Plant Pot Tag Among Scotland’s Key Archaeological Finds

Fragments of a plant pot tag discovered at the site of the 1988 Glasgow Garden Festival have been recognized as one of Scotland’s top five archaeological discoveries for this year. The festival, located on the south bank of the River Clyde, was part of an initiative to redefine Glasgow following the decline of heavy industry in the city. Archaeologists from the University of Glasgow stated that the tag, which was for a red campion flower, constituted the initial piece of physical evidence unearthed at the 120-acre location. The Scottish archaeology organization Dig It! has also included a Pictish spearbutt found in Fife, an Orkney shipwreck, a prehistoric site in the Hebrides, and a Celtic bangle from the Highlands among its “most amazing” discoveries of 2024. Garden festivals were organized across the UK during the 1980s and 1990s to encourage investment and development in former industrial zones. Glasgow’s event took place on a dockland area and featured green spaces, a theme park, and an adventure playground. It was officially opened by Prince Charles and Princess Diana and attracted over four million visitors during its five-month run. The project After the Garden Festival has been collecting memorabilia, photographs, and memories of the event. The tag’s status as an artifact was confirmed by a photograph taken of the festival site during its construction in 1987. Dr Kenny Brophy of the University of Glasgow commented: “Contemporary archaeology is at the forefront of efforts from archaeologists to become more socially engaged and relevant.” “But it can also be used to excite, enthuse and inspire, as has been happening in Glasgow where there’s a huge amount of nostalgia for the festival.” The oldest discovery on the list is a prehistoric site uncovered by coastal erosion at Nisabost on Harris in the Western Isles. Stone tools crafted from quartz and flint were found within a thin layer of charcoal and peat. These tools are similar to those previously discovered at Neolithic and Early Bronze Age sites in the isles. Joanna Hambly, from the coastal heritage group The Scape Trust, remarked: “I love finds like this because they reveal the secrets that coastal erosion uncovers – a glimpse into a prehistoric world hidden in plain sight.” In early 2024, experts confirmed the discovery of a rare bangle fragment adorned with hand-carved Celtic art motifs. This piece of jewellery, made from sedimentary rock known as shale, was found by AOC Archaeology Group in 2020 at Dalchork, a Bronze Age site in Sutherland in the Highlands. Dr Fraser Hunter of National Museums Scotland has reconstructed the design, which incorporates crescent motifs, scroll designs, and curved lines. Dawn McLaren of AOC Archaeology Group stated: “Not only is the find unique in Scotland and extremely rare in Britain, but the fact that it was crafted with exceptional care and a high level of skill and used frequently enough to leave scuff marks and polish gives us an insight into the people who created and carried it thousands of years ago.” The bronze spearbutt was once attached to the end of a spear to provide the weapon with additional strength. It was discovered during excavations organized by the Falkland Stewardship Trust and the University of Aberdeen at the East Lomond hillfort site near Falkland in Fife. Specialists identified the artifact as a spearbutt partly based on depictions on Pictish carved stones, including the one at Collessie near East Lomond. They suggest the spearbutt may have been used in close combat. Prof Gordon Noble of the University of Aberdeen said: “The find helps illuminate aspects of the warrior culture of the late Roman Iron Age in lowland Scotland, and to find an actual example of the spearbutts shown on the warrior carvings is very exciting.” Only a limited number of these objects have been found in Scotland and the rest of Britain and Ireland. Orkney’s shipwreck was discovered in February. Winter storms exposed a large section of a wooden ship on a beach in Sanday. Archaeologists from Orkney Islands Council, Wessex Archaeology, and the consultancy Dendrochronicle, along with experts from Historic Environment Scotland, examined the discovery. Construction techniques suggest it dates to the 17th Century and was possibly built in England or the Netherlands. Dig It! indicated that if this date is accurate, it would be one of only nine identified wrecks from this period found in Scottish waters. It has been transferred to a large water tank, funded by the National Heritage Memorial Fund, alongside Sanday’s Heritage Centre to stabilize and desalinate the timbers. It will remain in the tank while further analysis, dating, and research are conducted.