Volunteers sought for Lerwick Garden Dig
Alistair Munro
Archaeologists investigating Lerwick’s trading past would like to hear from town centre householders interested in hosting a small excavation in their garden.
From Friday, 29th April, until Tuesday, 2nd May, a team from the University of the Highlands and Islands Archaeology Institute will be in Shetland as part of Looking in from the Edge – an international project examining the Northern Isles’ place in European trade networks of the 15th to 18th centuries.
The plan is to excavate a series of test pits around Lerwick’s historic centre to explore the town’s early settlement and look for evidence of trade links.
It is hoped the “Lerwick Garden Dig” will produce artefacts and animal remains that will not only help identify the diet of the early townsfolk but also the range of goods and materials being imported to Shetland.
But to do this the archaeologists need dig sites so are appealing to anyone with a garden, border or vegetable patch they wouldn’t mind being excavated to get in touch.
Each test pit will be one-metre-square and, after excavation, the area will be carefully returned to the state it was found.
Although the archaeologists will carry out the work, individual households are more than welcome to get involved in the dig.
If you can offer a space in your garden, please email enquiries.orca@uhi.ac.uk.
