We followed “The Pictish Trail” around our area, checking out the Pictish Stones. These highly carved upright stones may have been grave markers, and were carved between about 200-800 AD, mostly in northern Scotland. The Picts are a mysterious group, best known for these distinctive carved stones. They were early converts to Christianity, said toContinue reading “Pictish Stones”
Tag Archives: Archaeological sites
The Center of the Highlands: Lairg
We wanted to see what the highlands are about, so we drove to the middle. Lairg is about 50 miles from the east, west, and north coasts of Scotland.The town sits at one end of Loch Shin, surrounded by hills covered with heather and gorse, green pastures filled with sheep and tan fields of barley.Continue reading “The Center of the Highlands: Lairg”
Cairns, Rock Art and Standing Stones
We found this hidden gem of Scotland by looking for a place to visit on our way north in the site guide from Historic Scotland. There were so many sites in this one small area that we decided to make an archaeological detour. No one comes to this area without planning, there are direct routesContinue reading “Cairns, Rock Art and Standing Stones”
Hadrian’s Wall
What archaeologist can resist visiting Hadrian’s Wall? Hadrian’s Wall was an attempt by the Romans to protect the northern border of their empire in Britain. Built starting in AD 122, it spans the width of northern England from Newcastle to Carlisle. Walls like this have never been very successful and Hadrian’s Wall managed to monitorContinue reading “Hadrian’s Wall”
Get in the car.
These may be the scariest words on the planet for someone approaching a right hand drive vehicle for the first time. The day before we left Edinburgh, with our rental car awaiting us in the morning, we took a driving lesson. One hour each behind the wheel with Michael, the most unflappable person I’ve everContinue reading “Get in the car.”
Prehistory on Tjeldøya
Walking along the furrows of a plowed field after a rain is the best way to find artifacts, and there have been archaeological finds from Neolithic (Stone Age) farmers along the north side of Tjeldoya. There are photos of stone axes and spear points in the “Tjeldsund” booklet I mentioned in the last post. AContinue reading “Prehistory on Tjeldøya”
Walking through History on Hovsveien
Using the magic of the internet I found, “Tjelsundet: A Channel Through the Ages,” a guide to Hovsveien, an ancient road along the north side of Tjeldoya Island. This 2 km section is open for walking, set up with trail markers and some informational signs. You can see the roadbed pressed into the landscape. AlongContinue reading “Walking through History on Hovsveien”
Romans in Morocco at Volubilis
There may be nowhere more beautiful than a Roman ruin on a spring day and Volubilis, one of Morocco’s best known archaeological sites, was perfect for us. Volubilis was abandoned by the Romans in AD 285, but not by the local community, who lived there for another 700 years. The site has little new constructionContinue reading “Romans in Morocco at Volubilis”
Museums and Sites in Rabat–mixed opportunities
Rabat is Morocco’s capital. It has strong competition from Casablanca for economic prominence and with Marrakesh for cultural prominence. I’d like to see the capital with museums that reflect the best of all periods of Moroccan history, but Rabat seems to have thrown in the towel on the museum front. I already mentioned my fruitlessContinue reading “Museums and Sites in Rabat–mixed opportunities”
Our holiday guests
Lillian and Neil arrived from the US, spent the night in Lima and we all headed north for two days of seeing the great sites in the Moche Valley. The murals at Huaca de la Luna were spectacular. Five stories of multicolored carvings are impressive. We were so busy with our selfie, there isn’t muchContinue reading “Our holiday guests”
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