Sophisticated, artistic, well-travelled – the Culduthel dig and Highlanders

[Imperial Dave]

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/inverness/3696336/iron-age-inverness/

another good find

[DougM]

Good stuff. And a surprisingly good report from the P & J.

[Imperial Dave]

yes I thought it was a pretty good summary

[Anton]

Yes, a good report and very interesting too.  The Men of Art who seemingly found another location for their vocation..

[CarlL]

Great find "Holly"

and if you follow the links you also get following:

a link to a new book and I have included this is the link copied here https://www.socantscot.org/publications/now-published-culduthel/

The book is  "Culduthel: An Iron Age Craftworking Centre in North-East Scotland" by Candy Hatherley and Ross Murray, published by Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and costing £30 (not sure if P&P is extra) and there is another link to an overview of the book which I include here https://www.socantscot.org/product/culduthel/

there is another link to an online (You Tube) lecture about same subject and this is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSQTd3BvaXA where Dr Candy Hatherley presents findings

CarlL

[Imperial Dave]

thanks Carl, much obliged

[DBS]

My copy of the site report arrived the other day.  Have not had a chance to sit down and get into it properly, but a quick scan of the metalwork section shows that they found an awful lot of waste - over a third of a ton of slag - from both smelting and smithing, including proof that the site was producing good quality natural steel.  What surprised them is that they cannot find any ore remnants, so they have been unable to determine the source and nature of the iron ore.  Only three weapons found - one long dagger, one short dagger that had been extensively resharpened after blade damage, and a small spearhead which they are guessing may be a javelin from its size.