Archaeology Research

Over the past couple of weeks, fieldtrips have resumed with a vengeance for University of Glasgow archaeology students. It has been almost two years since we last organised most of these fieldtrips, which we see as an essential part of our degree programmes. We ran fieldtrips across Scotland for our undergraduates and postgraduates; on Saturday 5th March alone, we had over 200 students spread across five big buses. Of course, we've all been wearing masks inside buses, minibuses, and Bronze Age cairns!

Our big level 1 course, Archaeology and the Modern World, went to sites across central Scotland including Cairnpapple Hill henge, Tappoch Broch and Torpechen Preceptory.

The level 2 students on our Archaeology in Theory and Practice course went on two different trips depending on which one they signed up for. One bus went to the beautiful island of Bute where we were guided around by island archaeologist Paul Duffy. Sites included St Blane's monastery and a walk in Scalpsie Bay covering 10,000 years of human activity. There was also an adventurous Cal Mac ferry journey.

 

The other bus went to Kilmartin Glen in Argyll taking in rock-art, Dunadd fort, and a two hour walk along the prehistoric linear cemetery, a highlight being the recently re-opened Nether Largie North cairn.

Our Masters students have been out and about too. The Conflict Archaeology postgrads went on an epic daytrip to Culloden battlefield, with the perfect guide in Professor Tony Pollard.

And postgraduates doing the Experiencing Landscape masters course went on a walk around Wilsontown ironworks near Glasgow, the third in a series of experiential walks they have done this semester, posing for this photo beside the spooky abandoned pub!

Thanks to the many staff and postgraduate tutors who helped out on these trips. Photos courtesy of Matthew Jacobson, Iain Banks, Rebecca Younger, Paul Duffy, Kenny Brophy and Orla Craig.

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First published: 16 March 2022