GPS stands for Global Positioning System
These operate by taking fixed from a US satellite system and allow finds to be plotted to within around 10 metres. For basic finds plotting you need no more than a basic unit operating on a twelve satellite system.
The Portable Antiquities website has a page about the use of GPS by finders
Dudhope Castle
Dudhope Castle is one of Dundee’s oldest buildings and sits overlooking the city, beneath the volcanic plug – the Dundee Law. The house was originally built in the 13th century as the home of the Scrymageour family, who had been appointed Hereditary Constables of Dundee by William Wallace. The original building was replaced around 1460 and then by the current structure in 1580. In 1683, both the castle and the office of Hereditary Constable were acquired by John Graham of Claverhouse, Bonnie Dundee, the Jacobite commander who died at the Battle of Killiecranki
The island of Islay, off the west coast of Scotland and within sight of Ireland on a clear day, was at the centre of the kingdom of the Lords of the Isles for 500 years. In 1156 the King of Argyllshire drove out the Norse settlers and made Islay his headquarters. His descendants settled at Finlaggan in the middle of the island and from the fourteenth century they called themselves the Lord of the Isles. The National Museums of Scotland invited Time Team to Islay to help in the final phase of an excavation there. The museum’s archaeologists were digging on the main island in Loch Finlaggan and our mission was to find out whether the area around the loch had been inhabited in the fourteenth century and how it related to the island’s history.
(Description taken from Tim Taylor’s – The Ultimate Time Team Companion)
Broadcast 8th January 1995
Recorded 24th – 26th June 1994
(No Time Team Web pages for this programme)
Underwater survey was carried out on 24-6 June 1994 for the Channel Four Television ‘Time Team’ series in the waters of Loch Finlaggan between Eilean Mor and Eilean na Comhairle. A ‘large area’ of stratified midden deposit was found, containing organic material (including harp-pins) in a good state of preservation.
Just behind the Finlaggan Visitor Centre there is a prominent, rounded mound, formed of limestone
Excavation and geophysical survey were carried out on 24-6 June 1994 for the Channel Four Television ‘Time Team’ series to investigate Cnoc Seandda (name centred: NR 3921 6844). Resistivity survey under wet conditions revealed anomalies which were interpreted as ‘walls cut into the natural limestone’. Flints, including microliths of Mesolithic date, were found during deturfing of the mound, and subsequent excavation revealed the feature to comprise what appeared to be ‘a row of stones deliberately set into the top of the hill’. These were interpreted as the collapsed lintel- or roofing-stones of a ‘prehistoric chamber or souterrain’ which measured about 5m by 1.5m and had animal bones (possibly a ritual deposit) at the bottom of the fill.
Investigation subsequent to that reported by the Time Team in 1994 revealed animal bones, a flint arrowhead of Bronze Age type and a bone disc within the ‘stone-lined chamber’ on top of the mound. No remains of burials were identified, but there was a ‘Bronze Age cairn’ (measuring 3m across) next to the chamber.
(NR 3927 6856) Standing Stone
Documentary research and geophysical survey was carried out on 24-6 June 1994 for the Channel Four Television ‘Time Team’ series and aimed to investigate this stone. It was found that Martin Martin apparently refers to two stones at this point, while geophysical survey revealed ‘what looked like a series of pits or features’ (possibly suggesting a stone row or circle) in the area around the stone.
References
Taylor, T ([1994] ) The Time Team reports: Tony Robinson and the team investigate sites on Islay and in Sunderland, London and Wiltshire, London, 9-10,
Warsop, C L M (1998 )
‘Eilean na Comhairle, Loch Finlaggan, Islay (Killarow & Kilmeny parish), medieval midden’, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 1998, 19,
NO 522 555
An upright cross-slab of Old Red Sandstone, 7ft 6ins high by 4ft 2ins wide at the bottom and tapering to 2ft 11 1/2ins wide at the top, by 8ins thick.
The ornament is partly incised and partly relief, consisting of a cross edged by spirals, and on the reverse the two-legged rectangle, the Z-rod, the triple disc, and a battle scene consisting of three rows of figures.
NO 522 559
This stands adjacent to the public road 245m North of Aberlemno Church.
On one face there are a serpent, a double disc with Z-rod, a mirror and a comb; near the bottom on the back there are six cup-marks.
One of the recent developments that the Portable Antiquities Scheme has implemented, is the public forum. The effect that the forum has had on the Scheme has been immense, with the formulation of an information pack for detectorists, field walkers, amateur archaeologists and other interested parties. This has been generated through input from many people and several different sites (with Channel 4’s Time Team forum and UKdetectornet being to the fore).
The information pack is available here on the Portable Antiquities website and includes:
Artefact Record Sheet (PDF format)Artefact Record Sheet – completed example(PDF format)
These have been road tested by Detectorists – some find it useful – It causes you to stop and think a while, put those thought’s on paper and carry on – whilst some prefer to take a small note book to record details to be entered onto the main recording form at home. Its also useful to put your finds in numbered bags . then reference the notes to match the find number.
Since the completion of field excavations in mid-August 2002, work has continued on the post-excavation analysis. This has involved the re-examination and interpretation of the all of the observations made during the excavations as well as the detailed scientific analysis of all of the finds made, and of the environmental samples taken.
Samples of bone and wood have been sent to Gronigen University (Holland) for accelerated mass spectrosopy radiocarbon dating. This is a revolutionary new dating technique that works well on bone.
Analysis of the environmental data gathered during excavations is on-going at Stirling University (Dept. of Environmental Science). The analysis of pollen and seed deposits will eventually reveal details of the environmental conditions in Bronze Age Fife.
Conservation of the pottery, flint and stone finds has been completed at the National Museums of Scotland (Artefact Research Unit) and work has started on examining, illustrating and writing scientific reports on these artefacts. The pottery reports are complete and the extreme importance of this pottery assemblage has now been recognised.
Detailed research on the skeletal material recovered is on-going at the National Museums of Scotland. Preliminary results have indicated the general age, sex and health of some of the better-preserved skeletons. The majority of the graves appear to contain young male children, although one young female (c. 9-13 years old) and 1 adult male (c.20-25 years old at death) have also so far been identified.
The geophysical and remote sensing data has been collated for publication. Both magnetic resonance and resistivity techniques were applied across the site and the results of this work has revealed the processes of site formation that have resulted in this site’s appearance.
The final site plans, section drawings, levels and other adjusted site data has been produced and an archive copy has been made and submitted to the National Monuments Record of Scotland (Edinburgh) as permanent record of the work undertaken
Continued research, analysis and report-writing is on-going and it is planned that a detailed account of the excavations will be published in 2003 in the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. It is also planned to produce a booklet on the excavations for dissemination throughout the Levenmouth and wider Fife area.
I was asked, as Scottish Branch rep. for the Young Archaeologists Club Scottish Network to arrange visits for 40 young archaeologists to visit over two of the three days filming of the Time Team in Leven, Fife.
The children had a wonderful visit which more than met with their expectations, the crew couldn’t have been better, giving the kids VIP treatment, allowing them onto the site and speaking to them about their particular part in the excavation.
As Tony Robinson is the president of YAC the children were always placed to the front of any press or other VIP visitors making them feel extra special.
I really hope that the Time Team come into my area again so that I have an excuse and ‘back stage pass‘ to visit once again.
Orchardton Tower House
Dumfries and Galloway The only free standing circular tower house in Scotland. It is 4 storeys high with a parapet and a walk. Substantial remains of barmkin building survive. The tower was built in 1436 by John Cairns