26 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Evidence of Medieval Scotland in Inverness revealed by building work

Archaeologists in Scotland have discovered medieval remains during excavations for construction work, and they are exposing mysteries about the industrial history in Inverness, the Scottish Highlands’ capital.

The city’s 99 Church Street has uncovered evidence of iron industry, including three smithing hearths used in the metal’s manufacture. Carved bone pins, medieval coins, iron implements, and bronze decorative items are among the artifacts discovered.

Archaeologists said houses and associated local industry would have been built along this street from the late 12th Century.

Finds included coins. AOC ARCHAEOLOGY
Finds included coins. AOC ARCHAEOLOGY

The ruins were preserved beneath 19th-century structures and were uncovered by recent construction work. The site is roughly in the vicinity of a 12th Century medieval church and Dominican Friary on neighboring Friars Street.

AOC Archaeology discovered two well-preserved, burnt-down wattle and daub medieval houses, as well as subsequent stone-built structures with internal walls, wooden floor joists, and cobbled surfaces.

A carved bone pin recovered from the site
A carved bone pin recovered from the site. AOC ARCHAEOLOGY

The two well-preserved burnt-down buildings are revealing to archaeologist the skills behind medieval “ wattle and daub ” architecture.

Archaeologists stated that this demonstrated how the site was used again and again repeatedly over centuries.

Other artefacts found included medieval pottery
Other artefacts found included medieval pottery. AOC ARCHAEOLOGY

Lindsey Stirling, the archaeologist who supervised the excavations, said: “This was an amazing and rare chance to experience first hand these moments in time preserved after activities had ceased and buildings had been abandoned, and to see the overlapping of successive occupation.”

According to AOC Archaeology, the excavations revealed a level of preservation of historic artifacts not frequently encountered in previous Inverness city center projects.

The dig was supported by funding from the developer Ark Estates.

Source:  AOC Archaeology

Related Articles

An opulent 2,000-year-old ‘city hall’ has been discovered near the Western Wall in Israel

8 July 2021

8 July 2021

An important 2,000-year-old public building has been unearthed near the wailing wall in Israel. Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority...

Army Museum Worker Discovers Early Medieval Sword While Swimming in a Polish River

19 December 2024

19 December 2024

The collection of the Army Museum in Białystok, Poland has been enriched after renovation with a unique relic of great...

The two sarcophagi discovered beneath Notre Dame start to reveal their secrets

12 December 2022

12 December 2022

The owner of one of the two sarcophagi that were found in an excavation at the intersection of Notre Dame...

3,400-Year-Old Jade and Stone Workshop Site Discovered at Sanxingdui Ruins

26 July 2024

26 July 2024

Archaeologists have uncovered a jade and stone processing site that dates back over 3,400 years at the Sanxingdui Ruins in...

“Scythian golds” will be returned to Ukraine

15 November 2021

15 November 2021

The fate of the Scythian Golds, which were sent to be exhibited in the Allard Pierson Museum before the Russian...

Ancient Jordanian town referred to as Heshbon in the Old Testament provides insight into regional agricultural history

20 January 2022

20 January 2022

The American archaeologist stated that Tell Hisban, located on the Madaba plains of Jordan, represents the “granary of the empires”....

Advanced imaging techniques reveal secrets of sealed ancient Egyptian animal coffins

21 April 2023

21 April 2023

Researchers from the British Museum have gained valuable insight into the contents of six sealed ancient Egyptian animal coffins using...

Ancient Cymbals Unearthed in Oman Reveal Shared Musical Traditions Across Bronze Age Cultures

8 April 2025

8 April 2025

Recent archaeological discoveries in Oman have unveiled significant insights into the musical practices of Bronze Age societies, suggesting a rich...

New discoveries show that Claros continued to serve as an oracle center after Christianity

14 September 2022

14 September 2022

Game boards and forked cross motifs dating to the fifth and seventh centuries AD were discovered at the ancient Greek...

Archaeologists Unearth 78,000-Year Oldest Human Burial

5 May 2021

5 May 2021

A 78,000-year-old group of bones discovered at the mouth of a Kenyan coastal cave constitutes the oldest recorded formal human...

Roman mosaic found under the pavement in the narrow streets of Hvar

13 February 2022

13 February 2022

In the Old Town on the Adriatic island of Hvar, Croatia, a Roman mosaic was unearthed beneath a narrow street....

Newly discovered inscribed brick may reveal Elamite water supply system in Western Iran

15 January 2024

15 January 2024

Archaeologists discovered a brick inscribed with Akkadian script, marking the Elamite water supply system, alongside some intricately patterned bricks in...

Evidence of Medieval Plague Victims Buried With “Significant Care” Found

23 June 2021

23 June 2021

The Black Death, which killed between 40 and 60% of Europe’s population in the mid-14th century, was a devastating epidemic...

Archaeologists discovered medieval Bury St Edmunds Abbey ‘Bishop Boy’ token in Norfolk

19 December 2023

19 December 2023

Archaeologists have discovered token in Norfolk in the East of England, dating from between 1470 and 1560, given to the...

Albastı “A Mother’s Nightmare “

5 February 2021

5 February 2021

Albastı is one of the bad characters in Turkish mythology. The fearful dream of puerperal women and babies, Albastı continues...