Burgh Survey Dig and Commission

Published 28th September 2022

As part of a revised Community Burgh Survey in Inverkeithing, members of the public helped a excavate the gardens at the site of a 14th-century Franciscan Friary. Finds included medieval pottery fragments, as well as oyster shells, some of which may have been used to fill gaps in the walls over the centuries and some of which had holes suggesting that they may have been hung or had decorative uses.

You can find the full report from the architectural dig here: Inverkeithing – Dig Report 2022

Dr Gavin MacGregor, now Director of Archaeology Scotland, led the explorations which were funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic Environment Scotland through the Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration scheme delivered by Fife Historic Buildings Trust on behalf of Fife Council.

The artworks were commissioned as part of a series by the Dig It! project to mark the end of the Scotland Digs 2022 campaign which celebrated the archaeological activity that took place across the country this summer. This year’s campaign featured a Climate Action Archaeology theme to draw attention to archaeology’s relationship to climate change. Illustrator and comic maker Aimee Lockwood, who is based in Caithness, focused on the construction of the buildings. Her work depicts the variety of textures in the stonework over the centuries and emphasises the oyster shells and the site’s proximity to the harbour.