Valuable archaeology survey
GEOPHYSICISTS from Leeds were in the islands to conduct a valuable and interesting series of archaeological surveys last week.
The team from the University of Leeds school of earth and environment, including lecturer Dr Adam Booth and undergraduate students Jonathan Marsh and Anne Harding, worked at Old Scatness and at Sands of Sound in Lerwick, where erosion has exposed archaeological remains thought to date from the Neolithic age.
The work updates surveys last performed 20 years ago, with new insight added with the team’s ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system.
GPR, an “X-ray for the ground”, revealed interesting features at both sites, but further analysis back in Leeds will add confidence to the interpretation.
“It’s been a really great survey in Shetland,” said Dr Booth. “It’s particularly valuable for the students who can see a real-world application for the geophysics they learn in the lecture theatre.
“I hope we can continue to contribute to the understanding of Shetland’s archaeology.”
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