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Derek Hall

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Studied archaeology at Weymouth College 1976-1978, worked on digging circuit 1978-1982, then worked for Urban Archaeology Unit and latterly SUAT Ltd based in Perth, Scotland. Following demise of SUAT became an independent contractor in 2009. Medieval pottery specialist since 1979, currently Editor of TAFAC journal, formerly Co-Editor of Medieval Ceramics. Member of EAA, FSA (Scot) and FSA. Member of the Certified Institute for Archaeologists MCiFA. Appeared on Time Team in 2004 (Roxburgh) and Wemyss Caves (2005) as the pottery specialist.

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Freelance

University of the Highlands and Islands - UHI

University of Cambridge

Historic Environment Scotland

University of Glasgow

George Haggarty

University of Glasgow

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Books by Derek Hall

Perth High Street pottery report

Perth High Street excavations 1975-77 Fasc 2, 2012

The assemblage from the archaeological excavations carried out at 75–95 High Street, Perth number... more The assemblage from the archaeological excavations carried out at 75–95 High Street, Perth numbers some 40,000 plus sherds. The original work on the assemblage was undertaken in the late 1970s by George Haggarty with help from Marjorie Kenworthy, Marion O’Neil, Marjorie Smith, Maureen Barrie and Fiona Clow, under the supervision of Lisbeth Thoms. This work concentrated mainly on a stratified ceramic sequence associated with the excavated medieval buildings. The remainder of the assemblage was bulk catalogued in the late 1990s, for Historic Scotland, by Derek Hall and David Perry of the Scottish Urban Archaeological Trust Ltd. This report attempts to present an overall view of all the pottery. Important chemical analysis of the ceramics was carried out by the late Alan Vince.

On the Edge:Excavations at Whitefriars, Perth, 2014-2017

Ecclesiastical Landscapes in Medieval Europe An archaeological perspective edited by José C. Sánchez-Pardo, Emmet H. Marron and Maria Crîngaci Țiplic Archaeopress, 2020

This paper describes the excavations of Perth’s medieval Carmelite friary in advance of the sites... more This paper describes the excavations of Perth’s medieval Carmelite friary in advance of the sites planned redevelopment. First investigated by the speaker in 1982 and then again in 2008 this new rescue excavation of the remainder of the church, the west
range and cloister has discovered a whole variety of unusual burial practices, surviving internal elements of the friary buildings and is providing some unique and important insights into the location, operation and demise of one of the medieval burghs least
understood monastic houses.

Field Survey and Assessment at the Former site of St Christopher's Parish Church, Cupar

Tayside and Fife Archaeological Journal, 1999

Following some fieldwalking by the TAFAC Fieldwalking group SUAT Ltd carried out an evaluation of... more

Excavations at North Berwick nunnery tile kiln, Old Abbey Road, North Berwick

Excavations funded by Historic Scotland were carried out on the site of a medieval tile kiln firs... more

Sourcing Scottish Redwares

by Derek Hall and George Haggarty

Burgess, Merchant and Priest - burgh life in the Scottish Medieval Town

Scottish Monastic Landscapes

The major monastic orders had a significant influence on the landscape of Scotland. Recent resear... more The major monastic orders had a significant influence on the landscape of Scotland. Recent research shows just how entrepreneurial they were and how they were responsible for the first real revolutions in agricultural and industrial matters. This book examines the effects that their intensive sheep and cattle farming, lead mining, salt panning and coal mining had on the modern landscape and suggests that the eighteenth and nineteenth-century industrial revolution was based on the much earlier exploitation of these resources by the Scottish monasteries. It also produces new evidence if the extent to which the monasteries were involved in the care for the sick. This is an important companion volume to James Bond's Monastic Landscapes , which covers England and Wales.

Papers by Derek Hall

A Hidden Vernacular? Basic Level Building Survey in Perth and Kinross and beyond

Tayside and Fife Archaeological Journal Volume 28, 2022

It has become common practice in recent years for standing building recording to be requested by ... more It has become common practice in recent years
for standing building recording to be requested
by Local Authority archaeological services when
planning applications are submitted for alterations
to historic buildings. In this paper the author discusses
surveys that he has carried out on various types of
buildings (mainly rural) and discusses the benefit of
such survey.

Hume Village and Castle

Scottish archaeological internet reports, Nov 28, 2023

Illus 2 Volunteers and students excavating in Hume Glebe (Image by Heritage and Archaeological Re... more Illus 2 Volunteers and students excavating in Hume Glebe (Image by Heritage and Archaeological Research Practice) Illus 5 Geophysical results and locations of identified features (Image by Heritage and Archaeological Research Practice) Illus 7 Test pit location and results at West End Cottage (Image by Heritage and Archaeological Research Practice) Illus 9 Excavation results in Trench 1, Hume Castle grounds (Image by Heritage and Archaeological Research Practice) Illus 13 Excavation results in test pits, Hume Castle grounds (Image by Heritage and Archaeological Research Practice) * After analysis type F was identified as probable 19th century bottle glass from a flat-sided container.

Preliminary Fieldwork and Analysis of Three Scottish Medieval ‘Deer Parks’

North Berwick, East Lothian: its archaeology revisited

Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Nov 30, 1998

An overview of archaeological excavation and research in one of the smaller burghs shows surprisi... more An overview of archaeological excavation and research in one of the smaller burghs shows surprisingly good preservation of deposits, especially beneath wind-blown sand, and evidence of the burgh's origins, topography, development and industries. The early importance of pilgrimage, the role of the Cistercian nunnery and the impact of climate are all subjects for continuing research. This paper is sponsored by Historic Scotland.

9 Medieval Archaeology

Edinburgh University Press eBooks, Jul 30, 2019

The Roman temporary camp at Auchtermuchty, Fife

Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Nov 30, 1993

In a watching brief a ditch of Roman type was revealed. No dating evidence was recovered.

Sourcing Scottish medieval ceramics - the use and success of chemical analysis

Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland

The aim of this summary paper is to review the success of chemical sourcing in the study of the S... more

Pictish Byre-houses at Pitcarmick and their landscape: investigations 1993–5

Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland

Pictish Byre-houses at Pitcarmick and their landscape: investigations 1993-5 martin carver*, John... more Pictish Byre-houses at Pitcarmick and their landscape: investigations 1993-5 martin carver*, John Barrett †, Jane downes ‡ and Janet hooper § with research contributions by alison sheridan, Fraser hunter, Peter rowe, allan hall, mark edmonds, derek hall and matilda holmes aBstract 'Pitcarmick-type' houses were identified by the Royal Commission in north-east Perthshire in 1988 and published in their survey of 1990. Long and narrow with rounded ends, they seemed to occur in a sequence between prehistoric roundhouses and medieval and post-medieval dwellings. They were therefore provisionally assigned to the later 1st millennium ad, a period associated in this region with the Picts. Excavations by John Barrett and Jane Downes at Pitcarmick (North) in 1993-5 defined the basic properties of two Pitcarmick-type houses and produced radiocarbon dates between the 8th and 11th centuries. A subsequent survey of the broader landscape by Janet Hooper offered a sequence of the main phases of occupation and their context. The Pitcarmick upland had been settled in the Bronze Age with circular stone-and-turf houses, thought to represent a series of self-supporting farmsteads using mixed farming and in touch with similar settlements in adjacent territory. Two thousand years later, Early Historic settlers inserted their dwellings into this relict landscape, also practising mixed stock and crop farming. In the Middle Ages, the land was settled by farmers who kept sheep and ploughed the earlier settlement areas. The post-medieval period is represented by a group of shielings on the eastern edge of the prehistoric and early medieval settlement area, where ploughing continued. These investigations are here brought to press by Martin Carver, supported by Historic Scotland and a team of specialists who examined the quartz, charcoal, animal bone and pottery and produced a tighter array of radiocarbon dates. This account proposes that the Bronze Age roundhouses are of conventional type, with a central hearth, entrances facing south-east, and roofs supported by a post-ring. The two Pictish buildings are defined as longhouses with byres (properly byre-houses), constructed with turf-and-stone layered walls and timber roof-supports. Occupants sheltered round a hearth at the west end and animals were stalled either side of a paved drain at the east end. These houses are radiocarbon-dated to the period c ad 700-850. Both buildings had been reused between c ad 1000 and 1200 and both were subsequently flattened by later medieval and post-medieval ploughing, the effects of which severely inhibited subsequent interpretation. While Pictish in date and territorial affiliation, these longhouses exhibit strong links with preceding and contemporary practice across the North Sea. Their form currently stands in marked contrast both to their prehistoric predecessors and to contemporary neighbouring settlement in Britain. * department of archaeology, university of york, king's manor, york yo1 7eP

Excavation of an unnamed castle at Cullykhan, Castle Point, Troup

Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland

The peninsula known as Castle Point, Troup, was occupied or used from the late Neolithic period t... more The peninsula known as Castle Point, Troup, was occupied or used from the late Neolithic period to the Second World War. This paper deals with the construction and use of the castle, from the 13th to 17th centuries. The excavations of the castle site revealed the footings of a rectangular tower, with a cobbled courtyard and the remains of a kitchen range to its south-east. Within the kitchen was a collapsed fireplace arch bearing two similar mason's marks. A small quantity of pottery sherds, three coins, dated to the 16th century, and a few other artefacts were also recovered. Evidence of earlier medieval structures underlay the kitchen area, including a number of stone drains, two narrow clay-lined channels and a pit.

Excavation of medieval graves at St Thomas' Kirk, Hall of Rendall, Orkney

Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland

In early 2005 a particularly severe storm exposed human bones on the foreshore immediately east o... more 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.

Medieval Roxburgh: a preliminary assessment of the burgh and its locality

Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland

Little surface trace now remains of the royal burgh of Roxburgh in the Scottish Borders, which fl... more Little surface trace now remains of the royal burgh of Roxburgh in the Scottish Borders, which flourished between the 12th and 15th centuries AD. By the early 16th century it had been abandoned. Documentary sources, maps, topographical analysis and aerial photography have been brought together in a preliminary attempt to define the burgh’s location, defences, internal morphology, historical and environmental contexts, and associated extramural features including bridges, roads, suburbs, churches and mills. Some of these assessments have been tested by geophysical survey and small-scale excavation sanctioned by Historic Scotland and conducted by GSB Prospection and Wessex Archaeology on behalf of Channel 4’s Time Team. Work to date is summarized as a basis for formulating a long-term research agenda and management structure for this important site.

The archaeology of Elgin: excavations on Ladyhill and in the High Street, with an overview of the archaeology of the burgh

Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland

Part 1 of this paper presents the results of excavations on Ladyhill and the High Street, Elgin, ... more Part 1 of this paper presents the results of excavations on Ladyhill and the High Street, Elgin, which provide new evidence for the castle, the backlands, the graveyard associated with the medieval parish church ofSt Giles and the tolbooth. These excavations also add to our knowledge of the nature and extent of the archaeology of the burgh in general. Part 2, following the excavation results, is an overview of the archaeology of Elgin, placing it in the context of the history of the town, and including a gazetteer of all sites examined in Elgin to date. Publication of this work is supported by a grant from Historic Scotland.

The archaeological evidence from the Parliament site

Perth High Street pottery report

Perth High Street excavations 1975-77 Fasc 2, 2012

The assemblage from the archaeological excavations carried out at 75–95 High Street, Perth number... more The assemblage from the archaeological excavations carried out at 75–95 High Street, Perth numbers some 40,000 plus sherds. The original work on the assemblage was undertaken in the late 1970s by George Haggarty with help from Marjorie Kenworthy, Marion O’Neil, Marjorie Smith, Maureen Barrie and Fiona Clow, under the supervision of Lisbeth Thoms. This work concentrated mainly on a stratified ceramic sequence associated with the excavated medieval buildings. The remainder of the assemblage was bulk catalogued in the late 1990s, for Historic Scotland, by Derek Hall and David Perry of the Scottish Urban Archaeological Trust Ltd. This report attempts to present an overall view of all the pottery. Important chemical analysis of the ceramics was carried out by the late Alan Vince.

On the Edge:Excavations at Whitefriars, Perth, 2014-2017

Ecclesiastical Landscapes in Medieval Europe An archaeological perspective edited by José C. Sánchez-Pardo, Emmet H. Marron and Maria Crîngaci Țiplic Archaeopress, 2020

This paper describes the excavations of Perth’s medieval Carmelite friary in advance of the sites... more This paper describes the excavations of Perth’s medieval Carmelite friary in advance of the sites planned redevelopment. First investigated by the speaker in 1982 and then again in 2008 this new rescue excavation of the remainder of the church, the west
range and cloister has discovered a whole variety of unusual burial practices, surviving internal elements of the friary buildings and is providing some unique and important insights into the location, operation and demise of one of the medieval burghs least
understood monastic houses.

Field Survey and Assessment at the Former site of St Christopher's Parish Church, Cupar

Tayside and Fife Archaeological Journal, 1999

Following some fieldwalking by the TAFAC Fieldwalking group SUAT Ltd carried out an evaluation of... more

Excavations at North Berwick nunnery tile kiln, Old Abbey Road, North Berwick

Excavations funded by Historic Scotland were carried out on the site of a medieval tile kiln firs... more

Sourcing Scottish Redwares

by Derek Hall and George Haggarty

Burgess, Merchant and Priest - burgh life in the Scottish Medieval Town

Scottish Monastic Landscapes

The major monastic orders had a significant influence on the landscape of Scotland. Recent resear... more The major monastic orders had a significant influence on the landscape of Scotland. Recent research shows just how entrepreneurial they were and how they were responsible for the first real revolutions in agricultural and industrial matters. This book examines the effects that their intensive sheep and cattle farming, lead mining, salt panning and coal mining had on the modern landscape and suggests that the eighteenth and nineteenth-century industrial revolution was based on the much earlier exploitation of these resources by the Scottish monasteries. It also produces new evidence if the extent to which the monasteries were involved in the care for the sick. This is an important companion volume to James Bond's Monastic Landscapes , which covers England and Wales.

A Hidden Vernacular? Basic Level Building Survey in Perth and Kinross and beyond

Tayside and Fife Archaeological Journal Volume 28, 2022

It has become common practice in recent years for standing building recording to be requested by ... more It has become common practice in recent years
for standing building recording to be requested
by Local Authority archaeological services when
planning applications are submitted for alterations
to historic buildings. In this paper the author discusses
surveys that he has carried out on various types of
buildings (mainly rural) and discusses the benefit of
such survey.

Hume Village and Castle

Scottish archaeological internet reports, Nov 28, 2023

Illus 2 Volunteers and students excavating in Hume Glebe (Image by Heritage and Archaeological Re... more Illus 2 Volunteers and students excavating in Hume Glebe (Image by Heritage and Archaeological Research Practice) Illus 5 Geophysical results and locations of identified features (Image by Heritage and Archaeological Research Practice) Illus 7 Test pit location and results at West End Cottage (Image by Heritage and Archaeological Research Practice) Illus 9 Excavation results in Trench 1, Hume Castle grounds (Image by Heritage and Archaeological Research Practice) Illus 13 Excavation results in test pits, Hume Castle grounds (Image by Heritage and Archaeological Research Practice) * After analysis type F was identified as probable 19th century bottle glass from a flat-sided container.

Preliminary Fieldwork and Analysis of Three Scottish Medieval ‘Deer Parks’

North Berwick, East Lothian: its archaeology revisited

Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Nov 30, 1998

An overview of archaeological excavation and research in one of the smaller burghs shows surprisi... more An overview of archaeological excavation and research in one of the smaller burghs shows surprisingly good preservation of deposits, especially beneath wind-blown sand, and evidence of the burgh's origins, topography, development and industries. The early importance of pilgrimage, the role of the Cistercian nunnery and the impact of climate are all subjects for continuing research. This paper is sponsored by Historic Scotland.

9 Medieval Archaeology

Edinburgh University Press eBooks, Jul 30, 2019

The Roman temporary camp at Auchtermuchty, Fife

Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Nov 30, 1993

In a watching brief a ditch of Roman type was revealed. No dating evidence was recovered.

Sourcing Scottish medieval ceramics - the use and success of chemical analysis

Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland

The aim of this summary paper is to review the success of chemical sourcing in the study of the S... more

Pictish Byre-houses at Pitcarmick and their landscape: investigations 1993–5

Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland

Pictish Byre-houses at Pitcarmick and their landscape: investigations 1993-5 martin carver*, John... more Pictish Byre-houses at Pitcarmick and their landscape: investigations 1993-5 martin carver*, John Barrett †, Jane downes ‡ and Janet hooper § with research contributions by alison sheridan, Fraser hunter, Peter rowe, allan hall, mark edmonds, derek hall and matilda holmes aBstract 'Pitcarmick-type' houses were identified by the Royal Commission in north-east Perthshire in 1988 and published in their survey of 1990. Long and narrow with rounded ends, they seemed to occur in a sequence between prehistoric roundhouses and medieval and post-medieval dwellings. They were therefore provisionally assigned to the later 1st millennium ad, a period associated in this region with the Picts. Excavations by John Barrett and Jane Downes at Pitcarmick (North) in 1993-5 defined the basic properties of two Pitcarmick-type houses and produced radiocarbon dates between the 8th and 11th centuries. A subsequent survey of the broader landscape by Janet Hooper offered a sequence of the main phases of occupation and their context. The Pitcarmick upland had been settled in the Bronze Age with circular stone-and-turf houses, thought to represent a series of self-supporting farmsteads using mixed farming and in touch with similar settlements in adjacent territory. Two thousand years later, Early Historic settlers inserted their dwellings into this relict landscape, also practising mixed stock and crop farming. In the Middle Ages, the land was settled by farmers who kept sheep and ploughed the earlier settlement areas. The post-medieval period is represented by a group of shielings on the eastern edge of the prehistoric and early medieval settlement area, where ploughing continued. These investigations are here brought to press by Martin Carver, supported by Historic Scotland and a team of specialists who examined the quartz, charcoal, animal bone and pottery and produced a tighter array of radiocarbon dates. This account proposes that the Bronze Age roundhouses are of conventional type, with a central hearth, entrances facing south-east, and roofs supported by a post-ring. The two Pictish buildings are defined as longhouses with byres (properly byre-houses), constructed with turf-and-stone layered walls and timber roof-supports. Occupants sheltered round a hearth at the west end and animals were stalled either side of a paved drain at the east end. These houses are radiocarbon-dated to the period c ad 700-850. Both buildings had been reused between c ad 1000 and 1200 and both were subsequently flattened by later medieval and post-medieval ploughing, the effects of which severely inhibited subsequent interpretation. While Pictish in date and territorial affiliation, these longhouses exhibit strong links with preceding and contemporary practice across the North Sea. Their form currently stands in marked contrast both to their prehistoric predecessors and to contemporary neighbouring settlement in Britain. * department of archaeology, university of york, king's manor, york yo1 7eP

Excavation of an unnamed castle at Cullykhan, Castle Point, Troup

Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland

The peninsula known as Castle Point, Troup, was occupied or used from the late Neolithic period t... more The peninsula known as Castle Point, Troup, was occupied or used from the late Neolithic period to the Second World War. This paper deals with the construction and use of the castle, from the 13th to 17th centuries. The excavations of the castle site revealed the footings of a rectangular tower, with a cobbled courtyard and the remains of a kitchen range to its south-east. Within the kitchen was a collapsed fireplace arch bearing two similar mason's marks. A small quantity of pottery sherds, three coins, dated to the 16th century, and a few other artefacts were also recovered. Evidence of earlier medieval structures underlay the kitchen area, including a number of stone drains, two narrow clay-lined channels and a pit.

Excavation of medieval graves at St Thomas' Kirk, Hall of Rendall, Orkney

Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland

In early 2005 a particularly severe storm exposed human bones on the foreshore immediately east o... more 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.

Medieval Roxburgh: a preliminary assessment of the burgh and its locality

Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland

Little surface trace now remains of the royal burgh of Roxburgh in the Scottish Borders, which fl... more Little surface trace now remains of the royal burgh of Roxburgh in the Scottish Borders, which flourished between the 12th and 15th centuries AD. By the early 16th century it had been abandoned. Documentary sources, maps, topographical analysis and aerial photography have been brought together in a preliminary attempt to define the burgh’s location, defences, internal morphology, historical and environmental contexts, and associated extramural features including bridges, roads, suburbs, churches and mills. Some of these assessments have been tested by geophysical survey and small-scale excavation sanctioned by Historic Scotland and conducted by GSB Prospection and Wessex Archaeology on behalf of Channel 4’s Time Team. Work to date is summarized as a basis for formulating a long-term research agenda and management structure for this important site.

The archaeology of Elgin: excavations on Ladyhill and in the High Street, with an overview of the archaeology of the burgh

Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland

Part 1 of this paper presents the results of excavations on Ladyhill and the High Street, Elgin, ... more Part 1 of this paper presents the results of excavations on Ladyhill and the High Street, Elgin, which provide new evidence for the castle, the backlands, the graveyard associated with the medieval parish church ofSt Giles and the tolbooth. These excavations also add to our knowledge of the nature and extent of the archaeology of the burgh in general. Part 2, following the excavation results, is an overview of the archaeology of Elgin, placing it in the context of the history of the town, and including a gazetteer of all sites examined in Elgin to date. Publication of this work is supported by a grant from Historic Scotland.

The archaeological evidence from the Parliament site

Artefactual and environmental evidence

An assemblage of 1053 pottery sherds comprised mainly Scottish gritty ware with some Scottish red... more An assemblage of 1053 pottery sherds comprised mainly Scottish gritty ware with some Scottish redware and Rhenish stonewares. Copper alloy objects included costume fittings, vessel components and ferrules. Iron objects included an arrowhead, blades, a hasp and a possible spur arm. Window and vessel glass included a fragment of medieval window glass. Spindle whorls, a trough and a pivot stone were among the worked stone items. Animal bone was mainly cattle, sheep/goat, horse, pig and dog. Marine shells were mainly young periwinkle and limpet which would have been used as fishing bait.

Early medieval settlement and ironworking in Dornoch, Sutherland excavations at The Meadows Business Park

Scottish Archaeological Internet Reports, 2008

Monitoring and excavation during the development of a new business park in Dornoch in 1997 reveal... more Monitoring and excavation during the development of a new business park in Dornoch in 1997 revealed numerous features including a building, ditched enclosures and several hearths, all sealed beneath an artefact-rich cultivation soil. Radiocarbon dates obtained place the main period of activity here in the late 1st millennium ad. The evidence recovered also suggests a tradition of ironworking here from the early medieval period continuing through into the medieval period. A small assemblage of finds was recovered from the excavation, including quantities of iron slag, bog iron ore, fragments from a clay-lined furnace, whale bone, a bone counter and a bone pin beater. This paper reports on the results of the work and includes an extended section on the analysis of the iron making and working evidence.The post-excavation analysis and reporting of the results was funded by Historic Scotland.

A Matter of Life and Death – Trade and Burial around St Giles’ Cathedral: Archaeological Investigations at Parliament House, Edinburgh

Scottish Archaeological Internet Reports, 2019

Archaeological evaluation of the Southern Courtyard of the Parliament House complex, to the south... more Archaeological evaluation of the Southern Courtyard of the Parliament House complex, to the south of St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh’s Old Town, has provided a valuable insight into the lives, health and mortality of the inhabitants of the late medieval city. The evaluation revealed a backland area in the centre of medieval Edinburgh, with deposits rich in artefactual and ecofactual material derived from the everyday lives of the populace, underlying early burghal surfaces. The presence of artefacts including a small leather assemblage and a seal matrix may indicate production and trading activities between the High Street and the Cowgate in the late medieval period. Above these surfaces, and underlying fragmentary evidence of the post-medieval Meal Market, numerous late medieval inhumations were recorded; these belonged to the southward expansion of St Giles’ graveyard. This report details the analysis of the skeletal remains, illuminating the health and demography of the populati...

Cathcart Castle, Glasgow – Excavations 1980–81

Scottish Archaeological Journal, 2016

Excavations on the site of the tower-house at Cathcart, demolished in 1980, produced evidence for... more Excavations on the site of the tower-house at Cathcart, demolished in 1980, produced evidence for the construction of the tower and associated barmkin, dated to the mid 15th century. No earlier structural remains were found but residual pottery suggests that the site was occupied prior to the construction of the tower. The interior of the tower was remodeled in circa 1630–40 in brickwork, an early dated example of the use of this material in Scotland, and decorated with elaborate plasterwork. The barmkin was dismantled and a new range of buildings added, also in the 17th century. Significant finds included an important clearance assemblage of local and imported ceramics, ironwork and glass from the partial demolition of the castle in the mid 18th century, deposited with assemblages of 17th-century plasterwork.

Medieval features and finds from Balfarg/Balbirnie, Fife

Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland

Reports shallow pits and a possible mill-lade found whilst excavating an earlier site. There are ... more Reports shallow pits and a possible mill-lade found whilst excavating an earlier site. There are details of: `The pottery' by Derek W Hall (1011--13); `Metal, glass, coins and jet' by Barbara A Ford (1014--15); `Coins' by Nicholas McQ Holmes (1015--16); and `Documentary sources' by Catriona M M Graham (1016).

The Archaeology of Medieval St Andrews

Boydell & Brewer, Feb 1, 2017

The Dundee Sugar House, Seagate, Dundee

Tayside and Fife Archaeological Journal vol 19–20 2013–2014, 103–118, 2014

Excavations at the site of Dundee’s new Leisure Pool at East Marketgait/East Whale Lane in 2010 u... more Excavations at the site of Dundee’s new Leisure
Pool at East Marketgait/East Whale Lane in 2010
uncovered evidence of an 18th-century Sugar House.
Sherds of sugarloaf moulds and syrup jugs related to
the refining of sugar were recovered. The history of
the Dundee Sugar House from its beginnings in 1767
until its closure in 1841, as revealed in contemporary
documents, is discussed. Chemical analysis of the sugar
pots and comparison with similarly dated Portuguese
vessels appears to show the origin of the majority of
sherds is in the Dundee area.

'A town that history has shewn to have once flourished' - the archaeology of St Andrews

A loop in the Forth is worth an earldom in the North : Scottish Monastic Landscapes

Commodity, Container, Consumption -European Stoneware between Regional and Global Trade Systems

by Derek Hall, Christoph Keller, and Christian Röser

This is a call for papers for the EAA Conference in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 2023.

EAA Maastricht 2017 Session: #299 Theme & Session Format Title & Content Title: 'What has happened in Ceramic Studies since Brugge 1997

by Derek Hall and Koen De Groote

Call for papers EAA Maastricht 2017. Please submit any papers via the EAA Maastricht 2017 page o... more

EAA 2014 Istanbul - Landscapes of Luxury (Accepted Session Proposal)

"Landscapes of Luxury?: Park landscapes and their wider context in medieval Europe. Session Orga... more "Landscapes of Luxury?: Park landscapes and their wider context in medieval Europe.
Session Organisers: Derek Hall (UK), Kevin Malloy (USA)

Recent new documentary and fieldwork research by the session organisers on medieval parks in Scotland has concentrated on exploring three different deer parks and their associated elements. This ground breaking research has started to date the use of these features and consider the nature of their design, construction and relation to the landscape. This session is designed to open up discussion on the concept of enclosed spaces for both hunting and display in medieval times across Europe. The relationship between high status residences and their landscapes will also be considered and an attempt made to compare and contrast function, form and construction of these little studied
features.

Commodity, Container, Consumption -European Stoneware between Regional and Global Trade Systems

by Christoph Keller, Derek Hall, and Christian Röser

Call for Papers for a session at the 2023 EAA conference at Belfast. The session will deal with t... more