Posted inModern Era

The Mystery of the Miniature Coffins Found in 1836 on an Extinct Volcano in Scotland

Arthur’s Seat, the extinct volcano towering over Edinburgh’s landscape at just 250 meters above sea level, is renowned not only for its geology and stunning views but also for a discovery as curious as it is enigmatic: a series of small coffins with miniature figures that, nearly 200 years after their fortuitous discovery, remain shrouded […]

Posted inMiddle Ages

The Oldest Alliances in the World: Portugal-England and Scotland-France

Although geostrategic interests change throughout history, for many centuries, some alliances have defied the passage of time, remaining stable and renewing themselves as if they were unaffected by changing circumstances. Which are the oldest? At least in Europe, there are two that stand out. One is very well known, the Anglo-Portuguese alliance, established in 1373; […]

Posted inMedieval Archaeology

Vikings in the Orkney Islands Discovered “The Plow Was Mightier Than the Sword”

In a study conducted by archaeologists from the University of Aberdeen, new evidence reveals that the Viking settlers in the Orkney Islands found “the plow was mightier than the sword”. Despite their notorious reputation as fierce raiders, these Norse colonists ultimately thrived through agriculture and settlement. Published in the Journal of the North Atlantic, the […]

Posted inMiddle Ages

The Legend of the Fairy Flag, an Enigmatic Protective Relic of the Scottish Clan MacLeod that May Originate from Constantinople

In a recent article dedicated to the Scottish explorer Olive MacLeod, we mentioned the existence of a curious relic that was somewhat like the talisman of the clan to which she belonged. This object is kept in Dunvegan Castle and is a banner that, according to tradition, was made by a fairy who married a […]

Posted inClassical Archaeology

One of Only Three Known Armor Arm Guards of the Roman Empire Reconstructed from Hundreds of Fragments

An exceptionally rare piece from the collection of National Museums Scotland has been meticulously reconstructed from dozens of fragments. Dating from the mid-2nd century AD, a brass arm guard will be displayed whole for the first time in nearly 2,000 years when it is loaned to the British Museum for their upcoming exhibition “Legion: Life […]

Posted inClassical Archaeology

The Most Important Roman Road in the History of Scotland, Later Used by Vikings, Normans, William Wallace and all the Kings of Scotland, is Discovered

Archaeologists in Stirling, Scotland have made an amazing discovery – the remains of an ancient Roman road. Estimated to be nearly 2,000 years old, this road was originally built by the Roman army led by General Gnaeus Julius Agricola in the 1st century AD. It connected to aford, or shallow river crossing, over the River […]

Posted inBronze Age Archaeology

The Face of Ava, a Woman Found in an Early Bronze Age Tomb in Scotland, Reconstructed

In 1987, the remains of a woman from the Early Bronze Age, who died 4,250 years ago, were discovered in a rock-cut tomb in the megalithic circle of Achavanich in Caithness, Scotland. DNA analysis showed that she descended from European immigrants who arrived in Britain several generations before her birth, along with details about her […]