Thursday 8 June 2023, 16.00–17.00 (Sweden GMT+2)
Swedigarch Inspirational Lecture #2
Zoom: https://gu-se.zoom.us/j/66934904149
Scotland’s dynamic coastline is subject to ferocious Atlantic storms that can cause tens of metres of erosion during single events. Although there is uncertainty about how climate change may affect future storminess, there is no doubt that heritage sites will continue to be impacted. However, there is no single organisation that is responsible for building defences or undertaking work in advance of damage, and so new ways of working with the threatened heritage have been developed. Key to this has been a staged approach that sees surveys followed by analysis, which in itself leads to the identification of priority sites and the development of projects to rescue information before it is too late. Many of these projects have taken a creative approach, with local community members working alongside heritage professionals. This talk will detail the methodology used in Scotland and will give examples of a range of projects, from excavation to site relocation; film making to 3D recording.
Tom Dawson is an archaeologist and Principal Research Fellow at the University of St Andrews. For the past twenty years, Tom has been leading a research team recording the effects of coastal change on archaeological and other heritage sites in Scotland. He has also served as a Commissioner of the organisation that holds the National Monuments Record and was Vice President of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.