The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Man sitting on history would love further digs
When a group of archaeologists left Upper Scalloway in Shetland earlier this year following a dig in a garden they had found bones from 26 people and evidence of ancient structures – as well as two van-loads of artefacts.
However, the man who initially discovered the skeletons is now looking for funding for a more extensive excavation.
Kristian Leith believes there is more to be found and thinks it could shed more light on the history of the village of Scalloway.
He first stumbled across the skeletons while digging the foundations of a shed in his garden in May. Hi s t o r i c Environment Scotland was notified and the agency oversaw excavations on the site, with a great many more bones and artefacts ultimately found.
The skeletons were assumed to be from the 1400s, while some of the items included pieces of a comb and Iron Age painted pebbles.
An archaeological dig took place in the nearby area around 1990, before houses were built at Upper S c a l l o w a y, with 22 skeletons found, as well as Pictish houses and a broch.
Mr Leith said the skeletons found in the dig earlier this year were sitting 10 to underground, on Pictish structures.
Artefacts were found in that layer and underneath that level more items were discovered, as well as structures, he said.
Mr Leith received a loan of geophysical equipment and over the last two or three weeks has been carrying out tests on the field to the east of his house, which he owns.
“I suspect the settlement t h a t ’s here extends significantly further than people have given it credit for,” he said. “Looking at the initial results it does look like the settlement continues all the way down to the Mill Brae.” 12in top of
He said he had been told Hi s t o r i c Environment Scotland does not have the budget for a full excavation of the area.
Mr Leith took to social media to spread the word about his funding hopes, prompting interest from around the world.
He said someone from Australia has already offered to travel to Shetland to lend their expertise, while messages have also been received from the US, Canada and New Zealand.
S h e t l a n d ’s regional archaeologist Val Turner said the main focus of interest for her is the area in the front garden.
“There’s certainly more to be found in the front of his house and I would very much like to see that happen,” she said.
“As far as the rest of it, we don’t know actually if there is anything else there.”
Ms Tu r n e r said a company linked with the University of the Highlands and Islands is interested in undertaking magnetometry on the site as a student exercise.
“Until that’s done really, we don’t know if anything is in the field,” she said.
“Having said that, Shetland is full of archaeology, so there could be.”
Ms Turner added that it is “extraordinarily difficult” to secure funding for excavations at the moment.