Industry and Trade

Economic Networks

What can we learn about banks and other buildings associated with finance?
What can we discover about the use and production of coinage and bank notes in the region?
What goods were traded in South-East Scotland during the post-medieval period?
Where were goods exchanged? To what extent can we see a rise in shops and places of trade other than markets and fairs?
What can we learn about fairs and markets in South-East Scotland?
What were the trading routes within South-East Scotland?
How did international trade change during the post-medieval period?
To what extent do we see increasing links with the world beyond Europe?
How does Britain’s colonial expansion affect South-East Scotland?
What can we discover about the experiences and exploitation of unfree people in South-East Scotland (e.g. slaves, colliers, salters)?
What can we discover about migration to and from South-East Scotland/
What can we learn about harbours in the region? How did the design and use of waterfronts change during the post-medieval period?
What can we discover about post-medieval warehouses?
What can we learn about trading ships in South-East Scotland in the post-medieval period?
To what extent did imported goods reach smaller burghs and rural areas?
How does the road network develop during the post-medieval period? To what extent were roads paved?
What can we learn about the use of wheeled vehicles during the post-medieval period?
What can we learn about the use of fords and bridges?
Where were ferries located?

Food Processing

To what extent did threshing practices change during the post-medieval period?
How did the design of mills develop during the post-medieval period?
To what extent were post-medieval water mills located on the sites of earlier mills?
How did the design of corn-drying kilns evolve in South-East Scotland during the post-medieval period?
How did brewing activity alter over the course of the post-medieval period? Do we see a shift away from small-scale brewing to larger breweries?
What can we learn about legal and illicit distilling?
How do bakeries develop during the post-medieval period?
What can we learn about the production of cheese and other dairy products? Were there significant differences between upland / lowland and rural / urban areas in how milk was processed?
What can we learn about butchery practices? Were there notable differences in butchery practices between urban and rural areas?

Ceramics and Glass

How extensive was ceramic production in South-East Scotland? Which places were making ceramics?
To what extent was there a difference in the type and prevalence of ceramics in urban and rural areas?
How common was imported pottery? What were the chief sources of imported ceramics? Does the proportion of imported ceramics increase?
To what extent did the production methods and style of local ceramics follow international trends?
What can we learn about brick-making in South-East Scotland between 1600 and 1800?
What can we learn about the development of glass-making during the post-medieval period?

Timber and Woodworking

What types of wood were worked in South-East Scotland? Were there changes in the species or age of trees used?
Where was the timber sourced for woodworking in South-East Scotland?
Do we see use of locally sourced wood for smaller objects / structures even at dates when large timbers were typically imported?
To what extent did woodworking tools change during the post-medieval period?
To what extent was woodwork undertaken by professional carpenters / wrights? What types of items were made by specialist woodworkers and what sorts of objects were typically crafted in the home?
Were there regionally distinctive aspects to decorative woodworking (e.g. carved wood panels for interiors)?
What can we learn about the evolution of boatbuilding in South-East Scotland during the post-medieval period?

Leatherworking

What can we learn about the design and location of tanneries? How do they change over the course of the post-medieval period?
How did leatherworking practices change between 1600 and 1800?
What can we learn about the production of gloves and other high quality leather goods?
What can we discover about the use of leather in furnishings and interior decoration?

Metalworking

How does the working and use of wrought iron develop between 1600 and 1800?
To what extent was cast iron being produced in South-East Scotland before 1800?
What can we learn about the casting of bells in South-East Scotland between 1600 and 1800?
To what extent did the output and techniques of blacksmiths change between 1600 and 1800?
How much continuity was there in the occupation of smithies? Can we find evidence of temporary smithies / smithies erected for specific events or crises?
What can we discover about goldsmiths and silversmiths? To what extent was the working of precious metals focused on Edinburgh?
How did urban and rural metalworking compare?

How did coal extraction change during the post-medieval period?
Where were stone quarries located in South-East Scotland during the post-medieval period? How far was stone transported from quarries to building sites?
How did quarrying techniques change between 1600 and 1800?
How did quarrying and coal mining affect the wider landscape?
What can we learn about post-medieval lime production?
To what extent did lime production increase in the 18^th century?

Other Industrial Activity

What can we learn about textile production in the region?
To what extent do we see textile manufacturing becoming industrialised during the post-medieval period?
What can we discover about the development of a local printing industry and book trade?
What can we learn about candlemaking?