A 'treasure trove' of Pictish artefacts have been found at an ancient Scottish fort
A 'treasure trove' of Pictish artefacts has been revealed at the site of a 1,600-year-old Scottish fort.
The fort, near Burghhead on the Moray coast, was largely destroyed by a fire during a Viking invasion in the 10th century.
For years, researchers thought there was little reason to conduct detailed archaeological digs on the site.
But a new study has revealed the ancient blaze preserved material that normally would have rotted away, such as dress pins, timber and animal bones.
The discovery could shed new light on the life of the Picts - sometimes referred to as Scotland's lost people - who lived between 270-900AD.
A 'treasure trove' of Pictish artefacts has been revealed at the site of a 1,600-year-old Scottish fort. The fort, near Burghhead on the Moray coast, was largely destroyed by a fire during a Viking invasion in the 10th century. Pictured here are the fort's defences
When the Vikings arrived in Orkney around the end of the 8th century it was already inhabited by the Picts, who were primarily fishermen and farmers living in stone houses.
The Picts were fearless fighters who infamously fought off Rome's toughest legions before disappearing from history.
The collection of tribes lived in what is today eastern and northern Scotland during the Late Iron Age and early Medieval periods.
It is still unknown how these two groups interacted but many scholars believe that the Norse take-over was violent and quick.
It is believed they took over their settlements, renamed and them and replaced the language with Norse.
In AD 839 the Vikings wiped out the Pictish royal family and many other significant leaders in a major battle.
Archaeologists from the University of Aberdeen, led by Dr Gordon Noble head of archaeology at the University, have been carrying out excavations at the fort - which is one of the largest of its kind in Scotland.
'The Picts were a huge influence on northern Scotland but because they left no written records, archaeology is essential in providing answers in regard to their lives, influence and culture,' Dr Noble said.
'While it has long been known that Burghead was a very significant place, it was also assumed that its archaeological value had been largely lost due to the destruction caused by the building of the modern town.
'Our work so far has shown that this is certainly not the case. Instead we are starting to build a picture of Pictish resources being out into this site on a scale we have never found evidence for before', he said.
For years, researchers thought there was little reason to conduct detailed archaeological digs on the site. But a new study has revealed the ancient blaze preserved material that normally would have rotted away, such as dress pins (pictured), timber and animal bones
A mace headed pin was also found. The discovery could shed new light on the life of the Picts - sometimes referred to as Scotland's lost people - who lived between 270-900AD
Archaeologists have found a bronze ring and intricate hair and dress pins, one with a detailed bramble design at the site.
They also identified 'midden layers' which they expect to yield significant archaeological value in assessing the economy and everyday lives of the fort dwellers.
'We are digging in what is essentially the area that the Picts threw their rubbish but this collection of the waste products of their day-to-day lives is a treasure trove to archaeologists', said Dr Noble.
'What's exciting is the level of preservation here. We've found animal bone which rarely survives in mainland Scotland because of the acidic soil.
'We are already getting really nice information about what people ate within the fort and we hope to extract a level of information we've not had for Pictish sites before', he said.
Archeologists found charred oak planks (pictured) in the wall of the fort. In addition to the fortified wall, archaeologists also found intricate hair and dress pins
WHO WERE THE PICTS? The Picts were a collection of tribes lived in what is today eastern and northern Scotland during the Late Iron Age and early Medeival periods from around 270-900AD. They formed a tribal confederation whose political motivations derived from a need to ally against common enemies such as the Britons and the Romans. They have long been seen as fearless savages who fought off Rome's toughest legions and refused to surrender their freedoms to live in conventional society. However, this wild reputation might well be undeserved. They actually built a sophisticated culture in northern Scotland and were more advanced than their Anglo-Saxon rivals in many respects. Mel Gibson's blue face paint in Braveheart (pictured) is a nod to the Pictish tradition of body-paint As a people, research has shown they were sophisticated, hard-working and skilled in many ways. We are increasingly finding that these 'lost' peoples - who have somewhat disappeared from history - were capable of great art and built beautiful monasteries. The Roman name for the people - Picti - means 'painted people'. It's not known what they called themselves. Mel Gibson's blue face paint in Braveheart is a nod to the Pictish tradition of body-paint - but the real Picts fought stark naked, and there are records of them doing so up until the 5th Century. The habit of fighting naked, especially in the cold Scottish climate, didn't harm the tribe's reputation for ferocity. Picts held the territory north of the Firth of Forth in Scotland - and were one of the reasons even heavily armoured Roman legions could not conquer Scotland. The Picts mysteriously disappear from written history around 900AD. Experts suggest that they likely merged with southern Scots, who already had a written history by that time, and the two clans' histories combined.
Although the fort's significance as a seat of Pictish power is well-known little archaeological work has been undertaken.
It is believed significant evidence of earlier life was destroyed when the building of a modern town started in 1805.
But Dr Noble says that time is pressing to take full advantage of Burghead before its secrets are lost to the sea.
'Coastal erosion is getting to be a real issue at the site and over the last century metres of coastline have disappeared,' he added.
'The timber wall we found is only one to one and a half metres away from the erosion face.
'We hope to return next year to rescue as much as we can before it falls into the sea.'
Pictured is archaeologist Cathy MacIver with a bronze ring from the excavations. It is believed significant evidence of earlier life was destroyed when the building of a modern town started in 1805
The team began excavations in 2015 and found a Pictish longhouse and Anglo Saxon coins of Alfred the Great.
This time they were able to dig in a new area of the site and uncovered a huge timber laced wall which would have stood more than six metres high.
The fire preserved timber to 'remarkable' effect in the fort's lower citadel.
The complexity of the fort defences was documented in the 19th century work of archaeologist Hugh Young but Dr Noble said his team had expected little trace to remain.
Instead they found the defensive structure preserved in amazing detail.
Archaeologists from the University of Aberdeen, led by Dr Gordon Noble head of archaeology at the University, have been carrying out excavations at the site (pictured)
The team began excavations at the site (pictured) in 2015 and found a Pictish longhouse and Anglo Saxon coins of Alfred the Great
Several artefacts were discovered in the 1800s, but it was thought further remains were destroyed when a new town was built on top of the fort around the same time
Burghead is likely to have been one of the key royal centres of northern Pictland and understanding the nature of settlement within the fort is key to understanding how power was materialised within these important fortified sites, according to the researchers
The previous discovery of coins suggests that the fort occupants were able to tap into long-distance trade networks