Invitation for diggers. Summer 2009.

The Biggar Archaeology Group is starting a major excavation on Saturday 2nd May. This will be at Howburn Farm near Elsrickle and four miles north of Biggar.

The project is lithic retrieval from plough soil which will be hand trowelled.
The importance of the location is that part of the lithic assemblage from the field dates to the Upper Palaeolithic, approximately 14,000 years ago and making this a unique site in Scotland.
Mesolithic and later pre historic periods are also represented in the present finds from the field.

The work will be done entirely by volunteers at weekends and evenings, and will suit professionals and amateurs alike. This will be a community project – Britain’s community.
To register an interest please contact Biggar Museums on 01899 221050 or e mail Biggar Archaeology Group at info@biggararchaeology.org.uk - details of availability would be appreciated.

Come and dig the dream of finding Scotland’s earliest people.

More info on www.biggararchaeology.org.uk

Site Background
The site you will be visiting/digging is a multi period one and was found by fieldwalking. Pre historic pottery has been found in this field but the main finds are lithics. Flint, chert and pitchstone have been found, much of the local radiolarian chert dates to Mesolithic times and the Arran pitchstone is mostly Early Neolithic. Some of the flint probably dates to these times also; however, distinctive tool types which are found here are much older, dating to the Upper Palaeolithic period, possibly up to 14,000 years old. This time was just after the last Ice Age had melted away and just before a sudden cold period which saw the return of ice sheets in northern Scotland.

For the first time in Scotland certainty of evidence of these early people has been found here at Howburn, making this the earliest known site in Northern Britain. The people who camped here may have travelled across the area of the North Sea, which was dry land then. They may have hunted reindeer and elk roaming the landscape which was grassland with thinly wooded birch trees.

Our work is to retrieve as much of their flint from the plough soil as will be possible, while we hope we may find dateable features to narrow the time scale. In the process we will find other pre historic material. 

The exercise is simple, we shall trowel and record objects from one metre square blocks of ground, and hopefully this will allow a better picture of how these ancient people lived here. Come and dig the dream of finding Scotland’s earliest people.

The Biggar Archaeology Group hopes you enjoy your visit or digging experience.