During Scottish Archaeology Month, get hands on with the fascinating archaeology collections in the care of Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums, Aberdeenshire Museums and the University of Aberdeen Museums and Special Collections.
Come along and enjoy short talks introducing the archaeological research being carried out in the North East.
What's happening on the day . . .
Jonathan Cope
Living history / experimental archaeology
Jonathan will be bringing various aspects of Stone Age life into focus via a display and demonstration of ancient crafts and materials. Jonathan aims to answer questions such as what did our ancestors wear, what did they eat, how did they make tools? He will be displaying a wide range of replica tools and materials, along with demonstrating handicrafts such as flint knapping and natural cordage making.
University of Aberdeen Museums
Come and meet a team from the University of Aberdeen Museums & Special Collections who will have a selection of objects for visitors to handle – including some carved stone balls. Hold a piece of history in your hand – and tell us what you think these mysterious spheres might have been used for! Have a go at creating your own Pictish creature inspired by the St. Ninian replicas, or add a drawing or description to our “You CAN Take It With You” wall where we invite visitors to reveal what object they would take with them into the afterlife (not your iPhone – there are no chargers there!).
Treasure Trove
Treasure Trove will be holding a finds day where members of the public can book an appointment to drop off any archaeological items they have found. Appointments can be booked at this link Aberdeen Finds Day.
Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museums
The team from Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museums will have a selection of objects from the collections for you to explore. Come along and learn more about the medieval past lurking under your feet in the city centre.
Aberdeenshire Museums
Aberdeenshire Museums Service staff will be on hand to show some archaeological treasures discovered across Aberdeenshire. There will also be an opportunity for object handling and self-led interactive activities.
Mesolithic Deeside
Mesolithic Deeside is a group of archaeologists, students and local volunteers investigating the river Dee area 10,000 years ago. Come along and learn more about what the team have found during their work investigating the prehistoric past of the region and see what tools looked like before metals were made.
University of Aberdeen Department of Archaeology
Come and meet staff from the Department of Archaeology, hear about the exciting research projects they are working on and learn more about the learning opportunities they offer.
Talks
We will be hosting a series of talks on from a range of speakers including representatives from Treasure Trove and Mesolithic Deeside. Staff members from the University of Aberdeen Department of Archaeology will be talking about exciting new research exploring what we can learn about how people used to live from human remains.
11.30am
Kate Britton (University of Aberdeen)
- Illuminating the lives of Aberdeen’s Medieval Blackfriars
- This talk will introduce you to the excavations that discovered the Dominican Friary during the recent renovations at the Aberdeen Art Gallery, and reveal what scientists have learned about the Medieval people buried at the site through the chemical analysis of their remains.
12.30pm
Sophie Flynn (Treasure Trove)
- Treasure Trove in Scotland
- A fascinating run though the Scottish Treasure Trove system for reporting archaeological finds and an update on recent local finds
1.30pm
Dan Pratt and Richard Caie (Mesolithic Deeside)
- Searching for the Mesolithic on Deeside in the depths of winter.
- Join volunteers from Mesolithic Deeside for two short talks on how they search Deeside for traces of our ancestors of 10,000 years ago and how the artefacts and data they collect can help piece together ancient lives
2.30pm
Marc Oxenham (University of Aberdeen)
- Injured, Maimed and Impaired: Female experiences of physical impairment and disability in medieval Scotland
- Explore how chronic physical impairment impacted the lives of medieval Scottish women. We will briefly explore the unique care requirements for two women in terms of the physical and social consequences of living with a disability during the medieval period. This talk highlights the variability in the lived experiences of women with physical impairments in the context of the rigidly constructed gender roles that characterised medieval society.
