See also our special reports about the

Strategic Objectives:

• Curate Shetland's archaeology for the benefit of the public
• Develop Shetland's archaeology as a resource for educational purposes and for the enjoyment of the public

Sites and Monuments Record

Jane Outram was appointed for 12 weeks to work on the Sites and Monuments Record. During this period she added over 1,000 sites, as well as carried out other related tasks.

The number of Planning Applications received by the Planning Department has increased by 25% this year which, together with our upgrading our response processes, has led to a very significant increase in the workload of the Archaeology Section. In addition to desk-top assessments and site visits, we have undertaken a number of walk over surveys and watching briefs (for private house sites). This year has also seen a rise in the number of contractors carrying out development related work involving 5 different archaeological companies.

We have also had a significant input into a number of major developments including Scottish Water pipelines, the Bressay Bridge project, Sumburgh Runway Extension, Lerwick Harbour dredging / landfill, a number of wind turbine projects and 3 road improvement projects.

There has been increased numbers of Woodland Grant Scheme applications which have required archaeological input. As the Rural Stewardship Scheme is replacing the existing Environmentally Sensitive Areas schemes for croft payments, so the demand for archaeological information has increased. Carol Christiansen dealt with 55 croft plans this year.

Education/Talks
The Old Scatness project has been developing schools activities throughout the winter mainly on site, but also with Elizabeth Johnston (textiles) and Val Turner carrying out follow up visits to Ollaberry School. Sarah Hutcheson has been working on schools information packs.

Val Turner gave a talk at the Historic Scotland/Scottish Tourism Society seminar held in Perth. Old Scatness was regarded as the high point of the programme. She also gave talks to Brae and Sandwick WRVS groups.

Shetland Amenity Trust was invited to give a presentation about Old Scatness at the International "Best in Heritage" event, held in Dubrovnik in September. Val Turner attended and, again, Old Scatness was well received.

Carol Christiansen gave a talk at the AGM of Shetland Heritage Association and another during Unst Heritage week.

Shetland's Past
Carol Christiansen has maintained support and advice to the Shetland's Past groups who are currently particularly active in Unst and Foula. She has also begun to assist two new groups which are in the process of being set up in Cunningsburgh and in Papa Stour.

Carol also spent time working with the Scottish Coastal Archaeology and Paleaoenvironment project (SCAPE) which carried out training and teaching in recording eroding sites in Unst. Members from several Shetland's Past groups took part.

Old Scatness Broch and Iron Age Village
The excavation at Old Scatness reached its 10th year in July. The major excavation of the village is now largely completed and work this year was focused on the large workshop on the North-East side of the site.

One of the piers (the wedge shaped pillars which subdivide the building into "rooms" or "cells") had not survived the winter very well and some it had to be removed in order to stabilise it. The full-length blade of a copper alloy knife, buckled at one end, was uncovered in the middle of the wall. Around 35 pieces of copper alloy came from the workshop including a ring, a complete annular brooch, a copper alloy bar, with organic material (possibly textile) sticking to the other and a copper alloy disc of the right size and shape to suggest a Roman coin. Roman glass and the articulated foreleg of a cow, apparently fallen from where it had hung from the roof. Other animal bone found included the base of a large cup or bowl made from whalebone. The team has also found the entire skeleton of a bird, possibly a kittiwake. Meanwhile, the date for the introduction of mice into Shetland has been pushed back as far as the 1st and 3rd centuries A.D. Two mice were found in the workshop where someone had thrown a large stone at them and crushed their skulls. This pushes the known date (formerly thought to be in Viking times) for the arrival of mice in Shetland by the greater part of 1,000 years.

Work also continued on the passageway and doorway on the east side of the broch and also in the area of the fully roofed building with a view to establishing the chronology of the different buildings.

A small trench was opened on the airport side of the control tower road. The archaeological deposits proved to be surprisingly intact, with sand blow covering Norse middens. The Norse midden overlay further sand blown layers and earlier middens.

Meanwhile, as part of the wider examination of the South Mainland, some of the team dug small trenches at Jarlshof, revealing a series of rubbish tips, apparently dating from the Neolithic, Bronze Age, Viking and Norse periods. These were sampled and dated for comparative material for Old Scatness.

The fact that Old Scatness was not fully uncovered this season did deter some visitors, however work began this year on the long-term consolidation of the site for permanent display. No-one has consolidated a monument from its excavated state like this for over 50 years and there are no guidelines or manuals, so the consolidation of the large wheelhouse, "Structure 11", was undertaken very cautiously.