Ancient secrets revealed by laser quest

CUTTING-EDGE technology has been used to reveal the secrets of early settlers on Arran.

Laser scanning of the island from the air has revealed around 1,000 previously unknown archaeological sites – double the number currently on record.

The survey, undertaken by archaeologists at Historic Environment Scotland (HES) to document the land surface in 3D, is the largest of its type so far in Scotland.

Previously unknown sites found include prehistoric settlements and medieval farmsteads, as well as a Neolithic monument described by experts as an ‘exceptionally rare find on the west coast of Scotland’.

Dave Cowley, rapid archaeological mapping manager at HES, said: ‘This new 3D technology has allowed us to undertake a rapid archaeological survey, over weeks rather than months or years, and allowed us to discover sites that might even have been impossible to find otherwise.’

He predicted that the new technology could result in researchers being able to unearth even more of the country’s ancient history in the next few years.

Mr Cowley explained: ‘Arran is just a first step. As this technology become more widely available, we expect to find tens of thousands more ancient sites across the rest of Scotland – working at a pace that was unimaginable a few years ago.’

The results of the laser survey on Arran are available to view online at the Canmore website, Scotland’s national record of the historic environment.