Underwater excavation could help understand Crannogs

Aug 07 2008

Underwater excavation could help understand Crannogs

Published by Gary at 7:51 pm under Archaeology, Celtic Society, Scottish Gaelic and Hebridean Mythology

Pic: BBC

The BBC reports that underwater archaeologists are taking to Loch Tay to try to uncover more about a submerged prehistoric woodland.

The stumps of about 50 trees were discovered in 2005 - some of them are thought to be about 6,000 years old.

The experts are now aiming to find their root system and establish the depth to which the trees are buried.

Meanwhile, a campaign has been launched to help restore the reconstructed crannog, an ancient loch dwelling, which attracts thousands of visitors.

The Scottish Trust for Underwater Archaeology will spend the next two weeks inspecting the drowned forest.

Pic: BBC

Barrie Andrian, who is an underwater archaeologist, told the BBC Scotland news website they could also uncover other secrets.

Potentially we could be finding evidence of human impact on the environment from several thousand years ago. But in general terms, in underwater archaeology we’re looking for remains of people travelling up and down the loch, things they’ve dropped, how they’ve used the loch and settlement alongside or in the water, because crannogs were built out in the water.

So if we’re going to find out more information about crannogs and the people who built them and lived in them we need to excavate underwater.

Staff will now look into ways of naturally protecting the structure and Polish specialists have even visited to give their advice.

Source

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