GLASGOW, SCOTLAND—The islands of the St. Kilda archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean were inhabited some 2,000 years ago, according to a BBC News report. Alan Hunter Blair of Guard Archaeology said Iron Age pottery bearing residues of carbonized food was unearthed on the main St. Kilda island of Hirta during an investigation ahead of the renovation of a military base. One pottery fragment may even date to the Bronze Age, Blair added. No house structures were found, however, because stone from ancient buildings was likely reused in later construction, he explained. “Stone was also cleared, including that in burial mounds to increase the available cultivation area, leaving little trace of what may have been there before,” Blair said. The islands’ last permanent residents moved away in 1930. To read about another recent discovery on a different Scottish island, go to "What's in a Norse Name?"
Iron Age Pottery Found on Remote Scottish Island
News February 9, 2021
SHARE:
Recommended Articles
Off the Grid July/August 2022
Jarlshof, Shetland, Scotland
(Courtesy Stephen Dockrill)
Digs & Discoveries November/December 2019
Worlds Apart
(Courtesy Fraser Sturt)
Digs & Discoveries July/August 2023
Bog Togs
(Alan Richardson Pix-AR)
Digs & Discoveries January/February 2023
Storming the Castle
(Courtesy Copyright HES)
-
-
Features January/February 2021
Return to the River
Members of Virginia’s Rappahannock tribe are at work with archaeologists to document the landscape they call home
(Courtesy Julia King) -
Letter from Woodhenge January/February 2021
Stonehenge's Continental Cousin
A 4,000-year-old ringed sanctuary reveals a German village’s surprising connections with Britain
(Photo Matthias Zirn) -
Artifacts January/February 2021
Inca Box with Votive Offerings
(Courtesy Teddy Seguin/Université Libre de Bruxelles)