A team from the Archaeology Institute UHI are in Shetland today as part of Looking in from the Edge (LIFTE) – an international project examining the Northern Isles’ place in European trade networks of the 15th to 18th centuries.
The plan is to excavate a series of test pits around Lerwick’s historic centre to explore the town’s early settlement and look for evidence of trade links.
It is hoped a “Lerwick Garden Dig” will produce artefacts and animal remains that will not only help identify the diet of the early townsfolk but also the range of goods being imported to Shetland.
Test pitting in the town’s Law Lane in 2021 identified material from European trade and highlighted the potential for excavation in Lerwick’s historic core of the town.
The excavations run until May 4, so watch this space for updates.
