The History Of Scotland – As Revealed At Its Eroding Coast

The History Of Scotland – As Revealed At Its Eroding Coast

AIA Society: North Alabama (Huntsville)
Lecturer: Tom Dawson

With hundreds of offshore islands and a numerous bays and inlets, the Scottish coastline is one of the longest in Europe. The people of Scotland have traditionally favoured living near the sea, as the coast provided resources gathered from the shore while the water offered a transport route, easier to navigate than the mountainous hinterland. Today, the everyday lives of Scotland’s past inhabitants are revealed in thousands of archaeological sites. From the shell mounds of the first settlers to the great ship building dockyards of recent times, the entire history of Scotland can be traced at the coast edge. This lecture will take you on a tour from north to south, east to west. Drawing upon two decades of fieldwork, this talk will visit sites from every period. Amongst other places, you’ll explore the magnificent Neolithic village of Skara Brae, enigmatic Bronze Age burnt mounds, majestic Iron Age stone towers, Pictish symbols carved into stone, a French fort built on England’s border, post-Medieval industrial sites and lines of defences constructed to protect Scotland from Hitler’s anticipated invasion.

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