News
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NOSAS 25th Anniversary Celebrations. In 2023 we celebrated 25 years of Highland archaeology with NOSAS. We have a plethora of projects, reports and publications to our name, and more members than ever before. We scheduled a celebratory week of events in late October and early November, including field visits, walks and two high profile lectures. Dr Adrian Maldonado of NMS talked to us about his research in the Pictish and Viking eras - see the video here - and Professor Tony Pollard gave a talk about the archaeology of Culloden Battlesite - see video - and also led a fascinating battlesite tour.
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More Digging at Tarradale! In late September/ early October 2023, the Tarradale Archaeological Team (TAT) reopened and extended a Mesolithic shell midden trench dug in 2017. Here, several important antler tools had been previously discovered which were dated to over 6000 years old. The 2023 excavation found a further antler "T axe" - 3 out of the known 6 Scottish examples of this tool have now been found at Tarradale! TAT is the successor to the highly successful Tarradale Through Time Project. The 2022 publication, Tarradale Through Time: Community Archaeology on the Black Isle is available now from this website at £9.99 inc UK p&p.
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In Nov 22 NOSAS returned to the distillery and settlement site at Mulchaich, Easter Ross, to remove gorse which was obscuring much of the archaeology. Following the clearance, aerial images and photogrammetry were produced by Andy Hickie (right). It is thought that Ferintosh whisky may have been produced at Mulchaich in the late 1700s, Read more. Metal detecting, resistivity and magnetrometry at the site are being carried out in 2023. -
See all of our recorded online talks from the last 3 years, and check out the posts on the NOSAS Blog - there's a huge range of articles. And do make sure you visit our impressive Survey Reports Page where you can access over 20 years worth of past survey and project reports!
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NOSAS, along with the help of other organisations, has recently been clearing vegetation from two scheduled sites in the area - Carn Glas Chambered Cairns at Essich, near Inverness, and Teanagairn Henge at Culbokie. Read Jonathan's blog, BBC News and the Current Archaeology article.
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NOSAS's Crannog Project has surveyed several sites in the last few months - Loch Achilty and Loch Glass amongst them - and in September 23 members were busy on the Isle of Tiree. Read the recent blog posts here, here and here. Timbers recovered from the Loch Achility crannog have recently been dated to the Medieval period.
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A New Boat Graveyard! In April 2022, a group of NOSAS members led by Jo Hambly and Tom Dawson from SCAPE walked the northern shore of Munlochy Bay. An old harbour with derelict boats was known about. However what wasn't known about was that just west of the harbour was a line of about ten derelict fishing boats (right), drawn up between high and low water marks. These were boats from the Avoch fishing fleet, left here when they were surplus to requirements. SCAPE led a detailed survey of all these boats in April/ May 23 along with NOSAS and the Nautical Archaeological Society. See drone video footage and talk by Jo. -
Professor Kate Britton gave a fascinating talk to NOSAS about the mobility and early childhood origins of early medieval Scots (ie Picts!). This is now available to watch on the NOSAS YouTube channel. See also the recent Talk by Gordon Noble given to NOSAS. Kate, Gordon and members of the Rosemarkie Caves Project (formerly part of NOSAS) also feature in a recently aired TV programme about Rosemarkie Man. A new video podcast about Rosemarkie Man can also be seen here.
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Two new survey reports from NOSAS members. Meryl Marshall has completed the report on the 2000 survey of Isle Maree, a burial island in Loch Maree. And Roland Spencer-Jones has brought together the disparate information he has gleaned about Inchberry, on the S side of the Beauly Firth.
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NOSAS members ventured into upper Glen Cannich in Summer 2021 to visit an area normally submerged under the Mullardoch dam. They recorded a number of hut circles, amongst other features. These were recently radiocarbon dated to the Iron Age. Read the blog post here.
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A previously unknown Pictish cross slab, discovered by NOSAS members near Conon Bridge, was unveiled at Dingwall Museum in December 2020. A successful fundraising campaign had The Conan Stone removed from its find site, professionally conserved and then installed on permanent display in the museum. See the Blog Post, Conan Pictish Stone page and video.