The Historic Environment Scotland Human Remains Call Off Contract: Excavations
and interventions around Scotland 2005 to 2021
The HES Human Remains Call off contract is an emergency call off contract used for
the rapid recovery of human remains in Scotland, identified in non-development led
circumstances. Between 2005 and 2021, AOC, on behalf of HES have excavated over
60 sites, including the Auldhame Cemetery, the Viking boat burials at Mayback and the
recent monumental cist at Scar, Orkney.
This paper will explain the remit of the call off contract and the methodology used
and will highlight the excellent work completed, often in collaboration with other
stakeholders such as universities. We will summarise some of the highlights of the work
including the publication of the early Medieval Auldhame cemetery, East Lothian; the
discovery and excavation of the most recent Viking boat burials in Scotland (Mayback,
Orkney) and new evidence for Iron Age burial practice in the Western isles. We would
also present a rapid summary of the total burials identified by summarising the periods
and radiocarbon dates.
Presentation by Steven Watt
AC Archaeology, Edinburgh
30 сен 2024
