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UKDIVING
The NOSAS team preparing to survey Loch Achilty Crannog
PHOTO : DUNCAN ROSS
Loch Achilty Crannog , Rossshire , Scottish Highlands
For anyone unsure what a crannog is , I offer this fairly general description : an artificial or semi-artificial island that has been utilised by humans . Some of them date from the Neolithic , some from the Iron Age , while others are dated to within the last two millennia . Scotland is full of them , as is Ireland , and Wales has but one . None have been found in England .
Made of timber or rocks ( or both ), some have been used and reused over time , complicating the dating process further . With so many differences and similarities between sites , neatly classifying
them is problematic . The fact that they are often difficult to access , and that the underwater visibility can be zero , are a couple of reasons why so few have been investigated in depth .
Nevertheless , they are potential fountains of knowledge that hold evidence about everyday life in periods such as the Iron Age , that simply don ’ t exist on terrestrial sites . My visit with Richard Guest of the North of Scotland Archaeology Society ( NOSAS ), was the first ever by divers . Submerged timbers , which have now been dated to the Medieval period , have altered the assumption that the island was originally an Iron Age construction . The base of the crannog is at about three metres , so you can leave your rebreather at home . �
Richard Guest investigating submerged timbers around Loch Achilty Crannog – now dated to the Medieval period |
PHOTO : DUNCAN ROSS |
Loch Achilty Crannog |
PHOTO : ANDY ’ S AERIAL ARCHAEOLOGY AND PHOTOGRAMMETRY SITE |
Richard Guest of NOSAS standing on Loch Achilty Crannog |
PHOTO : DUNCAN ROSS |
PHOTO : LOUISE ROSS
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Duncan researching Lloyds Shipping Registers
Get involved
The NAS and MAT offer various opportunities for divers and nondivers to help and experience project work first hand . Courses , projects , field schools and field work occur around the country at a range of exciting sites .
Joining a BSAC dive club active in the field of underwater archaeology is an ideal way to maximise such opportunities .
If you ’ d like to know more , I ’ ve created Facebook and YouTube pages where you will be able to keep up to date with what is going on in my tour . Also , feel free to email me if you have any questions , or if you know of any sites that would make interesting additions to the tour . duncanross @ hotmail . co . uk
Useful links
youtube . com /@ underwaterarchaeologytouro8879 maritimearchaeologytrust . org nauticalarchaeologysociety . org