Industry and Trade

Economic Networks

What were the main goods traded in South-East Scotland during the medieval period? To what extent does the physical evidence of trade align with the documentary record?
Where were goods exchanged? To what extent were transactions focused on official marketplaces?
What can we learn about medieval fairs in South-East Scotland?
How important were the burghs to the economic structures of South-East Scotland?
What were the trading routes within South-East Scotland?
Which were the key overseas trading routes? How significant was international trade for burghs other than Edinburgh?
What can we learn about medieval harbours in the region? How substantial were structures on the waterfronts?
What can we learn about trading ships in South-East Scotland in the medieval period?
How were goods transported to and from trading vessels?
To what extent did imported goods reach smaller burghs and rural areas?
Did the role of money change during the medieval period? Is there evidence for a growing reliance on coin rather than payments in kind?
How widespread was the presence of foreign coins in South-East Scotland?

Food Processing

What can we discover about granaries in South-East Scotland during the medieval period?
To what extent was there a growth in watermills during the medieval period? Were there periods when particularly large numbers of mills were constructed?
What factors determined the siting of new mills?
To what extent did mills disrupt the wider landscape (e.g. through the creation of dams and lades)?
What can we learn about mill machinery?
How common was the use of hand-querns in South-East Scotland during the medieval period?
How common were bread ovens in South-East Scotland during the medieval period? Were ovens primarily an urban / elite phenomenon?
How did the design of corn-drying kilns evolve in South-East Scotland during the medieval period?
What evidence can we find of brewing? Did brewing activity alter over the course of the medieval period?
Is there evidence for medieval distilling in South-East Scotland?
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? Was there a notable difference in how animals were slaughtered in urban and rural areas?

Pottery

How extensive was pottery production in South-East Scotland during the medieval period? Which places were making ceramics? Where were the kilns located? Where was the clay sourced from?
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?
How did the type and design of ceramic items evolve during the medieval period?
How widespread was the use of glazes on locally made ceramics?
To what extent did the design of local ceramics follow international trends?

Timber and Woodworking

What types of wood were worked in South-East Scotland during the medieval period? Were there changes in the species or age of trees used over the course of the Middle Ages?
Where was the timber sourced for woodworking in South-East Scotland?
At what date did imported timber become the norm for large building projects 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?
What tools were used to work wood? Did these change during the 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 medieval period?

Leatherworking

What can we learn about the design and location of medieval tanneries in South-East Scotland?
To what extent was tanning and leatherworking an urban / suburban craft?
What sort of leather goods were produced in South-East Scotland during the medieval period?

Metalworking

What were the main sources of ore for metal working in South-East Scotland in the medieval period?
Were there bloomeries or other forms of iron smelting in South-East Scotland during the medieval period?
How did urban and rural metalworking compare? To what extent did the burghs dominate metalworking?
Where were smithies located?
How much continuity was there in the occupation of smithies? Were these sites which were used over long time periods? Can we find evidence of temporary smithies / smithies erected for specific events or crises?
Was there a significant increase in the production of metal objects over the medieval period?
Did metalworking techniques change significantly during the medieval period?
What can we discover about goldsmiths and silversmiths? To what extent was the working of precious metals focused on Edinburgh?

What can we discover about the evolution of coal extraction during the medieval period?
When is the earliest evidence for coal mining underground?
What role did the Church play in the development of coal mining in the region?
Where were stone quarries located in South-East Scotland during the medieval period?
How far was stone transported from quarries to building sites?
Did quarrying techniques change during the medieval period?
How did quarrying and coal mining affect the wider landscape?
Where was lime burning happening in South-East Scotland during the medieval period? Was lime production primarily taking place near building sites or was lime being transported significant distances?
Was there a notable increase in lime burning during the late Middle Ages?
What can we learn about the design of medieval lime kilns?