News / Scatness artefacts on display
A RANGE of archaeological artefacts from Old Scatness have gone on display at the Shetland Museum in Lerwick.
It caps off two years of hard work by staff and volunteers to research and catalogue objects unearthed during excavations at the south mainland site between 1995 and 2006.
The items had been housed at the University of Bradford until 2015, when they were returned to Shetland.
The museum displays include tools used at the site, games its inhabitants played and jewellery worn in the Iron Age.
The Iron Age broch and village at Old Scatness was first discovered in 1975 when a road was being put through what was thought to be a natural mound.
Twenty years later excavations were initiated by Shetland Amenity Trust and the site was opened to the public afterwards.
Shetland Museum recently received a grant from Museum Galleries Scotland to employ a project team to bring the Old Scatness artefacts into its archaeological collection.
Over the last two years, museum professionals, archaeologists and volunteers have been digitising the artefacts into a database, which should allow researchers and the public to view items without being in Shetland.
Project leader and curator of collections for archaeology Jenny Murray said the exhibition is the “culmination and the fun bit at the end of a two year project”.
“The team have worked incredibly hard and this is their chance to show off some of this huge collection, including some of the team’s favourites,” she said.
“The permanent museum cabinets show ‘highlight’ items such as the Scatness bear but this exhibition reveals the everyday side of life at Old Scatness over millennia – what they cooked, how they dressed and even the games they played.”
The exhibition Old Scatness – A Walk Through Iron Age Shetland runs until 27 April.
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