University of St Andrews archaeology society
The St. Andrews University Archaeology Society has been in existence since the early 1950s as a forum for staff, students and townspeople with a general interest in Archaeology to meet for evening lectures. The syllabus of eight or nine lectures given by visiting archaeologists covers a wide field, and provides the opportunity to hear the latest research being conducted in many fields and the results of recent excavations.
The annual progamme starts with the Mitford Memorial Lecture, when an eminent scholar in the field of classical and, in particular, Cypriot archaeology is invited to visit St. Andrews to give a talk. This is also a social event for all members, who are invited to a reception before hand. The Society also has a Day Excursion in the early summer to sites and places of interest in Fife, Angus or Perthshire.
Syllabus of lectures 2012-13
The usual venue for Society meetings is School 1, St Salvator’s Quadrangle, North Street, at 8 p.m.
The meeting on 18th October will take place in Parliament Hall, South Street
| 18 October | Professor John Hume, OBE | Chairman RCAHMS | Some aspects of the industrial archaeology of Fife |
| 8 November | Dr Gordon Barclay | Historic Scotland | If Hitler comes: the fortification of Scotland 1940-41 |
| 6 December | Dr Gordon Noble |
University of Aberdeen |
The rise of the Pictish kingdoms of northern Scotland: excavations at Rhynie, Aberdeenshire |
| 7 February | Kevin Munro | Historic Scotland | Scottish fields of conflict and the inventory of historic battlefields |
| 28 February | Prof Jonathan Riley-Smith |
University of Cambridge |
Discoveries at two medieval hospitaller sites; the conventual buildings in Acre (Israel) and the castle of al-Marqab |
| 7 March | Dr David Woolliscroft | University of Liverpool | The Roman Gask project |
| 18 April | Dr Oliver J.T. O'Grady | Independent Researcher | Gaelic monasteries in southern Pictland; new archaeological horizons |
| 2 May | Dr Rebecca Sweetman | University of St Andrews |
Knossos and Crete in the Roman Empire Joint meeting with the Hellenic Society |
| June | TBA | AGM |
A biennial One Day Conference is held under the auspices of Dark Age Studies and is now an established feature in the calendar of early Medieval Conference programmes in Scotland. They combine lectures on archaeology and history in an inter-disciplinary way. Four have been held, all attended by well over 100 participants from all over Scotland and Northern England. Four publications have promptly followed:
- 1994 Barbara E. Crawford ed. Scotland in Dark-Age Europe
- 1996 Barbara E. Crawford ed. Scotland in Dark Age Britain
- 1997 Simon Taylor ed. The Uses of Place Names
- 1998 Barbara E. Crawford ed. Conversion and Christianity in the North Sea World
The following later publications may be purchased from the University's online shop.
- The Papar in the North Atlantic: Environment and History. Edited by Barbara E Crawford. St John's House Papers No. 10. ISBN 095125734
- Landscape and Environment in Dark Age Scotland. Edited by Alex Woolf. St John's House Papers No. 11. ISBN 0951257366
- Scandinavian Scotland - Twenty Years After. Edited by Alex Woolf. The Proceedings of a Day Conference held on 19th February 2007. St John's House Papers No 12. ISBN 9780951257371
This series of publications of inter-disciplinary studies in the field of early medieval Scottish history is making a major impact at thecutting-edge of scholarly advance, is widely consulted and all the volumes are becoming standard reference works.
Picture courtesy of Perth Museum & Art Gallery
Office Bearers 2012-13 (PDF, 4 KB)