Archaeologists from the University of Glasgow, Northlight Heritage and the National Trust for Scotland put on a fiery display over the weekend as part of a major festival to help modern day Scots experience the mysterious world of prehistory.

Through performance and hands-on activities, the event called Burning the Circle 3 evoked the sounds, smells and tastes of the past – from making pottery, weaving textiles and casting bronze tools to working a local glassy green stone called pitchstone.

The experimental archaeology festival took place last weekend at the reconstructed Bronze Age roundhouse at Brodick Castle on the Isle of Arran.

This is the third year for the event and it was its biggest yet.

Last Saturday there were a series of crafting demonstration and themed activities for the public to get involved with. Among those who led these events was James Dilley from Ancient Craft on flint knapping; Neil Burridge casting bronze swords and Graham Taylor from Potted History making replica prehistoric Grooved Ware pots.

Members of the public even got to try a prehistoric buffet!

BuildNBurn

The highlight of the weekend was the phased burning of a timber circle and avenue, and experimental wooden structures, to allow those attending to explore prehistory through light and sound. A specially written performance with a cast of over 20, and a soundtrack of sounds and drumming, combined to make this a memorable evening for the large audience who attended at dusk.

The BuildNBurn team, a partnership with the University, National Trust for Scotland and Northlight Heritage, saw them build the timber structures over a course of a week before burning the circle on the Saturday night. Helped by volunteers from a NTS Thistle Camp, over 60 posts were erected creating a stunning replical prehistoric monument complex.

Dr Kenneth Brophy, one of the BuildNBurn team and an archaeologist from the University, said: “One of the best ways to understand what it was like to live in prehistory is to get out there and do prehistoric stuff. BuildNBurn is our way of doing this.

“This is our third Burning the Circle festival in Arran and was our biggest yet, and we hope those who came along learned more about Neolithic and Bronze Age lifeways, but also witness a memorable and spectacular fire festival.”

The weekend finished on Sunday with a special walking tour of the landscape of Arran with an expert guide helping to uncover the hidden history of the beautiful island

You can see how the team got on over the weekend by checking out their twitter feed: @TeamBuildNBurn

Image of sword making

First published: 25 September 2017

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