bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Palynological investigations at two Bronze Age burial sites in Fife
Authors: Whittington Graeme
Published: April 2023

During excavation of Bronze Age cists, samples were obtained for pollen analysis. One cist, at Upper Kenly Farm, Kingsbarns, yielded no particularly informative pollen. Material from two cists at Dalgety Bay yielded very low concentrations of pollen from grass, plantain, and, probably, hazel, but high concentrations of meadowsweet pollen. Flowers of meadowsweet were probably deposited in these graves at the time of burial; their absence from the Kenly burials may be because those burials took place in winter.
Excavations at Craigievar Castle, Aberdeenshire
Authors: Greig Moira K , Greig Colvin , Lindsay Bill , Thain Stewart , Williamson Gordon
Published: April 2023

Excavation in 1990 revealed the remains of the east wall and part of the south wall of the original barmkin, along with two contemporary stone drains and a few post--holes. Coins, pottery, and glass were also recovered.
West Highland and Hebridean settlement pattern prior to crofting and the Clearances: a study in stability or change?
Authors: Dodgshon Robert A
Published: April 2023

Before their reorganisation into crofts or clearance for sheep, farming townships of the west Highlands and Islands were generally arranged around small irregular clusters of settlement, known as clachans or bailtean. For some, these clusters are an archaic settlement form with roots in late prehistory. This paper argues for a different interpretation of their character and chronology. Using a mix of documentary, cartographic, and field data, it argues that the settlement morphology of bailtean was not fixed or stable, but in a continuous state of flux, with individual house--sites being regularly abandoned and reoccupied. Their nucleated form may have replaced a more diffused pattern, and the switch between the two may not have begun until the late medieval period and may have still been incomplete even in the eighteenth century. It is argued that this adjustment of settlement accompanied a shift from a field economy based on enclosures to one based on runrig open fields.
Lecture Summaries
Authors: Batey Coleen , Fulford Michael , Davis Mary , Sheridan Alison , Staniland Kay , Morrison Alex , Litten Julian , Finlayson W , Foster Sally
Published: April 2023

Eight lecture summaries:The discovery of a Norse horizontal mill at Orphir, OrkneyBritain and the Mediterranean in Late AntiquityScottish prehistoric 'jet' jewellery: some new workMedieval embroiderersField survey and excavation at Dunbeath, CaithnessThe post-medieval burial vault 1450-1715Post-glacial hunter/gatherers in Europe and their adaptation to changeBrochs: domestic architecture and changing social configurations in prehistoric and Early Historic Scotland
Meetings of the Society, 1992-3
Authors: - -
Published: April 2023

Details of Society meetings held in 1992 – 1993.
A new Neolithic burial cairn in Orkney?
Authors: Hunter John R
Published: April 2023

During the excavation of a series of post--medieval boat nousts at Hurnip's Point, Deerness, Orkney, in 1991 it was discovered that one of the nousts had been constructed against the side of an earlier cairn. Topographical and geophysical surveys showed the cairn to be tadpole--like in shape with a total length of some 60m. Exploratory excavation of the `tail' of the cairn suggested that the monument was probably a Neolithic passage grave.
A beaker cist from Balblair, near Beauly, Inverness District
Authors: Hanley Robin , Sheridan Alison
Published: April 2023

An unusually small cist is described, containing two `Late Northern/step 5' Beakers (one normal sized, the other small), and with chemical traces suggesting the former presence of unburnt human remains.
Excavations beside Sruth a' Mhuilinn ('the Mill Stream'), Iona
Authors: O'Sullivan Jerry , Boardman Sheila , Tipping Richard
Published: April 2023

Excavation beside Sruth a'Mhuilinn recorded a man-made, sub-rectangular pool cut into the gravels of the  stream course, as well as a group of large post-pits. The pool was deliberately back-filled in the course of a recent reorganization of the site. There is no salient archaeological interpretation, but discussion considers whether this is the site of a modern horizontal water mill, and weighs this possibility in the light of the well-attested tradition for the use of Sruth a'Mhuilinn as a mill stream. The excavation was funded by Historic Scotland.
Palynology as a predictive tool in archaeology
Authors: Whittington Graeme , Edwards Kevin J
Published: April 2023

Considers the depth and varied nature of palynological data and suggests its use to pose and isolate problems for archaeological investigation rather than be used only as a post-excavation study.
Excavations at Balgonie Castle, Markinch, Fife
Authors: Will Robert S , Dixon T N
Published: April 2023

Reports excavations in the courtyard area, including details of: `The modern pottery' by G Cruickshank & R S Will (1114); `The clay pipes' by C J M Martin (1116); `Glass' by K R Murdoch (1116--17); and `Animal bones' by Catherine Smith & G W Ian Hodgson (1117).
The ogham-inscribed spindle whorl from Buckquoy: evidence for the Irish language in pre-Viking Orkney?
Authors: Forsyth Katherine
Published: April 2023

Offers a new interpretation of the inscribed spindle whorl.
Archaeological excavations at Cockpen medieval parish church, Midlothian, 1993
Authors: O'Sullivan Jerry , Holmes Nicholas M McQ
Published: April 2023

Reports excavations in the course of conservation work that revealed the church's structural evolution. Medieval and post-medieval burials were discovered along with indications of pre-church activity. There are details of `Coins and coin-weight' by N M McQ Holmes (898--9).
Lion Hunt: a royal tomb-effigy at Arbroath Abbey
Authors: Gimson G S
Published: April 2023

Reports the results of research into a fourteenth-century marble effigy's subject matter -- thought here to be King William the Lion (d. 1214).
Burgage plots of medieval Perth: the evidence from excavations at Canal Street
Authors: Coleman Russel J , Cheer Peter , Cox Adrian , Holmes Nicholas , Smith Catherine , Fairweather Alan
Published: April 2023

Excavations undertaken in 1985 revealed four burgage plots with occupation spanning the mid-thirteenth to the early-fifteenth centuries. Evidence for malting, in the form of a kiln and coble, was recovered in an area relatively undeveloped until the eighteenth century. There are specialist reports on:`The pottery' by Peter Cheer (712--18); `The artefacts' by Adrian Cox (718--24) including a note on the `Coins' by Nicholas Holmes (724); `Animal bone' by Catherine Smith (725--6); `Botanical remains' by Alan Fairweather (726--7).
Archaeological evidence for 18th-century medical practice in the Old Town of Edinburgh: excavations at 13 Infirmary Street and Surgeons' Square
Authors: Henderson David , Collard Mark , Johnston Daniel A
Published: April 2023

Articulated human skeletons and disarticulated bones recovered in 1993 from excavations in the area of the former Lady Yester's Kirkyard showed clear evidence of post-mortem dissection. They are identified as the `unclaimed' dead buried by the Royal Infirmary in the second half of the eighteenth century. There was evidence for post-mortem tooth removal from all the dentitions recovered during the excavation, probably for the manufacture of sets of false teeth. A further assemblage of human bones, found in 1988 adjacent to eighteenth/nineteenth-century anatomy schools formed part of a teaching collection from the schools.
Preliminaries
Authors: - -
Published: April 2023

Front matter for Volume 126

Table of Contents

Council for 1995-6

Patron and Honorary Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 1995-6

Laws of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland

Editorial
The excavation of Cairnwell ring-cairn, Portlethen, Aberdeenshire
Authors: Rees Thomas , Barber J , Dalland M , Duffy A , Holden T , MacSween A , McSweeney K
Published: April 2023

The ring-cairn was completely excavated prior to its reconstruction nearby. The site originally comprised an arc of pits, in use by the Neo period (4320±80 BP -- GU-4402) surrounding a stone circle which may have been of similar date. After a long hiatus, a pyre was burnt within the stone circle (3070±60 BP -- GU-4399). A timber enclosure, with an entrance to the south, was then erected within the stone circle and five urned cremations interred in pits in the centre of the enclosure. Later the timber enclosure was replaced by a stone ring-cairn which respected the interior area delimited by the timber enclosure. This ring-cairn was subsequently expanded to incorporate the stone circle. There are notes on: `Cremated bone' by Kath McSweeney (265--6); `Botanical remains' by Tim Holden (266--8 & 269); `Pottery' by Ann MacSween (268--71); `Lithics' by Thomas Rees (271--2); `Charcoal samples' by Alan Duffy (272); `Calibration' of seven radiocarbon dates by Magnar Dalland (272); and `Analysis of the radiocarbon dates' by John Barber (272--3).
The Roman Gask system tower at Shielhill South, Perthshire: excavations in 1973 and 1996
Authors: Woolliscroft David J , Hoffmann Birgitta
Published: April 2023

Reports on previously unpublished excavations of 1973 and subsequent investigations in 1996 which revealed a double ditched four post multi-period timber tower forming part of a group of four such towers at the southern end of the Flavian frontier.
The development of an Early Historic tree-ring chronology for Scotland
Authors: Crone Anne
Published: April 2023

Notes the body of evidence from Whithorn, Dumfries and Galloway and Buiston, Ayrshire which has produced a master chronology known as SCOTEH (Scottish and Early Historic) covering the period AD250--752. Also discusses the lack of correlation in attempts to date smaller assemblages from Iona, Dundurn, Loch Glashan and Castle Loch.
Preliminaries
Authors: - -
Published: April 2023

Front matter for Volume 128

Table of Contents

Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Council for 1997-8

Patron and Honorary Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 1997-8

Editorial Board for the Proceedings, 1997-8

Laws of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
Excavation of an Iron Age timber structure beside the Candle Stane recumbent stone circle, Aberdeenshire
Authors: Cameron Kirsty , Cressey M
Published: April 2023

Reports excavations undertaken in 1996/1997 by Edinburgh University Centre for Field Archaeology (CFA). The area had suffered extensive damage from quarrying prior to its recognition as an archaeological site and therefore less than one half of the relevant area remained. The structure was defined by a ring-groove that would have been c 15.5m in diameter; it enclosed three near-concentric rings of post-holes. Charcoal from these features was radiocarbon dated to the first millennium BC. The entranceway to the structure was massively built and, had the structure been roofed, could have formed a porch. Internal features included a large stone-filled pit and a suite of stake-holes located towards the centre of the structure. No artefacts were recovered.
Ronald Gordon Gant
Authors: Crawford Barbara E
Published: April 2023

Ronald Gordon Cant was born on 16 December 1908 in Karachi, India (now Pakistan), the son of the Rev. Alan Cant, chaplain of the Church of Scotland in the Indian Ecclesiastical Establishment, and Mary Bryce, from a west of Scotland family.
Excavation of an Iron Age and Romano-British enclosure at Woodend Farm, Johnstonebridge, Annandalw, 1994 and 1997
Authors: Banks Iain , Alldritt D , Duncan J S , Photos-Jones E , Simpson I A , Taylor K , Simpson B
Published: April 2023

Excavations were undertaken at a multi-vallate enclosure in advance of the construction of an extension of the M6 motorway. Geophysical survey and excavation revealed a third bank beyond two upstanding banks. Within the interior, seven separate blocks of superimposed buildings were observed, together with an eighth, single-phase structure interpreted as an animal pen. Artefacts were few, consisting of worked stones and querns, while the radiocarbon dates indicated a Romano-British date for much of the occupation, although the enclosure was built in the pre-Roman Iron Age. Includes separately authored reports on:
Meetings of the Society 1999 - 2000
Authors: - -
Published: April 2023

Details of Society meetings held in 1999 – 2000.
Excavation of Neolithic and Bronze Age settlement features at Lamb's Nursery, Dalkeith, Midlothian
Authors: Cook Murray , Duffy A , Ellis C , MacSween A , Rankin D , Rees T
Published: April 2023

Excavation identified the remains of at least two timber roundhouses, one of which was dated to the mid second millennium BC. The site also contained a Neolithic structure and series of pits, some of which contained fragments of Grooved Ware pottery. Includes separately authored reports on:
A Cordoned Urn burial with faience from 102 Findhorn, Moray
Authors: Shepherd Ian A G , Shepherd Alexandra N , McDonald A , Powell F , Sheridan J A , Wilthew P
Published: April 2023

Report on the discovery of a large Cordoned Urn containing the cremated remains of an adult female and a neonate or foetal infant. The urn also contained twenty-two mostly fragmentary segmented beads and one star-shaped bead, all faience. The urn had been inverted in a pit and pyre debris placed over the upper fill of the pit. This deposit contained a further two faience beads, one star-shaped and incomplete, the other quoit-shaped, and a small chunk of flint. The urn and beads are similar to those found on Culbin Sands nearby during the nineteenth century. Charcoal from the pyre debris was radiocarbon dated to c.3410 BP.
Excavations at Cuiltburn on the Roman Gask System, Perth and Kinross
Authors: Woolliscroft David J , Hoffmann Birgitta , Wild F C , Finnegan A C , Barham E M
Published: April 2023

Report of an excavation and geophysical survey conducted by the Roman Gask Project on a rectangular enclosure beside the Roman road. The site had been thought to be a possible Roman fortlet but, although it yielded only Roman dating material, it did not appear to be military in nature.
Anniversary meeting
Authors: - -
Published: April 2023

At the Anniversary meeting the Annual Report was delivered covering topics such as Membership, Meetings, the activities of the Society and publications. The Treasurer also presented the report on the Society’s finances. The Council for the following session was elected, as were new applicants for Fellowship. A list of Fellows who died during 2000-2001 was presented. The President then gave the President's Address.
Late prehistoric settlement, Berryhill, Aberdeenshire
Authors: Murray Hilary , Saville A
Published: April 2023

Excavation in 1999 and 2000 revealed occupation evidence dating from the Neolithic to the twentieth century. A hilltop stone walled enclosure possibly from the first century AD and a contemporaneous stone hut circle, taken along with the later rectangular structures, together urge caution in interpretation of apparently simple hilltop sites.
A first millennium AD cemetery, rectangular Bronze Age structure and late prehistoric settlement at Thornybank, Midlothian
Authors: Rees Alastair R , McGill C , MacSween A , Sinfield L N
Published: April 2023

Includes reports on:
A Bronze Age burial ground at Longniddry, East Lothian
Authors: Baker Louise , Henderson David
Published: April 2023

Rescue excavation of human remains was carried out at Evergreen, Longniddry, prompted by a chance discovery by workmen. Three crouched inhumations were found, one of which was in a cist. The disturbed and disarticulated remains of two further individuals were also identified. The burials were associated with a concentration of stones and pebbles which may have been the remains of a cairn. Radiocarbon dating yielded dates of 1690 to 1310 cal BC at 2-sigma range. Other burials identified during previous excavations indicate these burials are part of a more extensive Bronze Age burial ground.
The excavation of two burnt mounds and a wooden trough near Beechwood Farm, Inshes, Inverness, 1999
Authors: Cressey Michael , Strachan Richard , Church Mike , McGill Catherine , Tams Adrian
Published: April 2023

An archaeological watching brief undertaken during topsoil stripping operations in the course of sewer  construction led to the identification of two burnt mounds and a series of unrelated pits. Subsequent archaeological excavation of one of the mounds revealed the remains of a waterlogged timber trough, the contents of which afforded the preservation of environmental information concerning its use and later abandonment. The trough was radiocarbon dated to the late third millennium cal BC, placing it in the Early Bronze Age.
St Kilda: the pre-Improvement clachan
Authors: Fleming Andrew
Published: April 2023

Archaeological studies of Hirta, the main island of the St Kilda archipelago to the west of the Western Isles of Scotland, have debated the location and character of the settlement demolished during the Improvement phase of the 1830s. This paper argues that archaeological evidence for the clachan is recoverable, and that it is in very good agreement with the drawings made by Acland and Atkinson in the early 19th century.
Meetings of the Society 2002-2003
Authors: - -
Published: April 2023

Details of Society meetings held in 2002 – 2003.
A reconsideration of the origins of early Insular monumental lettering of the mixed alphabet type
Authors: Charles-Edwards Gifford
Published: April 2023

The inscribed letterforms of Britain contemporaneous with Nash-Williams’s Group I inscriptions, AD 400–600, of Early Christian Monuments of Wales show features that cannot be described as calligraphic. They show little scribal awareness in their execution. There are among them ‘mixed alphabet’ inscriptions that combine features of informal cursive hands with simplified and angular minuscule letters; in the course of the seventh century the haphazard mixed alphabet style improves to the level of deliberate design. This article examines one Iona survivor – the small ‘Lapis Echodi’ chi-rho cross-slab – in relation to this non calligraphic mixed-alphabet group. In it careful comparisons are made between epigraphic and scribal letterforms, with analytical diagrams based on the surviving manuscript pen-forms that represent the type of Insular bookhand that preceded those written in canonical Insular half-uncial. If it is possible to establish the existence of this earlier pre-canonical hand as an influence on epigraphy, it is hoped to refine the wide dating bands that presently exist.
Excavations in the Laird's Hall, Drum Castle, Aberdeenshire
Authors: Greig Moira K , Cerón-Carracso R , Clydesdale A , Crowley N , Gabra-Sanders T , Gallagher D , Holden T , Holmes N , Kenwood H , Large F , McCormick F , McMullen A , Mills C , Morgan G , Murray C , Purser J , Skidmore P , Thomas C
Published: April 2023

Report of an excavation carried out at the Castle of Drum in 1991 to investigate the possibility of uncovering evidence of the life of the great tower prior to the seventeenth century, and to try to date the structure. Excavation was restricted to the upper Laird's Hall and to part of the cellar. Although few datable artefacts were recovered, organic remains from floor deposits survived. The stone base of a screen was uncovered at the eastern end of the hall, along with post-holes and a post rest in the northeast corner, in the area where the stairs to the upper floor had stood. A small wooden musical instrument was recovered from the cellar. Specialist reports include
Anniversary meeting
Authors: - -
Published: April 2023

At the Anniversary meeting the Treasurer presented the report on the Society’s finances. Other topics covered at the meeting included the Society’s activities, publications and awards. The Editor of the Proceedings also presented a report on the Society’s publications. The Council for the following session was elected, as were new applicants for Fellowship. A list of Fellows who died during 2003-2004 is included. The President's Address was then delivered and the Director’s Annual Report was read.
New light on Kelso Abbey
Authors: Lowe Christopher , Franklin Julie , Hastie Mhairi , Henderson David , Photos-Jones Effie , Stronach Simon
Published: April 2023

Archaeological fieldwork on the old garage site on Bridge Street, Kelso, has revealed the extensive and well-preserved remains of buildings associated with the Abbey precinct. A series of large, substantial structures lay immediately to the west of the site of the cloister's west range. Pottery from the site includes stratified examples of an early pink Gritty Ware, similar to that found in early levels at Jedburgh. A rare condiment dish, possibly thirteenth-century in date, was also found. Evidence of copper-based alloy working was also identified. Two principal phases of construction were identified, separated by a major reorganisation and landscaping of the site, in perhaps the late-thirteenth or early-fourteenth century. One of the later buildings is tentatively identified as the monastic granary. There are indications that this part of the precinct was possibly abandoned prior to the Dissolution in the late-sixteenth century. Forming part of the later glebe lands, the area was ultimately given over to gardens. Includes separately authored contributions on
The landscape context of the Antonine Wall: a review of the literature
Authors: Tipping Richard , Tisdall Eileen
Published: April 2023

The landscape, environmental and land use changes before, during and after Antonine occupation are examined for the region of central Scotland between the Southern Uplands and the Grampian Highlands, principally from the published literature. The purpose is to synthesize and make available a range of new palaeoenvironmental data, to evaluate critically these new data-sets, to search for significant shifts in landscape or land use and to characterize their timings and effects, thus placing the Antonine occupation in a coherent landscape context. It is established that economic expansion in the region occurred in the later Iron Age, demonstrably before Roman military occupation. This expansion developed from Bronze Age and earlier Iron Age small-scale farms and gathered pace in the last cal 200–300 years BC, for crop growing as well as pasture, and was continued rather than intensified in the first two centuries cal AD. It is difficult to see differences in this economic expansion north and south of the Antonine Wall itself, or east and west of the Forth–Clyde isthmus, but it is tentatively suggested that in the foothills of the Southern Uplands the Romans entered a landscape already decaying. Roman influence is perhaps recognizable at some localities in a reduction of cereal production and the expansion of grazed pasture, assumed to represent a restructuring of the native economy to support a new market. It is presumed that imports of foodstuffs continued to be important to Roman forces during Antonine occupation, although possible reconstructions of the sediments in the Forth and Clyde estuaries suggest these may not have provided ideal harbours. There is little evidence that this increased pastoral economy imposed stresses on soils or plant communities, and the market seems to have been readily supplied within the agricultural capacity of the landscape. Nevertheless, the native economy was probably artificially buoyed by the Roman presence, and withdrawal eventually led to what is best described as an agricutural recession, not population collapse.
A richly decorated cross-slab from Kilduncan House, Fife: description and analysis
Authors: Trench-Jellicoe Ross
Published: April 2023

The article contends that the discovery in late 2001 of a small slab with a sophisticated and, in part, unique decorative programme near the eastern seabord of Fife, raises questions about the cultural affinities and dating of sculpture in Scotland. It is argued that analysis of the Kilduncan slab's carving suggests that the majority of its expected connections of form and ornament lie not with other monuments in eastern-central Scotland but rather in two seemingly mutually exclusive zones: sculpture in a North Sea province, stretching from the shores of the Moray Firth as far as the Northern Isles, Shetland demonstrating particularly strong affinities; and another yet further afield in an Irish Sea province where unique parallels occur, some only on metalwork. A primary milieu is proposed for the Kilduncan slab in a context of Scando-insular culture in Northern Scotland, probably on proto-episcopal estates in Moray linked with St Andrews but drawing on cultural affinities on occasion as distant as south-west Wales and southern Ireland, transmitted via western sea routes to a Christian culture in northern Scotland before redistribution southwards. Unexpected connections also occur with north-east England, implying St Andrews influence at work during Alban expansion southwards around the end of the first millennium AD.
An unusual pair of Roman bronze vessels from Stoneywood, Aberdeen, and other Roman finds from north-east Scotland
Authors: Curtis Neil G W , Hunter Fraser , Ingemark D , O'Neil M
Published: April 2023

The provenance of two Roman bronze vessels in the collections of Marischal Museum has recently been discovered in the journal of Rev John Skinner’s 1825 Northern Tour. The reliability of this source is discussed, alongside a consideration of the antiquarian networks of the time. The vessels comprise a dipper and strainer set: unusually, the strainer is unfinished, and possible implications of this are considered. An Appendix catalogues other, mostly unpublished, Roman material from north-east Scotland in the Marischal Museum.
Constraints on terminal sounds in the inscriptions of early Scotland
Authors: Adams Geoffrey R
Published: April 2023

A survey was undertaken of the inscriptions from the early medieval period in Scotland in both Roman and Ogham script which have not been deciphered to the satisfaction of all scholars. It is argued that these inscriptions are linguistic in nature, implying a link between letters and sounds. The inscriptions of this period, excluding ones known to be in Latin or Old Irish, are surveyed, drawing attention to patterns in the distribution of sounds. The occurrence of sounds represented by letters in terminal positions in units of speech is contrasted with the occurrence of sounds in other environments, and it is shown that the terminal sounds conform to a constraint excluding consonantal stops. This is consistent with the behaviour of a single language, reasonably identified as Pictish, in these texts, though it is possible that there is more than one language within these undeciphered inscriptions.
Occupational mapping of 1635 Edinburgh: an introduction
Authors: Allen Aaron M
Published: April 2023

The focus of this study in occupational mapping is on combining locational data for early modern occupations with a contemporary town plan of Edinburgh, in order to study occupational distribution in the urban environment. Much work has recently been done on the social, economic and occupational structure of burghs, but very little has been done on the physical locations of the various work-types. By combining data from a 1635 tax roll with the corresponding section of the 1647 Gordon of Rothiemay map of Edinburgh, a new tool was formed for visualizing the distribution and physical patterns of urban occupations in the south-east quarter of Scotland’s capital.
Time and place: a new chronology for the origin of the broch based on the scientific dating programme at the Old Scatness Broch, Shetland
Authors: Dockrill Steven J , Outram Z , Batt C M
Published: April 2023

Iron Age studies in northern Britain have been dominated by one monument form, the broch. This focus on these monumental towers of the Atlantic Scotland, perhaps at the expense of other archaeological evidence, has brought about a strong division in the archaeological community. MacKie and Armit have both recently summarized the development of broch studies detailing the opposing arguments for the date of construction. In recent years archaeological evidence for these monuments has indicated an indigenous development rather than being associated with the movement of Iron Age peoples. This paper presents new chronological data for the construction of a Shetland broch and examines the archaeological repercussions for the ‘early’ chronology provided by these dates. Excavations at Old Scatness in the South Mainland of Shetland have revealed new evidence for a broch and defended Iron Age Village.
Intermittent occupation and forced abandonment: excavation of an Iron Age promotory fort at Carghidown, Dumfries and Galloway
Authors: Toolis Ronan , Duffy Alan , Engl Rob , Evans J , Fouracre Lynne , Horstwood Matthew S , Hunter Fraser , Inglis Robin , Pashley V , Poller Tessa , Blair A Hunter
Published: April 2023

Excavations at Carghidown demonstrate sporadic occupation of this promontory fort over a short period, during the late first millennium BC or early first millennium AD. The analysis of lead beads from this settlement adds support to growing evidence for copper mining in this area of Galloway at the time and suggests that the inhabitants were of some status within the local social hierarchy. The excavation also demonstrates that the site was only formally enclosed during the latter stages of its occupation and that within a year or two of this act of enclosure the ramparts were violently thrown down, the repair and construction of buildings within the settlement was abruptly halted and occupation ceased.
The Dupplin Cross: recent investigations
Authors: Ewart Gordon , Gallagher Dennis , Ritchie Anna
Published: April 2023

Widespread public concern about the weathering of the Dupplin Cross resulted in its removal from its site in the parklands of Dupplin Castle to a sheltered environment at St Serf’s Church, Dunning. An archaeological investigation of the immediate environment of the cross was carried out as part of this operation. This paper describes the cross and its context in the royal and ecclesiastical milieu of the ninth century. Cartographic evidence shows that the cross was in its present location from the late 17th century; its survival is traced in the context of a developing post-medieval designed landscape.
Excavations at Dunure Road, Ayrshire: a Bronze Age cist cemetery and standing stone
Authors: Duffy Paul R J , Finlay Nyree , MacGregor Gavin , McLaren Dawn , McKenzie Jo , Miller J , Ramsay Susan , Sheridan Alison , Smith Chris , Will Robert
Published: April 2023

In March 2005, excavations were undertaken by Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division (GUARD) at the Craig Tara Holiday Park, Dunure Road, Ayr in advance of proposed development. Two main archaeological sites were examined.

The first, a flat cist cemetery covered by an earthen mound, comprised 23 separate burial features of varying morphology from two separate phases of burial, including cists, pits and what has been interpreted as a ‘boat-shaped’ setting. Nine cremations and four possible inhumations were recovered from within the burial features as well as a range of material culture including Food Vessels, flint artefacts and a bone pin. Dating of cremated bone from the cists indicated that activity at the site stretched from the late third to the early second millennium BC.

The second site, a demolished or fallen standing stone, was located some 35m to the north and eastof the first. Although the sequence of monument construction and demolition is clear, the reasons forthe demolition of the stone are less so. However, a rare opportunity to date the stone was presentedwith the identification of a cremation deposit within the construction pit backfill. This indicated thatthe stone was constructed in the last quarter of the second millennium BC, suggesting a continuum ofactivity in the area late into the second millennium BC.
Burgage plot patterns and dimensions in four Scottish burghs
Authors: Tait Robin
Published: April 2023

A comparison is reported of cartographic studies that have been made of the burgage plots in Edinburgh, Canongate, St Andrews and Perth. The results confirm and extend those of earlier studies of St Andrews and Perth. In particular, the presence of plots differing in width by quarter-widths is confirmed. The earlier reports of some plots not complying with this scheme are discussed, and it is demonstrated that the plot widths in the four burghs all do in fact conform. It is suggested that the plots were set out to these varying widths rather than the pattern resulting form later subdivision and amalgamation of plots of uniform width. Possible measurement units which may have been used in setting out the plots are discussed. A systematic pattern of the closes used to access the backlands is reported and it is suggested that a degree of central control is likely to have been exercised over their positioning.
Excavation of medieval graves at St Thomas' Kirk, Hall of Rendall, Orkney
Authors: Toolis Ronan , Barrett J , Boulton N , Chenery C , Evans J , Hall D , MacSween A , Melikian M , Richards M
Published: April 2023

In early 2005 a particularly severe storm exposed human bones on the foreshore immediately east of the ruins of St Thomas' Kirk. The subsequent excavation recovered fourteen individual inhumations. The skeletons exhibited a relatively high number of pathological conditions and evidence of a diet that included fish, meat and dairy products. Isotopic analysis confirms that one of the individuals was from either the outer Hebrides or Northern Shetland while the rest originated from Orkney. The graves were arranged in distinct grave plots on a north/south aligned row, clustered particularly close to the east side of St Thomas' Kirk. Imported medieval pottery, of a type unknown in Orkney or indeed Scotland, was recovered from the graves.
An Irish provenance for the Monzie Estate gold?
Authors: Ó Néill John
Published: April 2023

General Alexander Campbell of Monzie, a little known antiquarian, provides the link between groupof gold objects now held by the National Museum of Scotland and purporting to come from theMonzie Estate, and, a possible Irish provenance. Known objects in Campbell’s possession includeseveral finds from Ireland and at least one book on Irish antiquities whilst his military career tookhim to Ireland on a number of occasions in the late 18th and early 19th century. Many Irish collectorsfrom this period are known through later acquisitions by public museums. Individuals like Campbellwho were based outside of Ireland are not as well known and the true extent of their collecting isuncertain and is perhaps now unmappable but does raise the possibility that a larger quantity ofIrish material was moved to collections in Scotland than is generally assumed.
West Pans: excavations at a ceramic production site in Musselburgh, East Lothian
Authors: Lewis John , Cobo del Arco Belén , Eremin Katherine , Forbes Sheila , Gallagher Dennis , Haggarty George , Miller Suzanne , Murdoch Robin , Tate Jim , Chenery Simon
Published: April 2023

Excavations were undertaken in 1981 and 1990–1 at the site of the 18th-/19th-century ceramicsmanufacturing complex of West Pans, near Musselburgh. The foundations of several structures wereuncovered although many proved impossible to interpret or date. Several puddling pits, most of themquite small, were identified, as was part of a hovel (the circular structure surrounding a kiln) andthe remains of two kilns, one of which might have been for glass-making. Other buildings could havebeen drying rooms or stores. The large quantities of ceramics from several phases of occupationbetween the early 18th and the early 19th century included porcelain wasters from the period whenWilliam Littler was at West Pans, c 1764 and 1777. Some evidence of the 19th-century village of WestPans was uncovered to the north of the area, on land reclaimed from the sea. To the east of the mainsite, a watching brief in 2002 and a salvage excavation in 2003 revealed part of a brick structurepossibly associated with salt-making, another important early industry at West Pans.
An Unusual Tracing
Authors: Kassem Sameer , Naschitz Jochanan E.
Published: April 2023

This case report presents the electrocardiogram findings of a patient in their 90s with end-stage dementia, pressure ulcers, extrapyramidal syndrome, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, and hypothyroidism who experienced a massive aspiration of gastric content.
Preterm Birth, Small for Gestational Age, and Large for Gestational Age and the Risk of Atrial Fibrillation Up to Middle Age
Authors: Yang Fen , Janszky Imre , Gissler Mika , Cnattingius Sven , Roos Nathalie , Miao Maohua , Yuan Wei , Li Jiong , László Krisztina D.
Published: April 2023

Importance

Adverse birth outcomes, including preterm birth, small for gestational age (SGA), and large for gestational age (LGA) are associated with increased risks of hypertension, ischemic heart disease, stroke, and heart failure, but knowledge regarding their associations with atrial fibrillation (AF) is limited and inconsistent.

Objective

To investigate whether preterm birth, SGA, or LGA are associated with increased risks of AF later in life.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This multinational cohort study included Danish, Swedish, and Finnish national health registries. Live singleton births in Denmark from 1978 through 2016, in Sweden from 1973 through 2014, and in Finland from 1987 through 2014, who were followed up until December 31, 2016, in Denmark, December 31, 2021, in Sweden, and December 31, 2014, in Finland were included. Data analyses were performed between January 2021 and August 2022.

Exposures

Preterm birth (less than 37 gestational weeks), SGA (less than 10th percentile birth weight for gestational age), and LGA (more than 90th percentile birth weight for gestational age) identified from medical birth registers.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Diagnosis of AF obtained from nationwide inpatient and outpatient registers. The study team ran multivariable Cox proportional hazard models and flexible parametric survival models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for AF according to preterm birth, SGA, and LGA. Sibling analyses were conducted to control for unmeasured familial factors.

Results

The cohort included 8 012 433 study participants (maximum age, 49 years; median age, 21 years; male, 51.3%). In 174.4 million person-years of follow-up, 11 464 participants had a diagnosis of AF (0.14%; median age, 29.3 years). Preterm birth and LGA were associated with increased AF risk in both the full population cohort and in the sibling analyses; the multivariate HRs from the cohort analyses were 1.30 (95% CI, 1.18-1.42) and 1.55 (95% CI, 1.46-1.63), respectively. Preterm birth was more strongly associated with AF in childhood than in adulthood. Children born SGA had an increased risk of AF in the first 18 years of life but not afterwards.

Conclusions and Relevance

Preterm births and LGA births were associated with increased risks of AF up to middle age independently of familial confounding factors. Individuals born SGA had an increased AF risk only during childhood.
On the Mechanism of Formation of Bimodal Grain Structure in Al–4.5Mg–0.7Sc–0.3Zr Alloy Processed by Laser Powder Bed Fusion
Authors: Chernyshova Polina , Guraya Teresa , Martinez-Amesti Ana , Andonegi Hegoi , Singamneni Sarat , Chen Zhan Wen
Published: April 2023

Scalmalloy is an Al–Mg alloy with additions of Sc and Zr originally developed as a high‐strength aluminum alloy with σ0.2 ≥ 450 MPa for aerospace industry. It is now well understood that the alloy is amendable for processing by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). However, the mechanism of formation of the equiaxed‐columnar bimodal grain structure during LPBF is not ascertained yet, fully. Herein, this gap is addressed with special focus on the distributions of critical elements such as Sc and various particles that form during LBPF. It is found that strong and weak segregation of Mg and Sc, respectively, occurs in the final solidification areas of the fine‐ and equiaxed‐grain regions. The coarser and columnar grain regions show weak segregation of Mg and no Sc segregation. A priori knowledge on the Al–Sc eutectic reaction, its dependence on cooling rates, and the well‐known thermal and solidification conditions related to the track location during LPBF is used to ascertain the mechanism of formation of the bimodal grain structure. The mechanism suggested is substantiated by the location‐dependent elemental distributions and the various particles that are observed.
Multiple Stimuli‐Responsive Nanozyme‐Based Cryogels with Controlled NO Release as Self‐Adaptive Wound Dressing for Infected Wound Healing
Authors: Yang Yutong , Li Meng , Pan Guoying , Chen Jueying , Guo Baolin
Published: April 2023

Wound with drug‐resistant bacterial infections has become a serious challenge for the healthcare system, and designing wound dressing to self‐adapt to the need of different stage of wound healing remains challenging. Herein, self‐adaptive wound dressings with multiple stimuli‐responsiveness and antibacterial activity are developed. Specifically, MoS2 carrying a reactive oxygen species (ROS) responsive nitric oxide (NO) release precursor L‐arginine (MSPA) is designed and incorporated into carboxymethyl chitosan/poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) based cryogels (CMCS/PNIPAM) with multiple responsiveness (pH, near infrared (NIR), and temperature) to form self‐adaptive antibacterial cryogels that adapt to the therapeutic needs of different stages in infected wound healing. In response to the slightly acidic environment of bacterial infection, the cryogels assist the bacterial capture capacity through acid‐triggered protonation behavior, and effectively enhance the photodynamic antibacterial efficiency. Controllable on‐demand delivery of ROS, NO, and remote management of infected biofluid are achieved with NIR light as a trigger switch. The multiple stimuli‐responsive nanozyme‐based cryogels efficiently eliminate MRSA bacterial biofilm through NO assisted photodynamicand photothermal therapy (PDT&PTT). The multiple enzyme‐like activities of the cryogels effectively relieved oxidative damage. Notably, these cryogels effectively reduce wound infection, alleviated oxidative stress, and accelerate collagen deposition and angiogenesis in infected wounds, indicating that multiple stimuli‐responsive self‐adaptive wound dressings provide new ideas for infected wound treatment.
Bacteria‐Responsive Multidrug Delivery Nanosystem for Combating Long‐Term Biofilm‐Associated Infections
Authors: Prateeksha Prateeksha , Sharma Vivek , Nagpoore Nemkumar , Jadaun Vishwjeet , Rao Chandana , Singh Brahma
Published: April 2023

Microbial biofilm formation on implantable devices causes chronic infections that cannot be treated with existing antimicrobials. Quorum sensing inhibitors (QSIs) have recently emerged as novel antimicrobials for the prevention of biofilm formation. But blocking QS alone is insufficient to inhibit biofilm‐associated chronic infections. Herein, chitosan hollow nanospheres are capped by bacteria‐responsive β‐casein to form a synergistic antifouling nanosystem consisting of a QSI and bactericide. β‐casein is degraded by protease in a bacteria‐colonized microenvironment in situ thus, QSI and bactericide are released sequentially. The release of QSI sensitises bacteria effectively through reduction of surface hydrophobicity, eDNA content, and lipopolysaccharide production in biofilms, amplifying the chemotherapeutic action of the bactericide. Compared to the uncoated surface, the coated surface inhibits biofilm formation and removes preformed biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 and methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus by 1.8 logs and 1.9 logs of biomass inhibition, respectively. The coated catheters are found to stay clean for 30 days under artificial urine flow, while the uncoated catheters are clogged by bacterial biofilms within 5 days. Finally, the long term antifouling activity in vivo is confirmed. Overall, the nanosystem is devoted to making urinary catheters resistant to bacterial biofilm formation for the long term.
Bioinspired High Tolerant Vein–Membrane Al2O3 Coating
Authors: Wu Chao , Lin Fan , Pan Xiaochuan , Zeng Yingjun , Chen Guochun , Xu Lida , Fu Yanzhang , He Yingping , Chen Qinnan , Sun Daoheng , Hai Zhenyin
Published: April 2023

The vein–membrane structure inspired by insect wings is applied to the artificial structural design of materials, with the aim of enhancing the intrinsic low strain tolerance and bonding strength of Al2O3 coating. Al2O3 platelets with high aspect ratio are used as veins, forming a bioinspired vein–membrane structure along with the Al2O3 membrane. Further, Al2O3 platelets take “root” in the substrate, forming a bioinspired root–soil interlocking structure. The greatest highlight of this coating is that it can restrict the cracks to the submicron area enclosed by the vein. The multi‐bioinspired structure enabled the Al2O3 coating to sustain strains as high as 8%, which is 2 orders of magnitude higher than the reported failure strain of Al2O3 film. The bonding strength is also increased by at least five times. The vein–membrane structure opens a novel technological space for the artificial structural design of materials.
Observation of Colossal Topological Hall Effect in Noncoplanar Ferromagnet Cr5Te6 Thin Films
Authors: Chen Yequan , Zhu Yingmei , Lin Renju , Niu Wei , Liu Ruxin , Zhuang Wenzhuo , Zhang Xu , Liang Jinghua , Sun Wenxuan , Chen Zhongqiang , Hu Yongsheng , Song Fengqi , Zhou Jian , Wu Di , Ge Binghui , Yang Hongxin , Zhang Rong , Wang Xuefeng
Published: April 2023

The topological Hall effect (THE) is critical to the exploration of the spin chirality generated by the real‐space Berry curvature, which has attracted worldwide attention for its prospective applications in spintronic devices. However, the prominent THE remains elusive at room temperature, which severely restricts the practical integration of chiral spin textures. Here, a colossal intrinsic THE is showed up to ≈1.6 µΩ cm in large‐area ferromagnet Cr5Te6 thin films epitaxially grown by pulsed laser deposition. Such a THE can be maintained until 270 K, which is attributed to the field‐stimulated noncoplanar spin textures induced by the interaction of the in‐plane ferromagnet and antiferromagnet infrastructures. The first‐principles calculations further verify the considerable Dzyaloshinskii‐Moriya interaction in Cr5Te6. This work not only paves the way for robust chiral spin textures near room temperature in large‐area low‐dimensional ferromagnetic films for practical applications, but also facilitates the development of high‐density and dissipationless spintronic devices.
Gold‐Enhanced Brachytherapy by a Nanoparticle‐Releasing Hydrogel and 3D‐Printed Subcutaneous Radioactive Implant Approach
Authors: Kiseleva Mariia , Lescot Théophraste , Selivanova Svetlana V. , Fortin Marc‐André
Published: April 2023

Brachytherapy (BT) is a widely used clinical procedure for localized cervical cancer treatment. In addition, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been demonstrated as powerful radiosensitizers in BT procedures. Prior to irradiation by a BT device, their delivery to tumors can enhance the radiation effect by generating low‐energy photons and electrons, leading to reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, lethal to cells. No efficient delivery system has been proposed until now for AuNP topical delivery to localized cervical cancer in the context of BT. This article reports an original approach developed to accelerate the preclinical studies of AuNP‐enhanced BT procedures. First, an AuNP‐containing hydrogel (Pluronic F127, alginate) is developed and tested in mice for degradation, AuNP release, and biocompatibility. Then, custom‐made 3D‐printed radioactive BT inserts covered with a AuNP‐containing hydrogel cushion are designed and administered by surgery in mice (HeLa xenografts), which allows for measuring AuNP penetration in tumors (≈100 µm), co‐registered with the presence of ROS produced through the interactions of radiation and AuNPs. Biocompatible AuNPs‐releasing hydrogels could be used in the treatment of cervical cancer prior to BT, with impact on  the total amount of radiation needed per BT treatment, which will result in benefits to the preservation of healthy tissues surrounding cancer.