Digital 'dig' puts archaeology online
Archaeology across Scotland is being taken online this summer to highlight the "world-class" work being done throughout the country.
With much field work postponed due to coronavirus many experts have turned to social media to share their efforts. A hashtag has been set up to highlight the work at #ScotlandDigsDigital. Dr Jeff Sanders, project manager at the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland's Dig It! project, said it was a new chapter in challenging times. "Everyone is working to adapt to the current situation in order to ensure that Scottish archaeology remains open to everyone - an ethos which is at the heart of this campaign," he said. Full details of the work being undertaken can be found on the Dig It! website. It includes upcoming events such as talks on the replica "Atlantic Wall" near Stirling, rock art in one of Orkney's 5,000-year-old tombs, and the Kirkcudbright Bay shipwrecks in Dumfries and Galloway. Amy Eastwood, head of grants at Historic Environment Scotland, said the online offering was a "fantastic way" to encourage people to engage with the nation's heritage. "I hope that people will follow the hashtag and find out more about excavations and the valuable work that's carried out by archaeologists throughout the country to uncover Scotland's stories," she said. It is hoped that field work can resume next year and the projects can once again welcome members of the public with more conventional free tours, open days and volunteering opportunities.