Coastal survey was the topic of one of the recent postgraduate practical sessions, with students heading to three sites in Orkney’s West Mainland.
Accompanied by lecturer Martin Carruthers and ORCA’s Dan Lee, the postgraduates recorded the condition of two eroding brochs in the parishes of Firth and Rendall before heading to the settlement site at the Point of Buckquoy in Birsay.
Being an island group, Orkney is plagued by coastal erosion.
Talk of coastal erosion and people often think in timescales of decades or centuries, but at some sites it can be measured in days, weeks and months! The effect on archaeology is severe with fragile remains exposed and damaged daily.
Excavating all these sites is not possible, so their conditions and the impact/extent of the erosion are monitored.
If you are interested in archaeology, our three Masters degrees – MSc in Archaeological Practice, MLitt in Archaeological Studies and MA in Contemporary Art and Archaeology – are now enrolling for a start in September 2024. Click here for details.
