  14th and 16th June. Volunteers don’t need any experience of archaeology as training in basic survey techniques will be provided and the event is free of charge.  Contact Dan Lee at studyarchaeology@uhi.ac.uk to book a place.

The project will continue on 15th June with the team holding a workshop at Rousay School in the morning and a site visit in the afternoon.

The full programme culminates at Skaill farmstead in an open afternoon on Friday 16th June where visitors will be invited to meet the team, see the results of the work and try some practical activities. All welcome!

This is the first event in a series of community archaeology events on Rousay this summer. Watch out for excavations at Skaill 10-23 July.