We are partnered with the Shetland Museum for our latest free talk. Thurs 5th May 7.30pm
25 yrs ago archivist Brian Smith wrote about the arrival of Vikings in Shetland and Orkney, now he reviews the current state of the debate
Please prebook www.shetlandmuseumandarchives.org.uk/events/talk-....
Our first talk of 2026.
Artificial Beaches - Shetland's Forgotten History
January 15th, 7pm, Islesburgh Community Centre
Join us as John Goodlad explains why they were made, who built them and when. This will be a fascinating discussion of an under-researched area of our history.
Our Gletness dig made the top five! Thank you to everyone involved, including our lovely colleagues at @coastarch.bsky.social and the endlessly welcoming Jenny and Andy at Gletness.
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2570333...
⭐ Experimental Archaeology on a Grand Scale: reconstructing a Viking-age sail
A talk by Shetland Museum & Archives' Carol Christiansen.
💫Thursday, December 4th, 7pm at Islesburgh Community Centre
📸 Image: ship's figurehead graffiti found at Jarlshof, now in the National Museum of Scotland.
🎃 Archaeology Shetland AGM 🎃
October 30th, 7pm-8:30pm
Islesburgh Community Centre
Lerwick
Please join us for our 10th Anniversary AGM for a year and decade in review. This will be followed by our annual Halloween themed short presentation.
Everyone welcome.
Aerial image of the excavation trenches
Prehistoric buildings exposed by coastal erosion
Gletness Excavation Report is out!
In May, SCAPE & Archaeology Shetland excavated an eroding Middle-Late Iron Age settlement & a Bronze Age burnt mound.
Short visit, big archaeology.
Download the Report: scapetrust.org/wp-content/u...
@archshet.bsky.social
#coastarch #CoastalHeritage #hessupported
Free entry to Jarlshof for local visitors (ZE postcodes) on Sunday 7th September to celebrate 100 years of state care!
Another great day out, survey work around Priesthoulland, Eshaness.
#communityarchaeology #shetlandarchaeology #shetlandheritage #croftingheritage
A corbelled stone structure continues beneath the visible closing slabs.
An area of paving may have been a passageway or cell in the burnt mound complex, and is covered by dumps of hearth waste (peat ash, burnt clay and charcoal) suggesting the hearth area is close by.
Fire-cracked stones form the burnt mound, which surrounds the main activity area.
Our excavation at Gletness in Shetland with @archshet.bsky.social revealed the heat-shattered stones of a burnt mound, a beautiful, manly limestone paved area, and excitingly, the closing slabs at the top of subterranean corbelled structure - possibly the roof of a Bronze Age well! #hessupported
Special Saturday tour!
Old Scatness Broch and Iron Age Village
June 28th at 10:15am, 12:15pm, 2:30pm
Usually open on Fridays only, join them on a special Saturday tour on the 28th of June as an archaeologist guide uncovers the mystery, myth and legend of this world class heritage site.
Keep an eye out for our next Meal roads survey coming soon or get in touch for more details!
#shetlanddigs2025
@digitscotland.bsky.social
Bones
This is around half of the animal bone assemblage we recovered from fairly small evaluation trenches at Mail.
#UniversityofAberdeen #ArchaeologyShetland #NPicts
Malcolm with bone awl
Awl
Broch islet
That’s us all done and dusted at Mail, Shetland this year. We’ve shown there is some incredible archaeology at Mail and hope to be back again next year if we can raise some funding. Many thanks to all our University of Aberdeen students and Archaeology Shetland for making this possible
Taxi!
Whetstone!
Walls!
Islet trench
Day 4 Mail. With the low tide getting later in the day we had to get inventive with getting ourselves out to the islet. Amazing walls coming out in some of the mainland trenches and again loads of animal bone. The highlight of the day was pottery! Lots of pottery sherds in various trenches.
Patrick with mortar
Mortar
Iona with steatite
Whorl
Absolutely amazing day at Mail today- we got to the occupation deposits in the islet fort - part of a huge steatite vessel was lying on the floor next to a hearth from the final occupation. On the mainland walls and animal bone everywhere and some lovely artefacts including a lead spindle whorl!
Some of our members are out and about digging again this week with the @northernpicts.bsky.social team! 😊
#communityarchaeology
#shetlandarchaeology
#northernpicts
@digitscotland.bsky.social
What a brilliant time we've had with @coastarch.bsky.social again and so pleased we've been able to fill in a few more blanks about this eroding site.
#communityarchaeology
#shetlandarchaeology
@digitscotland.bsky.social
End of day three with @coastarch.bsky.social and we're starting to record the site, digging again tomorrow morning and then it'll be finishing off the recording and backfilling the site.
#communityarchaeology #shetlandarchaeology
@digitscotland.bsky.social
Gletness Day 2 with @coastarch.bsky.social
Gletness Day 2 with @coastarch.bsky.social
All the volunteer spaces are now full for Gletness, members get the first opportunity on events with limited numbers, see our website or message for more info.
#communityarchaeology
#shetlandarchaeology
Still opportunities to get involved in coastal heritage survey walks in Yell (4-6 June) contact Joanna on jh105@st-andrews.ac.uk
#communityarchaeology #coastalmonitoring #shetlandarchaeology
Surveying the meal roads - a year long project for 2025. Contact us if you would like to take part.
