History and Archaeology – Myth or Fact
A talk given by Tam Ward at Quothquan near Thankerton, some years ago.
History can be mystery and archaeology can be downright frustrating, often, literally, archaeology is rubbish! It’s all about trying to understand and learn about the past, neither...
The Swimming Reindeer
Biggar Archaeology Group Clydesdale Project, Daer Valley project 2010 latest update. info@biggararchaeology.org.uk
Survey of Kirkurd Old Burial Ground
Biggar Archaeology completed a survey of gravestone location at Kirkurd Old graveyard in the grounds of Castle Craigs Hospital in Peeblesshire. The site has been occupied by successive churches from as early as the 12th century, when the church...
Reservoirs 2021 – exceptionally low water levels
Revisiting some of our past excavations sites recently found the reservoirs are particularly low this year.
Some background information
The four reservoirs are Talla, Fruid and Megget, all in Borders Region and Daer in South Lanarkshire. Various campaigns of work have...
Survey of St Mary’s Churchyard, Biggar
This Biggar Archaeology Group report on Survey of St Mary's Churchyard is an update to previous inventories of the pre-1855 gravestone inscriptions in St Mary's Churchyard, Biggar, produced by John Smith in 1916 and Sheila Scott in 1972. This version...
The two war memorials at Elsrickle, South Lanarkshire
The wee village of Elsrickle, in South Lanarkshire was recently made famous as being the village near the oldest known place of human activity in Scotland; Howburn Farm where people arrived from Denmark, by following reindeer over what is...
Early 18th century pottery from pre Lowland Clearance sites in Scotland
Several excavated sites in southern Scotland have produced assemblages of early 18th century red earthenware and other types of Staffordshire type slip ware pottery. The sites are known to have been abandoned before 1760 and furthermore much of the pottery is...
Survey and excavation reports – Millhill of Wandel
From 2019 until 2022 excavations were undertaken at Millhill of Wandel. This came about as a follow-up to observations taken from Wandel Mill and a subsequent survey. No records had been published of this site other than some aerial...
Neolithic Arrows galore!
A week in Biggar Archaeology – and what a week
It all began when Tam was asked by a lady in Peebles if he wanted to collect four boxes of flints she had in her possession, they were arrow heads...
Wildshaw Burn Stone Circle
Biggar Archaeology Group Clydesdale Project, Daer Valley project 2010 latest update. info@biggararchaeology.org.uk
David Fisher – Artist (1946-2013), his Clydesdale legacy
By Tam Ward
David Fisher was born in Midsomer Norton in Somerset, he originally trained as a signwriter and decorator and gradually became a self employed artist. He was commissioned to paint pub signs all over England and produced a...
Cup and Ring Marked stone discovered
While Austin John Reid, a dyker from Peebles was rebuilding drystane dykes on Easton Farm, near Dunsyre in South Lanarkshire in June 2010, he recognised a stone slab decorated with cup and ring marks.
Mr Reid posted a photo of...
An Upper Palaolithc assemblage – Howburn Farm
Biggar Archaeology Group Clydesdale Project, Daer Valley project 2010 latest update. info@biggararchaeology.org.uk
The Howburn Farm Lithic Tools
A new pdf report with a partial photographic presentation of the Howburn Farm Late Upper Palaeolithic and later prehistoric tool and lithic assemblage is now available to download.
Howburn Farm is currently a unique name in Scottish archaeology as having...
Biggar Kirk a tour of principle features and brief history
Biggar Kirk, formerly known as St Mary’s Church is unique, being the last Pre-Reformation church to be built in Scotland. A fascinating history of the church dating back to the 12th century is available and some aspects of the building...
How did Late Upper Palaeolithic reindeer hunters live?
The full essay in pdf attempts to understand aspects of the lifestyles of the Late Upper Palaeolithic (LUP) people who arrived for seasonal camps at Howburn Farm near Biggar, and who are assumed to have been following and living...
Camps Reservoir excavation and survey report from 1992
A survey and partial excavation of a series of Bronze Age and later structures exposed by the lowering of the water level in Camps Reservoir was carried out in 1992 and 1994. In the first campaign of work an enclosed cremation...
Survey of Kirkurd Churchyard
In the spring of 2023 the members of the Biggar Archaeology Group with the support of Peeblesshire Archaeological Society and Scottish Borders Council surveyed Kirkurd Churchyard.
This survey data pdf (Kirkurd Churchyard report) has been combined with information from the...
Archaeological endeavour – a brief autobiography, by Tam Ward
This pdf – Archaeological endeavour – a brief autobiography is a true account of how I became involved in archaeology and the principal events which occurred during that time and until the date of writing.
I am often asked how I...
Excavations and consolidation works at Covington Tower and Doocot, South Lanarkshire
Covington Tower and doocot represent the best sites of their types in the Upper reaches of the River Clyde in South Lanarkshire. The site is located at NS 975 400 and lies immediately on the west side of an...
Latest News
Survey of Kirkurd Churchyard
In the spring of 2023 the members of the Biggar Archaeology Group with the support of Peeblesshire Archaeological Society and Scottish Borders Council surveyed...
