The next ScARF skills workshop will take place on the 21st February 2019 at Inverness Museum. This will be a prehistoric pottery identification workshop delivered by Beverley Ballin Smith. See the advert below for more details- if you would like to book a place or find out more, please email leanne@socantscot.org
We are looking forward to a really busy 2020 working on our research framework projects and launching our exciting new website.
The Callanish stone circle on Lewis (c) Getty Images
We would like to thank everyone who took the time to take part in our Evaluation in 2019 by filling in our questionnaire or being interviewed. This has been really useful to understand better what ScARF does well and where we can improve so we can plan for the future.
ScARF is a widely used resource across the sector for developing project proposals, planning archaeology, funding applications and professional development. Our particular strength continues to be the high quality of the content (98.5% rated the content as good/excellent) with one respondent calling it the ‘envy of other countries’.
Areas highlighted for improvement include enhancing the usability of the website for accessing, searching and contributing new data, continuing to ensure the consistent high quality of new data and research, creating clearer research questions and communicating much better about the overall research framework project across the sector.
If you would like a copy of the evaluation report please get in touch and we can share a more detailed summary with you.
Following the conference of preparatory talks and constructive workshop discussions in August last year, PKARF is now progressing with the review phase of its project. Throughout this phase, Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust are welcoming involvement from community members, professionals, academics and students alike to help build an inclusive and relevant Framework. As part of this, a panel of 12 experts has been formed to take forward the Environmental and Archaeological Science aspects. More broadly, the contributions received have highlighted the importance of rivers and lochs, especially the Tay, as conduits for movement, as well as the great potential of the region’s contrasting upland/lowland topography for studying settlement patterns over time.
Contributions are currently being reviewed and developed into draft chapters which it is hoped will be available for consultation and comment in early Spring. Anyone interested in nominating content for the drafts or wishing to join the discussion by reviewing consultation documents are encouraged to get in touch.
More details can be found on the PKARF project page where you’ll also find new digital resources from the conference to get you thinking – plus an online comments form to feed-in your ideas!
ScARF skills workshops are a series of FREE to attend one-day training opportunities open to everyone. Our first skills workshop of 2020 offers an intoduction to zooarchaeology, osteoarchaeology and scientific techniques – providing participants with basic bone ID, handling and recording skills, and an update of how current scientific methods are revolutionising what we know about the lives of past people! This workshop was fully booked extremely quickly, but there will be more.. Keep an eye on Twitter and Facebook for updates!
Share with us! Do you have some exciting research or projects you would like to share? We’d love to hear any ideas for new case studies, contributions and future features.
Our January e-newsletter has just been sent out to all our subscribers. Take a look at it here.
2019 was a busy year for the ScARF team as we travelled the length of Scotland to attend archaeological conferences- from the Edinburgh Lothians and Borders conference all the way up to the SIRFA symposium in Shetland, and lots of events in between!
A busy year was had by the on-going regional research frameworks with symposiums, conferences and workshops. It was great to hear diverse voices from across the heritage sector, students, community heritage groups and members of the public come together to discuss future priorities for archaeological research in Scotland. Following the success of these events, we are very excited to see what 2020 brings as the Highlands (HighARF), Perth and Kinross (PKARF), South East Scotland (SESARF), and the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland (SIRFA) regional research frameworks continue to collate data and review input from these events to establish research priorities and create the frameworks.
ScARF display at the Edinburgh, Lothians and Borders Conference. © ScARF
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to pop over to our table to come and say hi, to find out more about the ScARF Project and the work of the Society of Antiquaries, and take away some freebies!
The Scottish Student Archaeology Society Conference 2020 will be hosted on the 15th-16th February by the Glasgow University Archaeology Society in the Debates Chamber of the Glasgow University Union on University Avenue. The conference will bring together students and early career researchers to discuss the latest research in Scottish Archaeology. Themes include- Prehistory: Landscapes, practices and life-ways; Roman to Medieval: Empires, Chiefdom and Kingdom; and Post-Medieval to Contemporary: Developing modern Scotland.
Tickets are £10 and will be available from the online ticket platform. If you are interested in attending, presenting a paper or poster session- more info can be found on the SSAC 2020 website.
Have you picked up your copy of the new Celebrating Archaeology in Scotland 2019 magazine? If you haven’t, fear not..! It is available to view online. This visual feast contains lots of interesting articles and features celebrating recent archaeological work in Scotland- reporting on the delivery of Scotland’s Archaeology Strategy.
ScARF feature in the ‘Celebrating Archaeology in Scotland 2019’ magazine. © ScARF
The magazine features the work that we at ScARF and of our colleagues at the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland have been doing in our role as the lead body responsible for delivering Aim 2 of Scotland’s Archaeology Strategy- Enhancing Understanding.
Get involved with the new website, we’d love to hear your ideas and views!!
In addition to being the go-to place for the national, regional and thematic research frameworks, we envisage the new website as being a current, exciting, and dynamic platform to showcase all aspects of Scottish Archaeology.
ScARF fits into the wider vision of Scotland’s Archaeology Strategy – to make archaeology matter for everyone. We’d love the new website to be the ideal platform for everyone to get involved – from academics, commercial units and museum staff to students, school teachers, community groups, and well… anyone with an interest in history and archaeology!
Share with us! Do you have some exciting research or projects you would like to share? We’d love to hear any ideas for new case studies, contributions and future features.
A big Thank You to everyone who has supported or taken part in the ScARF project this year. 2020 is already shaping up to be exciting with the launch of the new website, on-going work with the regional frameworks, and new museum workshops- Watch this space!
Wishing you a wonderful festive season filled with joy, happiness, and archaeology!
Our December newsletter has just been sent out to all our subscribers. Take a look at it here for all the latest ScARF news.
Fancy learning something new in 2020?
ScARF Museums Skills Workshops are one-day training opportunities designed for everyone! The first workshop of 2020 will take place at Inverness Museum on Saturday 25th January – with a focus on Zooarchaeology, osteoarchaeology, and the application of scientific techniques. Come along to learn bone identification, handling and recording skills, and hear about exciting new research!
This event is free to attend, but places are limited – booking opens shortly.
Watch this space and follow us on social media for updates!
SIRFA Shetland symposium delegates enjoy a sunny evening exploring Mousa Broch – read all about it in the October newsletter! ©ScARF
The field trips saw delegates travel the length and breadth of Shetland to visit various archaeological sites, guided by experts, and participating in on-site discussion. The weather was kind, and we even stopped to appreciate Muckle Flugga, formerly the most northerly inhabited place in the British Isles!
Various workshop sessions took place over two days to discuss current archaeological knowledge in Shetland- spanning the prehistoric to modern periods and exploring aspects such as subsistence, economy, connectivity and landscape to discuss future priorities and identify potential research questions. The combination of field trips and workshop sessions were an effective way to get people talking, sharing, and contributing to assist the development of this framework.
A field trip to the archaeological site at Lower Underhoull, Unst. © ScARF
Find our more about the project at the SIRFA website.
Perth and Kinross Archaeological Research Framework
The ‘Priorities in Progress’ conference held at the Station hotel in Perth on the 30th August 2019 presenting work from the first year of the Perth and Kinross Archaeological Research Framework (PKARF) was attended by almost 100 delegates!
Re-enactors attend the PKARF conference in Perth. © ScARF
Talks by PKARF ‘champions’ outlining the current state of knowledge for each period were followed by think tank workshops where all delegates were encouraged to participate by identifying gaps in knowledge, discuss where future research should be directed, and to nominate case studies showcasing archaeological work in the region to date. Voices from across the heritage sector, students, and community heritage groups joined to discuss the development of the framework and it’s future role as a resource for all archaeological work and research in Perth and Kinross.
Following the success of the conference, we are excited to see how it informs the next steps and shapes the development of the PKARF!
The Highland Archaeology Festival Conference
The annual conference showcasing recent archaeological discoveries and research across the Highlands takes place over two days from Saturday 12th – Sunday 13th October at the Highland Council Chamber in Inverness. With lots of interesting displays and lunchtime poster sessions, this conference presents a great opportunity to hear a diverse range of voices from people engaged in archaeological work across the Highlands.
The excavation and conservation of Clachtoll Broch will be discussed by Dr Graeme Cavers of AOC Archaeology during the annual conference. © ScARF
Tayside and Fife Archaeological Committee (TAFAC)
The Tayside and Fife Archaeological Committee annual conference will be held at the Rothes Halls, Glenrothes on Saturday 2nd November. This conference will showcase new archaeological discoveries and research in Tayside and Fife. This is an excellent opportunity to hear about a wide range of current archaeological work in the area, including the results of A9 Dualling archaeological works, an update on the Perth and Kinross regional framework, new work on early medieval sculpture, excavations at Wemyss Caves, and much more!
Edinburgh, Lothians and Borders Archaeology Conference
The annual Edinburgh, Lothian & Borders Archaeology Conference will be held on Saturday 16th November at Queen Margaret University, Musselburgh. This conference provides an important opportunity to hear and discuss first hand accounts of the archaeological fieldwork and research being undertaken in Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, and the Scottish Borders.
Come along to hear about significant discoveries and research across the region. Speakers will be presenting the results of various high-profile archaeological excavations in the area, the results of community archaeology projects, current research in progress, and more..!
Following the attendance of many ScARF supported ECR’s and students at recent conferences, we would like to take this opportunity to remind you we accept applications for student bursaries all year round. Conferences and events are often a great way to meet people doing similar or complementary work but can often be expensive for students to attend. As part of ScARF’s commitment to encouraging and supporting new research, a number of bursaries are available to help with the costs of attending these events. Please spread the word!
More information about Student Bursaries can be found on the ScARF website here.
In addition to Twitter, you can now follow us on Facebook and Instagram!
If you would like to be kept up to date on everything ScARF related (and maybe see a pretty archaeology photo or two) please follow us to explore, contribute and share- see you there!
Our October newsletter has just been sent out to all our subscribers. Take a look at it here for all the latest ScARF news.
Launched in 2012, it is now seven years since the national ScARF was created and published online. If you have used or been involved in the creation of any of the ScARF resources since then, we would like to hear from you! We would be grateful if you could take a few moments to complete our short survey. The survey seeks views from all users and contributers of ScARF and will close on the 31st of July. Please share your views to help us plan for the future development of the frameworks!
The survey has now closed
We are pleased to welcome Leanne Demay to the team as ScARF Project Officer. Leanne joins us from AOC Archaeology where she was engaged in a range of archaeological fieldwork projects across Scotland.
A new case study with downloadable catalogue has been added to the ScARF website! The Historic Environment Scotland-funded project Tracing the Lines: Uncovering Grooved Ware Trajectories in Neolithic Scotland has created a database of Scottish grooved ware pottery found in Scotland – along with a set of radiocarbon dates newly generated by analysis of carbonised remains. Read all about it here!
Mike Copper examines grooved ware pottery- read about the launch in the June newsletter. © Mike Copper
Perth and Kinross Archaeological Research Framework
Booking is now open for the ‘Priorities in Progress’ conference that will be held at the AK Bell Library in Perth on the 30th August 2019. This conference will present work from the first year of the Perth and Kinross Archaeological Research Framework. There will be talks by the PKARF champions as well as ‘think tank’ workshops to review what we know, where there are gaps and where future research should be directed. This event is free to attend, but booking is essential.
More information about the PKARF project can be found on their website!
Scotland’s Islands Research Framework for Archaeology
We are excited to announce dates for the next event as part of the development of Scotland’s Islands Archaeology Research Framework Project. As we move towards year two work will start to focus on Shetland and to launch the project the SIRFA team are holding a symposium in Lerwick from the 20th – 23rd September.
Find out more on the SIRFA website.
A project led by Dr’s Alison Sheridan and Lisa Brown has been ongoing to pull together a list of Scottish archaeological human remains that have been sampled/analysed for DNA analysis. An article about the project and full list has been published in the latest edition of Archaeology Scotland’s DES Volume 19, 2018.
Our June newsletter has just been sent out to all our subscribers. Take a look at it here for all the latest ScARF news.
29/05/19
We have new student bursary opportunities! Please see our Student Bursary pages for more details of how to apply for bursaries to help with the costs of attending the Perth and Kinross Archaeological Research Framework Conference ‘Priorities in Progress’ conference and the Scotland’s Islands Research Framework for Archaeology, Shetland Symposium.
29/05/19
Booking is now open for the Perth and Kinross Archaeology Research Framework (PKARF) ‘Priorities in Progress’ Conference.
It takes place on the 30th August 2019 in the AK Bell Library in Perth and is free to attend. Registration is now online at Eventbrite
1/4/19
ScARF are recruiting for a part-time ScARF Project Officer to join the team!
Please see https://www.socantscot.org/appointments/the-society-is-recruiting-for-a-new-scarf-project-officer/ for all the details.
The closing date for application is the 22nd April 2019.
11/04/19
To celebrate the end of the ScARF Museums project, we are hosting two days of free events at the Discovery Centre, Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire on the 16th and 17th April. Please get in touch to find our more and to secure your place.
11/03/19
To celebrate the end of the ScARF Museums project, we are hosting two days of free events at the Discovery Centre, Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire on the 16th and 17th April. Please get in touch to find our more and to secure your place.
04/03/19
The Perth and Kinross Archaeology Research Framework (PKARF) has a new website! Take a look here to find out more about the project.
Save the date of the 30th August 2019 if you are interested in joining us for the Priorities in Progress conference to be held in Perth. More details will be announced soon.