We are excited to announce that the first three chapters from the South East Scotland Archaeological Research Framework (SESARF) are now live and available on the ScARF website. Take a look and explore the Landscape & Environment, Palaeolithic & Mesolithic and early medieval chapters. 

Nine brand new case studies are also available as part of the SESARF framework, offering an insight into significant sites and projects from the South East region. 

The SESARF project is led by SESAP (South East Scotland Archaeology Partnership), a group formed from the Local Archaeologist based in East Lothian, Midlothian, Edinburgh City and Scottish Borders Councils and the ScARF team at the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. The project is primarily funded by Historic Environment Scotland with additional funding from SESAP.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to those who have contributed to SESARF, including Wessex Archaeology for their hard work in the first phase of the project. Thanks also to the speakers and attendees at any of our SESARF events and all the authors and case study contributors. Finally, we would like to thank and congratulate the members of the project team at SESAP for their hard work and commitment to the framework. 

Click here to explore the South East framework!

Keep your eyes peeled for updates as the next SESARF chapters are released over the coming months. Please contact us at scarf@socantscot.org with any questions or comments. 

With conference season upon us, we know how expensive it can be to pay for registration fees, travel and accommodation. As part of our dedication to supporting students and Early Career Researchers in Scottish Archaeology, we are happy to offer bursaries to those wishing to attend upcoming conferences and events.

Over the next few months, both the Edinburgh, Lothians and Borders Archaeological Conference (ELBAC) and the Tayside and Fife Archaeological Committee (TAFAC) conference will take place, showcasing the rich and diverse research ongoing regionally across Scotland. If you are an archaeology student or Early Career Researcher (ECR) carrying out research on any aspect of Scottish archaeology and you would like to attend TAFAC, ELBAC, or another conference/event – apply for our bursary now!

Our bursaries can cover both the in-person or online registration fee as well as contribute towards travel and accommodation costs if needed. If you are travelling as a group from a Scottish university, we can also offer bursaries to cover group travel and/or accommodation.

In return for the bursary, we invite you to write a short piece about your research or project to allow us to share your work on our ECR research pages on the ScARF website. Previous examples of case studies can be seen here.

To apply, please email ScARF Project Manager Helen Spencer (helen@socantscot.org) with a few lines about yourself, your research/interest in Scottish archaeology and how you will benefit from attending your chosen conference or event. We will also require a short reference from a lecturer/supervisor.

Please get in touch if you have any questions about our bursaries or your application.

The Scottish Archaeological Research Framework (ScARF) has a limited number of bursaries available to help cover both the registration fee and travel/accommodation costs for people attending the Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology conference (CAAUK 2023) taking place in Edinburgh on the 24th-25th November.

This year’s conference, which will be held at Augustine United Church in Edinburgh’s Old Town, will explore the topics of quantitative methods and computer applications in heritage through papers and posters. Attendance and presentations can be done in person or online.

The bursaries can cover both the in-person or online registration fee as well as contribute towards travel and accommodation costs if you are coming to Edinburgh. If you are an archaeology student or Early Career Researcher (ECR) carrying out research on any aspect of Scottish archaeology and you would like to attend CAAUK 2023 – apply for our bursary now!

In return for the bursary, we would like to invite you to write a short piece about your research or project to allow us to share your work on our ECR research pages on the ScARF website. Previous examples of case studies can be seen here.

To apply, please email ScARF Project Manager Helen Spencer with a few lines about yourself, your research/interest in Scottish archaeology and how you will benefit from attending CAAUK 2023. We will also require a short reference from a lecturer/supervisor.

The deadline for applications to the CAAUK 2023 bursary is the Friday 3rd November 2023 with decisions communicated by the 10th November to allow everyone time to plan their journey.

Please get in touch if you have any questions about our bursaries or your application.

Our latest newsletter is available now, with some exciting updates and upcoming events. September marks the start of a busy few months for the SCARF team, and we’re excited to share it with you all. Read the full newsletter here!

Make sure to sign up to our mailing list at the bottom of this page to stay in the loop with all things ScARF!

The Scottish Archaeological Research Framework (ScARF) has a limited number of ScARF bursaries available to help cover both the registration fee and travel/accommodation costs for people attending the Scottish Archaeological Forum Conference (SAF 2023) in Aberdeen on the 28th-29th October 2023.

This year’s conference, titled Whose Past is It Anyway?, will explore the concept of ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’ in Scottish archaeology. SAF 2023 aims to highlight efforts to address the under-representation of certain groups within archaeology, both in representations of Scotland’s heritage and in current archaeological practice.

If you are an archaeology student or Early Career Researcher (ECR) carrying out research on any aspect of Scottish archaeology and you would like to attend SAF 2023 – apply for our bursary now!

In return for the bursary, we would like to invite you to write a short piece about your research or project to allow us to share your work on our ECR research pages on the ScARF website. Previous examples of case studies can be seen here.

To apply, please email ScARF Project Manager Helen Spencer with a few lines about yourself, your research and how you will benefit from attending SAF 2023. We will also require a short reference from a lecturer/supervisor.

Please also get in touch with any questions.

The deadline for applications to the SAF 2023 bursary is the 25th September 2023 with decisions communicated by the 7th October to allow everyone time to plan their journey.

From conference season and free events to case studies galore – find out about the latest updates from the ScARF team, and have your say in our events survey.

The full newsletter is available here.

Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site: The Antonine Wall is the latest thematic framework to be added to the ScARF website. The Antonine Wall was the most densely defined of the Roman frontier systems, as well as the largest turf-built structure in the Roman Empire.  

The Wall is extremely important for understanding the construction, operation and development of Roman frontiers, as well as the impact of imperial policy on military strategy. Furthermore, it holds an enormous amount of information about the landscape and vegetation at the time of its construction.

This framework explores the importance and current value of this World Heritage site and creating the research agenda is part of the process of helping to understand, sustain, interpret and promote this significant monument in its global, national and local context.

Read the latest news from the ScARF team, including a brand new framework, case study and the beginning of a very exciting project! The full newsletter is available here.

Boyne to Brodgar: Making Monuments, Creating Communities has a new home on the ScARF website!

This is an innovative project, focusing on the Neolithic monuments across Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland. These range from the iconic World Heritage Sites of Brú na Bóinne and the Heart of Neolithic Orkney to less well-known henges and timber circles. This international, interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral initiative is co-operative, socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable, featuring archaeologists, heritage professionals, educators and community groups, in the UK and Ireland and beyond.

In addition to the previous content, we are delighted to have a new Case Study as part of this framework. Awakening Sleeping Giants explores the value of community engagement on the Isle of Arran and aims both encourage and enable local action that is supported by international and national research frameworks and thematic strategies. 

Read all about our latest exciting updates including our brand new thematic framework, funding announcements and the launch date of the Antonine Wall framework.

The full newsletter is available here.