Tarradale Through Time

In our last blog post we updated you on some post medieval excavations at Tarradale in 2024, informed by Aitken’s 1788 map. The focus has been on a cluster of 5 buildings shown on the map just to the Northwest of Tarradale House, which are labelled “barns”. To date, we have conducted 4 short duration digs at the site - a total of 13 days digging - significantly expanding the excavated area over that time.

In early May 2024 we undertook some limited excavation at Tarradale to see if we could identify a distillery site shown on the 1788 Estate map

In 2017 the Tarradale Through Time project excavated a shell midden (known as site 2B) located on a raised beach terrace at the foot of a palaeo-cliff  about 150 m south-east of Tarradale House.  In September to October 2023 the site was revisited by the Tarradale Archaeological Team in order to continue the earlier investigation.

Recently the 25 minute video of the 2019 Barrow Cemetery Excavation was released

TARRADALE THROUGH TIME is delighted to announce that we are on the shortlist for the Current Archaeology magazine research project of the year. This is great recognition for all the effort and support from the many people that been involved with TARRADALE THROUGH TIME. It is your opportunity to vote for us and to get as many of your friends and colleagues to vote for us as well.

Previously we outlined some of the results of last autumn’s excavation of the Pictish barrow cemetery in a field near Tarradale House. The discoveries were dramatic – uncovering some of the largest Pictish graves in Scotland what appears to be one of the most extensive Pictish cemeteries in Scotland. The dark outline of an almost totally decayed skeleton in an equally decayed log coffin created a great deal of interest from the public interest as well as from archaeologists.

The last day of the dig was scheduled to be Sunday 15 September, but there was so much going on that we decided to carry on for a few more days with Thursday 19 September being the last day for tidying up on site and any last-minute drawing and recording.

As the 3rd planned excavation of Tarradale Through Time comes to an end we are starting to see the exciting and complex picture of the sites we have excavated.  There will be so much consideration of everything we have found and what it means but thankfully that won’t be my job.

Sunday was Day 16 and we are now into extra time with lots of features still to be investigated across the 3 trenches of our large site. The planned dig end was Saturday, which also our open day. In the event we had over 100 visitors despite the rather unpleasant weather conditions. On Sunday Andy Hickie was back with his drone and produced this spectacular 3D panorama:

Day 11  After a long weekend when the cleaning was completed and sections for more exploration were chosen we began to dig out the fill of several ditches.

The Tower, The Drone or the Plane?  All three have been used for photography on the TTT site. Which would you prefer? I know which I do!

Day 6 Today a simple site report as we are finishing the first clean back and lots of photos and tomorrow we begin to get down to the nitty gritty of excavation. One student found his first post hole which is always a cause for celebration but generally today it was quiet satisfaction of a job progressing nicely.

The excavation now is full steam ahead and the diggers are still enthusiastic, getting into a rhythm in their respective trenches. 

In Trench 1 it was just hard work with very stony ground and very indistinct features.  T1 is on the higher ground and over the years has been more subject to movement of soil downhill.  Today the features finally became more defined and all the hard work of the T1 warriors was rewarded.

Three days of preparation last week with a few very tempting patterns in the soil, lovely weather and we were ready to go.

To whet your whistle for the 2019 dig, here is our newly edited video of last year's excavations at Gilchrist promontory fort and Balvattie enclosed settlement.

TTT has been very quiet recently however we have been busy behind the scenes.  We have been commissioning post excavation analysis of the finds and samples taken last year. 

ERIC GRANT INVITES YOU TO MEET THE ANCESTORS WITH TARRADALE THROUGH TIME

In September 2018 two sites were investigated by TARRADALE THROUGH TIME, a fortified enclosure just west of Gilchrist church and a rather enigmatic and possibly ritual site south of Gilchrist church, but located on Balvattie Farm.

This article, originally published in Muir Matters, includes the latest C14 carbon dating results from our 2017 Mesolithic shell midden excavations. It also features photographs of the antler finds following conservation.

Our September 2018 Dig at Gilchrist Promontory Fort and Balvattie has now finished. Lachlan of HAS has been making daily videos which give a good flavour of progress on site. Here they all are, plus a few extra shot by Jonie and myself for good measure!

Recent archaeological discoveries on the Black Isle are rewriting the early prehistory of northern Scotland.

Although one of the main aims of the TARRADALE THROUGH TIME archaeological project is trying to find the traces of people who lived in the Tarradale area thousands of years ago, it is also interested in our more recent ancestors.

Well done to Lachlan and Anne who recently spent the day working with Mulbuie Primary 5 - 7 class on behalf of Tarradale Through Time. It sounds like it was both fun and educational with a range of exciting activities!

We have completed 4 days of clearance of the Tarradale abandoned settlement over the last month removing dead bracken and whins from the buildings.  On the 7th April we begin the planning. 

In preparation for the planning of the 1788 Tarradale settlement we have already done a couple of recces through the undergrowth.  The site lies within a wooded landscape which according to the map was all cultivated ground in 1788.

Looking in more detail at where the sea rose to at the time of what is called the ‘maximum transgression’ thought to be around 7,000 BC or possibly later. 

Since the end of the dig 2 weeks ago some of our followers may wonder why NOSAS volunteers are still busy washing and sorting what added up to about two and a quarter tonnes of shell midden material.

Talk by Eric Grant on Tarradale Through Time at the Highland Archaeological Conference 2017

The Highs and Lows of a ‘Runner’: Dry/wet sieved soil, emptied buckets, picked up leaves in the trenches, logged finds found, equipment transporter, 4x4 support driver, photographer, video person, pot washer, toilet cleaner, sweeper and floor washer, tidier of gate house, shopper and metal detectorist.

I haven't been on many archaeology digs but I suppose it's to be expected when you tell someone what you're doing they invariably ask - What did you find? or Did you find anything?

Day 8 was not only the Dig Open Day with over 100 visitors but it was also a great day for Mesolithic progress in Trench 2B with two antler finds.

My role on this dig is to try and interpret visually what we find in the ground or more frequently so far on this site what we don’t find.

We are halfway through the first week of the excavation with an excellent turnout of 20 of us on site overseen by Cathy and Lynn of AOC.

Today was my 2nd day at the excavation at the Tarradale having previous never picked up a trowel before.

What a lovely Launch Day we all had at Muir Hub on Saturday

The Tarradale Through Time team has had a hectic few weeks but at last we are ready to begin our archaeological adventure.