Tide turns on Iron Age midden treasure trove

From News Scotsman:

AN ANCIENT rubbish tip – inhabited nearly 2,000 years ago – is disappearing into the sea, archeologists have warned.

The Iron Age midden on Skye's west coast has so far yielded bone fragments, stone tools, a button manufactured from horn and the top of a human skull.

But experts are battling the elements in a race to save the 1,900-year-old treasure trove from the elements.

The manmade tools and fragments are already under attack from lashing waves and strong winds, with significant amounts of material already lost to the sea. A report published by Highland Council's Historic Environment Record said that at the current rate of erosion, the site will not last beyond 2010.

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Ancient midden ‘unlikely to survive beyond 2010’

From the BBC News:

An ancient midden, or rubbish dump, thought to have historical importance is under serious threat from erosion, according to archaeologists.

They said it was doubtful if artefacts at Uamh an Eich Bhric on Skye's west coast would survive beyond 2010. Excavations at the site during 2008 and earlier this year were seen as the "only chance" to investigate it. A report published online by Highland Council's Historic Environment Record said it was key Iron Age site.

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Discovery of Iron Age log boat shows how sea levels rose in past

From the Yorkshire Post:

THE DISCOVERY of a prehistoric boat which had been buried for more than 2,000 years beneath a farm field has already provided historians with an insight into Iron Age life in Yorkshire.

But now academics say the vessel which dates back to 300BC is also helping to show how the face of the region would change in future if the sea levels continue to rise.

As a debate rages over plans to allow land around the River Hull to revert to a swamp in an attempt to protect urban areas from a repeat of the 2007 floods, a group of scientists can provide a unique insight into what wide-spread flooding of the East Yorkshire countryside would look like.

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What is Archaeology?

Archaeology involves the scientific study of past human culture, technology and behaviour, through the material objects (artifacts) that were left behind, and the physical remains of the natural environment in which they were connected (faunal and floral remains, soils, and so on). Such remains provide clues about when a site was occupied and the way people were living (for instance, about social organization and cultural change). In the Old World, archaeology often relates to the group of techniques and theories used in obtaining such information. Although written records may sometimes help, the Iron Age Celts left few, leaving us to rely on the literary evidence provided for them from the classical world. Archaeology can thus be used to study the prehistoric past, prior to when written evidence begins, as well as during the historic part of history to support written documents. Archaeology is thus a multicultural discipline, which encourages respect for past and present human populations, and is a means of conserving our shared human heritage by providing individuals with viewpoints about their own links with the past.

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